European Festivals Thunderstruck by Finnish Music!

- Features
* Festival Season Kicks Off
- Business
- Live
* Finns Around the Globe (tour listings)
- Behind the Scenes
- Behind the Numbers
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EUROPEAN FESTIVALS THUNDERSTRUCK BY FINNISH ROCK, METAL AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC

SONAR 2007 - June 14-16, Barcelona, Spain
Hot as HEL presents the hottest Finnish electronic music around:
 
Friday June 15 @ SonarVillage
18.00   Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators (TIMMION) “Willis and band breathe new life into an often curatorial musical tradition.” -MOJO (Urban Album of the Month)
18.45   The Executives (NINE2FIVE) -Dj set
19.30   Accu (EXOGENIC) -live
“Beach Boys meeting Happy Mondays for serious lounge core” -DJ Magazine
20.15   The Executives -Dj set
21.15   TUOMAS TOIVONEN (STUPIDO) -live
“Best hypnosis I’ve had” - Pets On Prozac 
 
Listen to the bands at www.musex.fi/sonar2007 
 

FINLAND’S KICK-ASS AMBASSADORS AT EUROPEAN FESTIVALS:

NOVAROCK, Austria, June 15-17
- Lordi (SONYBMG), Children of Bodom (SPINEFARM), Negative (GBFAM) and Sunrise Avenue (BONNIER AMIGO)

GRASPOP METAL MEETING, Belgium, June 22-24
- Amorphis (SPINEFARM), Children of Bodom, Finntroll (SPINEFARM), Moonsorrow (SPINEFARM), Korpiklaani (NAPALM RECORDS) and Turisas (CENTURY MEDIA)

BANG YOUR HEAD, Germany, June 22-23
- Amorphis and Finntroll

HELLFEST, France, June 22-24
- Children of Bodom and Korpiklaani

MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL, Italy, June 25
- Bloodpit (MERCEEDEES), Cyan Velvet Project (POKO REKORDS), Day Eleven (GBFAM), Korpiklaani and Turisas

WITH FULL FORCE, Germany, June 29 - July 1
- Children of Bodom, Moonsorrow, Rotten Sound (SPINEFARM), Swallow The Sun (SPINEFARM) and Turisas

WACKEN OPEN AIR, Germany, August 2-4
- Amorphis, Moonsorrow, Norther (NSOUND) , Stratovarius (NUCLEAR BLAST) and Swallow The Sun

SUMMER BREEZE OPEN AIR, Germany, August 16-18
- Moonsorrow, Finntroll and Swallow The Sun

GLASTONBURY, UK, June 21-24
- Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM RECORDS)

ROCK am RING and ROCK im PARK, Germany, June 6-8
- Disco Ensmble
- Sunrise Avenue

ROSKILDE, Denmark, July 5-8
- Luomo (HUUME RECORDINGS)
 
 
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Business News
 
The day that all metal lovers have been waiting for is finally here. Nightwish (SPINEFARM) introduce their new lead singer Anette Olzon. The Swedish beauty has joined forces with Nightwish on their new single Eva and new album due for release in September. The album will coincide with a world tour of seven countries on three different continents. 
 
Swallow the Sun (SPINEFARM RECORDS) have announced their tour plans for next fall. A busy autumn will start with a three-week tour of the US in September with Katatonia, a mini-tour of Spain and Portugal in October, and a Europe-wide tour in November with Amorphis (SPINEFARM RECORDS). Swallow the Sun are definitely the most active Finnish metal band on tour in 2007, with over 80 gigs around the globe.

The new album Walk, Don’t Talk by Finland’s hardest working extravagant electro-reggae rockers Beats and Styles (AJ RECORDS) is doing well internationally. The single Take it Back is blowing up in Italy with TIM RECORDS. As a follow up to the smash hits Dance, Dance, Dance and Invitation to the Dancefloor, the single, yet to be released, has climbed rapidly on the Music Control radio charts, and looks set for the title of summer hit 2007 with good support from the main radio and TV stations. Promotion is also starting in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, with TMC. Also already confirmed are releases in Spain and the Netherlands.
 
