- Features:
* Finns at Popkomm 2006 - serve hot or chilled
* Music & Media 2006 Brings the Business to Finland
- Business
- Live News
- Behind the Scenes
- Behind the Numbers
Finns at Popkomm 2006 - Serve Hot or Chilled
Tired of eye-grabbing Popkomm invitations that make your head spin? So are we. So without further chit chat, see below the coolest, hottest and without question the most beguiling showcase programme at Popkomm 2006:
Wednesday, September 20
08:00 Lapko (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) —>listen
09:00 Brightboy (HELSINKI MUSIC COMPANY) —>listen
10:00 The Winyls (SAM AGENCY) —>listen
11:00 Naked (JOHANNA KUSTANNUS —>listen
Thursday, September 21
Club 23, Funk Showcase Night
00:00 Eternal Erection (EAT THIS MUSIC) —>listen
KATO, Muttis Little Monsters Popkomm Showcase
09:45 I Walk the Line (COMBAT ROCK INDUSTRY)
Wabe, Finnish Jazz Night
08:30 Lenni-Kalle Taipale Trio (WARNER MUSIC FINLAND) —>listen
09:30 Iiro Rantala Trio (ROCKADILLO)
10:30 UMO Jazz Orchestra —>listen
White Trash, Motor FM Session
09:00 Evilsons (STUPIDO RECORDS) —>listen
10:30 Bitch Alert (POPLANDIA MUSIC) —>listen
11:15 Lodger (EASTBORDER MANAGEMENT) —>listen
Friday, September 22
Club 23, Metal Showcase Night
10:00 Diablo (POPLANDIA MUSIC) —>listen
11:00 Shade Empire (DYNAMIC ARTS RECORDS) —>listen
Club Kato, Finnish Punk / Rock Night
09:45 No Shame (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) —>listen
10:30 Slideshaker
11:15 The Flaming Sideburns (SPINEFARM) —>listen
Columbiaclub, Sally*Sounds
08:40 Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) —>listen
Music & Media 2006 Brings the Business to Finland
What do labels such as Atlantic, Capitol, Domino, TVT, Universal, Vice and XL have in common?
Well, they are all going to the annual Music & Media conference to see Finnish bands performing on their native soil. The approximately 100 international companies include delegates from all over the world: the USA, the UK, Japan, Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, China and Canada. On top of that, there is keynote speaker David Fricke - Senior Editor of the legendary Rolling Stone Magazine.
Dont miss your chance to check this out. See the complete list of delegates and listen to the showcasing bands at www.musex.fi/mm2006.
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BUSINESS
The Finnish mobile solutions company Provisual are displaying their innovation skills in the Popkomm-IMEA final. This is the third time that the “Innovation in Music & Entertainment Award” is being presented at Berlins Popkomm. In short, IMEAs mission is to find, screen and present the best new business ideas, the brightest entrepreneurs and the hottest start-ups in the worldwide music, media and entertainment-technology sectors. These high expectations were not too much for Provisuals FanPLUGGED, which qualified as a finalist in the IMEA! Get FanPLUGGED at www.fanplugged.com.
Accordion champion Kimmo Pohjonen (HOEDOWN) and sampling master Samuli Kosminen have finished composing and performing the score for the Finnish feature film Jade Warrior. Produced by Blind Spot Pictures of Finland, Jade Warrior premieres at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept 7 and 8. The soundtrack album is scheduled for release in October.
EMI Publishing has signed a worldwide deal with sparky retro patrol Kemopetrol (PLASTINKA). Releases in USA, Germany, the UK, France and Italy will follow as soon as the deal is finalized.
Negative (GBFAM), those skinny glam/love rockers, are about to get even thinner, as their new album Anorectic will be released throughout Northern and Central Europe on September 27. These rockers have a solid base to rise up from, as their debut album War Of Love and sophomore album Sweet And Deceitful have both sold gold in Finland.
Following amazing success in Finland, Universal Music will release the sophomore album Approach from the prog-rock group Von Hertzen Brothers (DYNASTY RECORDINGS) in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Holland in the course of autumn 2006. Yes, one of the hottest Finnish upcomers has been spotted by numerous companies, and negotiations for releases in other territories will be completed soon!
