August 2004
- Feature: Finnish companies at Popkomm 2004
- Business
- Live News
- Behind the Numbers / Behind the Scenes
Popkomm 2004 is drawing near and Finns are all set to conquer Berlin for three days! A record amount (again!) of Finnish companies will participate the event taking place in Berlin, Germany on September 29th - October 1st. The Finnish Popkomm edition embraces everything from strongly forwardlooking young labels to the most established publishers of hard-core back catalogue caliber. New co-operations of technology and music will also be launched at the Finnish trade show island. (More information will be released August 24th.)
Participating Finnish companies at the Music Export Finland stand (Hall 17, Stand 109) as confirmed by August 10th:
a1music - Beats and Styles - Exogenic Records/Exogenic Breaks Records - Finnish Music Information Centre - Fullsteam Records - Grandpop Records - Hewlett Packard Finland - i-Jack - Johanna Kustannus/Megamania - Kool Kat Records - Love Music Publishing - Low Frequency Records - Merceedees - nine2five recordings - P.V. Supa - Poplandia Music/Gaga Goodies - Rockadillo Records/Zen Master Publishing - Sam Agency - Stupido Records - Warner/Chappell Music Finland.
—> More information on each company here>>>
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BUSINESS
STUPIDO RECORDS’ indie marvels The Rollstons release their new album Taping Trees on August 11th. The lively quintet will charm the Swedes next weekend at the Emmaboda Festival on August 13th.
Jarmo Saari, the guitar virtuoso of instrumental band XL (ROCKADILLO RECORDS) will release his first solo album Solu (out September 3rd). Saari has taken the elements of electric guitar apart and created a collage of sounds that’s both unique and thrilling, yet catchy and melodic. Rockadillo roster critical appraisal continues with jazz overlords Trio Töykeät’s performance at Stockholm Jazz Festival receiving a rave review in leading Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. (Swedish language review “Finländsk trio visar klass” (‘Finnish Trio Shows Class’) here>>>. And likewise, Sámi superstar Wimme‘s outing at Amsterdam Roots Festival/Melkweg had one of the biggest daily newspapers in Holland, de Volkskrant, reviewing the concert as “the world music event of the year”. Review translated in English here>>>.
EXOGENIC RECORDS has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with British Arabesque Distribution. Arabesque distributes the new Texas Faggott album Pilluminati Cunt Roll as well as EXOGENICs psy-trance back catalogue.
Bitch Alert (GAGA GOODIES) just returned from a 28-date tour in the UK. The dynamic trio almost outplayed their headliner 3 Colours Red, and got a hearty reception on their biggest UK tour yet. The band is currently preparing for more gigs abroad. Indeed the bitch alert continues…
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LIVE
Artists from the three labels of EXOGENIC RECORDS are present at the fantastic Koneisto Festival for electronic music in Helsinki August 13th-14th. Terra Recordings is represented by lounge jazz act LAU. Worldbeat outfit Fat Beat Sound System, ghettotech master PJVM and techno-trio Koneveljet are waving the EXOGENIC BREAKS RECORDS flag. Pioneers of psy-trance Texas Faggott and Squaremeat will propel the tranceheads of the festival into new dimensions.
One of the wildest live bands around, Boomhauer (STUPIDO RECORDS) will tour in the UK on August 12th25th. The locations along their route include e.g. London, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Tour info>>>
In July the Billboard Eurochart ranked Nightwish’s Once as the best-selling album in Europe. The Old Continent firmly in their pocket, Nightwish is making the next steps in the US and Canada. Their ongoing world tour reaches the North American continent on August 16th. Tour info>>>
The equally hot chartbusters The Rasmus will roam through French rock clubs on September 18th28th. The intensive tour includes shows in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse and Lille, among others. Tour info>>>
Cello metal group Apocalyptica are closing ranks after considerable pause on the live front. The low frequency strings are pulled vigorously again, this time in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Slovenia on August 13th September 4th. Tour info>>>
The dulcet-voiced lead singer Teemu Brunila takes his team The Crash on their second German tour this summer, to be launched on August 13th. Germany aside, the pop group will celebrate their idiosyncratic blend of retro styles at Austria’s FM4 Frequency Festival and Luxembourg’s Rock am See. Tour info>>>
Finnish headbangers Finntroll, Norther and The Wake will be gigging in Sweden on August 15th19th. The joint metal tour penetrates clubs like Malmö‘s KB and Stockholm’s Klubben. Tour info>>>
The almighty accordion/sound-processing duo Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster will measure strength with the prestigious Kronos Quartet at the Helsinki Festival. Their first joint concert on September 4th is a world premiere for the material specially composed for this project. Tour info>>>
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Behind the Numbers: The operatic metal band Nightwish are creating new milestones on a daily basis with their international breakthrough album Once. The album has already sold over 500 000 copies that’s half a million! Nightwish has already pocketed double platinum in Finland, and gold in Norway, Switzerland and Germany. And yes, they topped the European Top 100 Albums chart twice in July. The bold and beautiful bunch has no reason to be modest, especially with a recently signed deal with Roadrunner for U.S. release. 
Behind the Scenes: Retro rockers The Flaming Sideburns take their explosive live set to Little Steven’s International Underground Garage Festival in New York. They will join a line-up including New York Dolls, Iggy and the Stooges, Bo Diddley, The Strokes and The Pretty Things. So how do you think the Finns will fare in the midst of such a strong set of bands? We bet they’ll tear the place apart with their rollicking energy!