Rock sensations Carmen Gray (SONYBMG) will release their debut album The Portrait of Carmen Gray in Japan via BMG Japan on August 23.
 
The Crash (FLOP MUSIC) album Pony Ride was released in Japan on May 23 by TREASURE MUSIC, and the band played there on May 25 as part of Finland Fest 2007. The video for Pony Ride debuted on the Music Television airplay chart at #23.
 
Maria Kalaniemi‘s (HOEDOWN ARTS) latest album Bellow Poetry was released in Taiwan by TREES MUSIC in May, supported by two successful concerts in Taipei and Tainan.
 
IVANAhelsinki canvas becomes a CD cover. The brand new compilation Electronic Helsinki vol. 1 features the hottest alternative dance music from Finland. The innovative, ecological canvas cover has been designed by Paola Suhonen / IVANAhelsinki. Electronic Helsinki is brought to you by two Finnish independent labels, CYMBIDIUM and OCTAGRAM.
 
The organizers of the annual Finnish music trade fair Musiikki & Media have created a handy calendar for everyone working in the music industry. Global Music Business Seminars is a Google calendar of information about seminars and conferences such as MIDEM, Popkomm and London Calling. Users of Google, iCal, Outlook and the like can bookmark it and keep in sync with what’s happening, where and when! The company behind GMBS,  Saha Creative Events, organizes Musiikki & Media in close co-operation with Music Export Finland. 
 
Desert Planet‘s (STUPIDO RECORDS) Aska-Osaka Virtual Highway is Finland’s first music release in USB-memory-stick format. The Japanese-influenced stick includes a contribution by cyberpunk writer Kenji Siratori. The band has also renewed its musical style. Among the Nintendo-style electro-pop are now elements of heavier electro-sounds.
 
Finnish teen heavy-rock stars Sturm un Drang (HMC) have inked a deal covering Europe with German GUN RECORDS. The debut album Learning To Rock from these heavy prodigies climbed straight to #3 on the Finnish national album chart. The future looks bright for these young rockers – It was Gun Records that made HIM a phenomenon in Germany.

Astrid Swan‘s (PIIKKIKASVI) debut album Poverina was released in the USA through MINTY FRESH RECORDS on May 22. The record has received great notices in the American media, including reviews & features in Popmatters, Prefix Magazine, Harp Magazine, Venuszine, Allmusic, Amplifier, Gen Art Pulse and many others. The album has now been playlisted by a number of major college radio stations. Astrid is currently preparing to record her follow-up album, and will return to the USA for more dates in the autumn.
 
DCX (A1 MUSIC) has a rare opportunity to release a cover of ABBA disco classic Knowing Me, Knowing You. The single will be released in Finland on June 13, and soon after in the US, ASIA, Australia, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. A fresh music video is also available. The video was shot at various locations around Europe, including Finland, London, Riga, Berlin, Barcelona and Montserrat. Check out the video at www.dcxmusic.com.

The new album from trance/house duo Highpersonic Whomen is hitting the stores on June 6! This piece of art is called Push The Limit and takes listeners deep into psychedelic sounds and progressive beats. Be prepared for a variety of styles and soundscapes! The album will be released worldwide through ARABESQUE and PLAYGROUND MUSIC SCANDINAVIA.
 
 
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Live News
 
Ilmiliekki Quartet (TUM RECORDS) and The Five Corners Quintet (RICKY-TICK RECORDS) will give concerts on the US East Coast June 11-15. As the highlight of the trip both groups will perform at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, NY. All performances are part of the Nordic Jazz Now project, co-coordinated by Finnish Music Information Centre (Fimic), and intended to promote Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish jazz in North America.
 
Finnish metal bulldozer Diablo (POKO REKORDS) and frontman, the James Hetfield of Finland, Rainer Nygård will support Metallica in Helsinki at the Olympic Stadium on July 15! 
 
FINNS AROUND THE GLOBE (For detailed info click on the band name.)
 