Artology, the new album from Kaustinen fiddle stars JPP (HOEDOWN), was picked for the Songlines “Top of the World” (Top 15), Sept/Oct issue. Besides Finland, Artology has been released in the USA by NorthSide and in Japan by Koruna Music.
After his successful release on Pakkas Levyt, Samuli Kemppi (of Sam&Gigi) is dropping a fabulous minimal funky-techno EP on Frozen North Recordings. The record is called Valtimo Ep and includes three original tracks and a remix by Marko Laine.
The crazy humppa-crew Eläkeläiset will have four different releases out in Russia soon. Their whole catalogue will be released in digital format by RMG Records, while another company will release the double-compilation Humppa-Akatemia, as well as the DVD Sekoilun ytimessä (The Heart Of Freaking Out in english; we strongly advise you do not show this DVD to your kids), which is about to go for gold in Finland. As if this wasnt enough for the Russians, the latest album Humppasirkus is to be released by Soyuz Records.
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LIVE
The Rasmus (PLAYGROUND) launched their US tour on August 30 in Fresno, California. This joint tour with Lostprophets and Kill Hannah will conclude in Chicago on September 22. Another strong Finnish export act and seasoned performer on American soil, HIM (HEARTAGRAM / HMC), will appear in the US in almost immediate succession. On their “No Sleep Till Halloween” tour, October 18-31, HIM will join forces with the same acts as the The Rasmus did, with the addition of Papa Roach. See the complete tour calendar at www.therasmus.com.
Laidback folktronica act Husky Rescue will also be touring North America. Starting in Seattle and ending in Austin, the group will play nine dates altogether, September 8-17. These gigs are a continuation of Husky Rescues previous US tour, which ended a month ago, of venues including the trendsetter festival Lollapalooza in Chicago. Tour dates at www.husky-rescue.com.
Arctic club kings Jimi Tenor, Them Shepherds, Bangkok Impact and Bommitommi are heading off to China. The Sounds Like Suomi tour kicks of in Beijing on October 4, and during the course of the three following weeks will travel over 5000 miles to Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming and Shenzhen. See tour details at www.soundslikesuomi.com.
Melodic death-metal group Children of Bodom (SPINEFARM) will be one of the support acts on the Unholy Alliance European Tour headlined by Slayer. Taking place on October 20 - November 20, the tour will proceed to the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Venues will be arena-type with capacities of several thousand.
Both Americas will host the forthcoming Stratovarius tour on September 27 - October 17. The classic power metal crew will hit the stage in the US, Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela.
Anssi Tikanmäki (ROCKADILLO) and his Film Orchestra have been invited to perform the music for Aki Kaurismäkis silent film Juha live in Belgium, Austria and France. The first performance will take place at the Festival van Vlaanderen, Brussels, on September 9. The music for Juha, composed by Tikanmäki himself, will also be heard live at the film screenings at the Kontraste Festival in Krems, Austria, September 30, and at the Festival Les Boréales, Caen, France, November 26.
Sword-swinging battle-metallists Turisas (CENTURY MEDIA) will support the monstrous Lordi (MONSTEREO MANAGEMENT) on their forthcoming UK tour. The group promises to fill the stage with furs, blood and sword battles. Metal, blood swords… what more can you ask for? See tour dates at www.turisas.com.
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Behind the Scenes
Sex and rock’n'roll really fused together in rock group Private Line’s live show at a sex exhibition held in Turku, Finland. Wanting to be faithful to the event the band arranged a real sex show as a background for the set. Two female porn stars took to the stage what happened after that is definitely X-rated so we better not go into more detail. We can say that a lot more than just kissing was going on and we don’t need to describe the clothes of the ladies because there were hardly any! It’s hard to say how many people paid any attention to the gig with all the other action going on, but Private Line seem to have gained a lot respect for this sideshow.
Behind the Numbers
In 2006 the Air Guitar World Championships were held for the 11th time during the Oulu Music Video Festival. This the winner was from Japan for the first time. Finnish participants won the first five competitions, but since British Zac Monro took his first championship in 2001 there have been no Finnish champions. Monro won twice in a row and after that two winners have been from the USA and one from Holland. During this dry season the best Finnish results have been second place in 2001 and fourth in 2003 despite the fact that the competition is on Finnish soil every year. Guess we’ve moved onto real guitars now.