FI News November 2006: from One Success to the Next
- Features:
* Finnish Music Exporters Produce Excellent Results in 2005
* Hottest of the Hot - Eurosonic 2007 Introduces New Finnish Talent
- Business
- Live News
- Behind the Numbers
- Behind the Scenes
Finnish Music Exporters Produce Excellent results in 2005
In terms of exports, the Finnish music biz is running wild. According to a recent study, the market value of Finnish music exports increased in 2005 to 29 million; 33% and over 7 million euros more than in 2004. Over the past five years, music exports have grown by an average 40% as a result of increased export activity by music companies, along with the growing number of high-quality products on the marketplace.
Click here to see the media release and to download the PDF presentation.
Hottest of the Hot - Eurosonic 2007 Introduces New Finnish Talent
Januarys Eurosonic 2007 Festival will see shows by four upcoming Finnish acts, all of whom have recently emerged from the Finnish indie scene. Finnish EBU band of the year is Fullsteam Records Lapko, who have already garnered a steady following in Finland with their two acclaimed albums and super-explosive live performances. Other showcasing acts are grunge-rockers Bloodpit (MERCEEDEES), folk sensation Islaja (FONAL RECORDS) and Rubik (FULLSTEAM RECORDS), whose intense show caught the eye of numerous international representatives at the Music & Media conference in Finland at the end of October.
For more information on the Finnish showcases at Eurosonic 2007, go to www.musex.fi/eurosonic2007.
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BUSINESS
Warner/Chappell Music Finland has signed a worldwide publishing deal with the coolest goth rockers in Finland, The 69 Eyes (EMI FINLAND). The bands next release Angels will be out early next spring and tours are already booked for Europe and the US. Dig the skeleton suit out of your closet and party the vampire way!
Punk rockers Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) have inked a worldwide publishing deal with Air Chrysalis Scandinavia. Both band management and publisher have high hopes for this co-operation and are ready to shift up a gear, or even two.
Poets of the Fall (SAM AGENCY) won the Best Finnish Act award at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2006. The band is currently touring Finland, Sweden, Russia and Estonia. Their next single and video Locking up the Sun will be out in Finland and Sweden on November 29.
I Walk The Line (COMBAT ROCK INDUSTRY) are now punkin and rollin across the Atlantic, as theyve just been signed to the prestigious US label Gearhead Records. Their melancholy organ-driven punk will hit the States on January 23, 2007 with the release of their debut album Desolation Street.
The latest album from the successful a cappella group Rajaton (PLASTINKA), Rajaton Sings Abba With Lahti Symphony Orchestra, topped the Finnish chart in its first week and passed the gold mark in less than a week. The album is now on release in Canada, Germany and Sweden, with more new licensing/distribution partners to meet at Midem.
Allllright, here it is! The flag bearers of abstract industrial funk, Imatran Voima, have been working on their new album Welfare State Of Mind for two years now, and it will finally be out in December. The album will be released by Scottish label Mighty Robot Recordings, apart from in the USA, where Imatran Voimas albums have been licensed by Miami-based label Monotone USA.
Exogenic Music Group is busy bringing the bass back. Accu´s album Lasso and Fat Beat Sound System´s album Fala Fala will be released in Russia by Dance Paradise / Soyuz, and in Ukraine by Planet of Hits/ Odyssey. Further south, Sony BMG Greece is due to release Lasso in the near future.
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LIVE
The ‘Itsenäisyysyö’ (Finnish Independence Night) music and art festival, featuring exclusively Finnish acts, will be held in Moscow for the fourth time on December 10. The venue has changed from B2, which hosted the previous editions, to the brand new IKRA club. The main attractions are electro-accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen (HOEDOWN), AOR act Poets of the Fall (SAM AGENCY), and prog-rock group Circle (EKTRO RECORDS). The diverse line-up also includes performances by Rättö & Lehtisalo (EKTRO RECORDS), Risto (FONAL), Kiila (FONAL) and DJ Kuuro Kädetön Paisti.
Melodic death-metal group Children of Bodom (SPINEFARM) are to launch their headlining US tour at Philadelphia’s Trocadero, November 29. By the end of the tour, December 18, the band will have played over fifteen dates, mostly in club and theatre venues, with support acts Amon Amarth (Sweden), Sanctity (USA), and Gojira (France). A gig in Montréal, Canada, has also been scheduled.
There is a lot of touring activity on the metal front as usual. Waltari (ROSHOLM FARM) are to tour the Czech Republic November 28 - December 2; scheduled dates include two club appearances in Prague, as well as a gig at the Masters of Rock Winter Festival, Zlin. A newcomer to the scene, Winterborn (SAM AGENCY) is heading out to a tour in Italy, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium December 5 - 30.
Good ol’ rock ‘n roll trio Francine will play a six-date tour in Germany, December 6 - 12. Drawing their influences from the sounds of the 80’s, rather than the 50’s or 60’s like Francine, twisted casio-pop group Aavikko (STUPIDO RECORDS) will perform at Paradiso, Amsterdam, plus other venues on their tour of the Netherlands, December 13 - 16. The new-skool punk-rockers I Walk The Line (COMBAT ROCK INDUSTRY) will be touring Japan on January 18-28, 2007.
Exogenic acts Haltya, Kiwa and Highpersonic Whomen will be embarking for Brazil with shows on November 11 in Rio de Janeiro (Haltya) and on November 18 in Goias.
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Behind the Numbers
A first for Finland: defending its first place in the Eurovision Song Contest. Another first: hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. 12 the number of artists invited by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE to compete for a place in the actual contest. Zero the usual expectations for a Finnish Eurovision artist (of course, that is now all in the past after Lordi’s success). Zero the number of monsters trying to qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest. One former male model (Humane), one heavy band (Thunderstone), one glam-rock-influenced group (Jann Wilde & Rose Avenue), one band playing melodic metal (Lovex) and one artist with experience of winning through singing (Hanna Pakarinen, winner of the first Finnish Idol competition). And one candidate who has a background in dance and gymnastics (Katra). Guess who we’ll be betting our money on!
Behind the Scenes
And speaking of our favourite Eurovision-winning monsters Lordi: now you have a chance to find out where they really come from, in a comic book charting the origins of the monster band’s individual monsters. A sneak peek inside the covers reveals that Amen terrorised ancient Egypt, Kita went after annoying scientists, Ox had some issues with death and decided to come back from the dead, Awa was content haunting a few places, and Mr. Lordi himself did some hunting in Lapland. The comic features blood, guts and zombie reindeer! You know you need to get it, if only for the zombie reindeer.