April 2005
- Features:
* Finnish Music Days in Tokyo May 12th-14th
- Business
- Live News
- Behind the Numbers / Behind the Scenes
A FINNISH MUSIC TRADE EVENT AND SHOWCASES HIT TOKYO MAY 12th-14th
Having been hailed as the best music exporters in Europe in 2004 by Billboard Magazine’s Border Breakers chart, Finnish professionals are continuing to expand export co-operation by introducing the finest music companies and the hottest new bands to Japanese professionals in Tokyo, May 12th14th. The Finnish music industry is increasingly keen to form stronger ties with Japanese partners.
Finnish Music Days in Tokyo introduces representatives from over 20 top Finnish music companies: labels, publishers and agents are bringing forth the abundant talents in pop, rock, electronic, world music and of course metal. Along with the music trade event at JETRO IBSC Hall on Friday, May 13th, Finnish Music Days in Tokyo will ship nine top Finnish bands to Japans capital for fiery, CreativeMan-produced showcase performances at Shibuyas hottest venues.
As a foretaste of what is to come, Billboard Magazines April 23rd issue will feature a compilation CD with a wide selection of music from the companies joining in the Tokyo mission. All Japanese subscribers to Billboard Magazine will receive the CD.
Showcasing the Hottest Finnish Acts
The Finnish Music Days blast off with a metal showcase at Liquid Room Thursday, May 12th. The venue will be torn to pieces by fierceful metal acts from SPINEFARM RECORDS: rock solid power metal ensemble Kiuas, folk-influenced battle metal band Ensiferum, gothically desirable To/Die/For and melodic-metal headbangers Twilightning.
The rock showcase staged at Astro Hall on Saturday, May 14th will feature performances by the intense emo-core act Deep Insight (FULLSTEAM RECORDS), gothic rock misfits The 69 Eyes (EMI FINLAND), hyperactive garage rockers Tigerbombs (JOHANNA KUSTANNUS) and the petrol burning rocknroll explosion Boomhauer (STUPIDO RECORDS).
Added to that, the experimental Memnon will perform Sunday, May 15th at Astro Hall. Their beautiful songs explore the borderlines between classical kantele traditions and electronic sound landscapes.
Further information on all showcasing bands and companies attending the event here>>>
********
BUSINESS
No Rehearsals Needed is the motto of the improv duo of accordion terrorist Kimmo Pohjonen and French free drummer Eric Echampard who released their joint debut album Uumen (ROCKADILLO). The adventurous twosome have just finished their first extensive tour in Finland and are moving to perform in Estonia April 25th-26th. Show info>>>
Finnish melodic-metal band Machine Men has signed a longterm worldwide deal with CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS. Their new album Elegies will be released July 25th. It was recorded by Thunderstones Nino Laurenne at Sonic Pump Studios and then mastered at the established Finnvox Studios, comes with classy artwork by Norwegian artist Christian Ruud (Tristania, Madder Mortem). This summer the band will be performing in Earthskaker Festival and Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany and Ilosaarirock and Jalometalli festivals in Finland.
The über cool nu-jazz ensemble Teddy Rok Sevens (JUPITER) album Universal Four will be released in the UK in May. Teddy Rok Seven is the brainchild of Finnish drummer Teppo Mäkynen, also known for his work for Nuspirit Helsinki, Husky Rescue and Reuna. During April, Universal Four will be released also in USA, Canada, Japan, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, France and the Benelux countries.
The ambassadors of rich folk sounds Värttinä (HOEDOWN) who have been composing the music for the forthcoming Lord Of The Rings musical premiering in Toronto, are releasing a new album. The ensemble goes on an extensive 15-date tour through Belgium, Slovakia, Russia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, the UK, Hungary, Norway and France. They are also producing a live DVD, including performances from this tour.
********
LIVE
One of the hottest Finnish bands around, Husky Rescue (CATSKILLS RECORDS), is preparing for a tour in the UK. After two successful gigs at the South By Southwest festival, the band will be warming up for Morcheeba on their UK tour. The Helsinki-based folktronica act will have their own gigs in the UK and Ireland, too. The Huskies will also play the Glastonbury Festival, along with acts such as Coldplay and The White Stripes. Tour info >>>
The hardworking power metal band Sonata Arctica (NUCLEAR BLAST) will play nine headlining club dates in the US and Canada April 13th24th. Included are appearances at B.B King’s in New York, Le Medley in Montréal as well as Worcester’s The Palladium, where they are billed as part of the New England Metal Festival. Tour info >>>
The trollish folk metal union Finntroll (SPINEFARM RECORDS) and the up-and-coming death/thrash metal group Amoral (SPINEFARM RECORDS) are teaming up with the Swedish Naglfar for a tour in Europe. From Sweden to Spain, Belgium to Hungary, they will play 32 gigs across the continent on April 6th May 7th. Tour info >>>
Having just returned from their three-week tour in the German-speaking countries and Italy, The 69 Eyes (EMI FINLAND) won’t stay home for too long. Their next dates, April 7th22th, cover Sweden, the UK, France and Spain, with the schedule including all the capitals, Stockholm, London, Paris and Madrid. In the UK The 69 Eyes will share the stage with Wednesday 13th. Tour info >>>
The king of the Sámi beat Wimme (ROCKADILLO RECORDS)performs on the ‘Shaman Voices’ UK tour May 3rd9th, produced by Arts Council England’s Contemporary Music Network (CMN). Other headliners are Okna Tsahan Zam from Mongolia and inuit singer Tanya Tagaq Gillis from Canada. Tour info >>>
Offering genuine music that mixes garage rock, punk, electronica and minimalism, the quirky pop auteurs 22-Pistepirkko (BONE VOYAGE) will launch a Nordic tour of Norway, Sweden and Denmark on May 4th. Their new album Drops & Kicks and their almost four-hundred-page biography 22-Pistepirkko give extra reasons to go to live concerts by this cult favourite. Tour info >>>
********
Behind The Scenes: Known fact: Some of the world’s best heavy metal comes from Finland. This summer: Some of the world’s best heavy metal is coming to Finland. As if by a joint agreement plotted in a blackwalled cabinet far underground, Finland’s biggest and most versatile rock festivals including Provinssirock, Ruisrock and Ilosaarirock, are offering awful lot of metal for this summer. At the same time Tuska which actually is a metal festival, has become one of the summer’s main festivals. Finns are looking at a heavy summer with acts such as Rammstein, Slipknot, Anthrax, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath travelling to Finland to join local metal greats such as Nightwish (SPINEFARM) and Apocalyptica (UNIVERSAL). 
Behind The Numbers: After Jori Hulkkonen signed with French electronica label F-Comm over a decade ago, and started doing regular DJ-gigs around the world, he realised location mattered. At the time he lived in Kemi, Northern Finland. For every gig he first had to travel to the Finnish capital to catch a flight to wherever he was going. That meant travelling 715 kilometres before the actual journey even began. Eventually Hulkkonen moved to Helsinki, but he wasn’t content with that. For the last few years he has lived in Turku, 165 kilometres west from Helsinki. Last year he did over 50 DJ-gigs outside Finland, more than ever before, so it looks like Hulkkonen has found the ideal balance between distance and convenience.