Europe
 
- Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM): Switzerland, UK, Germany, June 8-24 (emo)
- Jimi Tenor (SÄHKÖ): Croatia, June 8 + Belgium, July 13-14 + Italy, July 20-21 (eclectic)
- Lapko (FULLSTEAM): Andrejsala, Riga, Latvia, June 15 (alt rock)
- Sunrise Avenue (BONNIER): Germany, June 17 & July 20 & August 10-12 + Sweden, July 1 & 5 + Switzerland, July 21 & August 4 (pop/rock)
- Leningrad Cowboys (SONYBMG): Germany, June 20-30 (rock)
- Erja Lyytinen (RUF): Schöppingen Blues Festival, Germany, June 23 + Olszyn Blues Nights, Poland, July 6 (blues)
- Tigerbombs (JOHANNA): St. Petersburg, Russia, REV Music Club, June 27 (pop)
- Waltari (PR): Czech Republic, June 29-30 & August 3-4 (rock/metal)
- Bitch Alert (POKO): Germany, Usta Sommerset Festival, June 30 + Holland, Rosrock Festival, July 1 (punk/rock)
- Ensiferum (SPINEFARM): Germany, Geiselwind Festival, July 6 + Dong Open Air, July 14 (metal)
- Honey B. & T-Bones (BLUELIGHT): Sweden, June 29 & July 6-7 (blues)
- Kimmo Pohjonen / Uumen (ROCKADILLO) Denmark, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, July 9 (world music) Also from July 20 to September 15 in Slovakia, Spain, France and Austria
- The Valkyrians (BREAK A LEG ENTERTAINMENT): Czech Republic, July 13, Germany July 14 & 28 (ska/rock)
- Bloodpit (MERCEEDEES): Germany, Amphi Festival, July 21 (rock)
- Negative (GBFAM): Hungary and Germany, August 9-12 (rock)
- Sturm un Drang (HMC) Sweden: Metaltown in Göteborg on June 30, Östersund July 27 (heavy) 
- Maria Kalaniemi (HOEDOWN ARTS) and Olli Varis: Germany and Switzerland, July 27: Bad Vildungen, – Folk im Schloss festival Oct 7: Bern
- Värttinä (HOEDOWN ARTS): All around Europe June 19 - August 14 (world music)
  
North America
 
- Lordi (SONYBMG): Ozzfest 2007, USA, July 12 - August 30 (hard rock)
- The 69 Eyes (EMI): USA, June 19 - July 10 (gothic rock)
- To/Die/For (SPINEFARM): USA and Canada, July 7-27 (metal)
- Swallow The Sun (SPINEFARM): USA and Canada, Sep 4-26 (metal)
 
Japan
 
- Sonata Arctica (NUCLEAR BLAST): Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, July 19-22 (metal)
- Don Johnson Big Band (UNIVERSAL): Tokyo & Osaka, Summer Sonic Festival, August 11-12 (pop)
  
 
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Behind the Scenes
What do warm-up acts actually get out of making audiences excited and ready for the act they’ve really come to see? In some cases quite a lot. When Manboy (DRIVER 8 RECORDINGS) opened for Placebo‘s Helsinki gig in May, it led to an extended support slot for the band. Manboy will kick off for Placebo at a total of eight gigs, starting with Helsinki, where Placebo first got excited about the Finns, and ending in Athens in mid-July. Other acts with recent opening slots in front of thousands of people have been singer-songwriter Sansa, who warmed up for Genesis, and rock band Crumbland, whose job was to get the audience breaking sweat before Korn came onstage.
 
Behind the Numbers
Rock festivals are a part of the Finnish summer, just like sausages, mosquitoes and a sun that just won’t set.
- 30 rock festivals in June
- 42 in July
The numbers department would really like to tell you how many bands are performing at these festivals, but unfortunately the task proved too much for our calculators. Instead, we can tell you that for some festivals one foreign act is enough (eighties star Europe headline at the Himos Festival), whereas others have as many as 20 acts from abroad (Ruisrock).