In exceptional times, the mores of society undergo a change or, at the very least, a temporary convulsion. Take the Paris Commune, for example. Born out of a power vacuum in the city after Napoleons idiotic war against Prussia, the Commune flirted with anarchism, socialism, participatory democracy, womens rights and other such things way before they became de rigueur on our continent.
Just as an aside, the failure of participatory democracy in the case of the Commune kind of gave birth to the whole Dictatorship of the Proletariat so loved by dickheads from Lenin to Mao.
Up in these parts, the summer, when it comes, is an exceptional time. It features oodles of overlapping power vacuums of varying lengths, as people throw off the shackles of warm clothing, school, work, etc. They flirt with the opposite (or the same) sex, consume enough alcohol to bring about a temporary neurological anarchy and participate in everything they fancy, even when their participation is not particularly desired
I dont know what Marie Antoinette wouldve had the Communards eat, had her severed head been able to speak after all that time, but as far as our Festivals go, shed tell them to eat rock!
Decorate your ears
Electronic Helsinki vol. 1 compilation is the first Finnish record to be introduced in the Japanese Elle Deco (June issue, p. 47). The magazine focuses on modern living, design & modern lifestyle and reaches millions of style-conscious readers. Electronic Helsinki (CYMBIUM RECORDS) is a joint venture by Cymbidium Records, Octagram Records and Ivana Helsinki. It features the hottest electronic producers from Helsinki, such as Polytron, Millioners, Uusi Fantasia, http://www.myspace.com/ercola ">Ercola and Dj Vilhelm. The compilation is about art as well as music from Helsinki. The innovative canvas cd cover is brought to you by Paola Suhonen.
Becoming heavy in June!
Hes heavy and he aint your brother. Ari Koivunen (SonyBMG) is without a doubt one of the most popular Finnish artists at the moment. His debut album sold over 75 000 units to date and there has been no shortage of media attention. Aris highly anticipated sophomore album, “Becoming”, will hit the Finnish stores on June 11th. It will be released in Japan with one bonus song on June 25th. This album is clearly a band effort. They wrote most of the songs. Becoming is even heavier, more diverse and unified than the successful debut album. Ari Koivunen played two excellent shows in Japan in May and tours actively in Finland with his band.
www.myspace.com/arikoivunen
Hello, Monsters!
Goodnight Monsters (BONE VOYAGE) , 4 young men from Turku, faced a challenge: how to record a second album that could surprise and refresh people as profoundly as their debut effort did? They made it. Their album Summer Challenge goes way beyond Twee Pop. Its your Interflora Overdrive, Lovely. June 4th in Finland, baybee. Europe has to wait for summer to start just a bit longer
Their debut and new album will be officially released in Japan on August 9th by Star Sign Records (BMX Bandits, St Deluxe). Publicity is handled by Office-Glasgow (Andy Kerr, Teenage Fanclub), and Distribution is through Ultra Vybe, Japan.
After moving Europe 4 inches to right
Kimmo Pohjonen (HOEDOWN)is taking his “Earth Machine Music Project to Finland”. It toured UK successfully in May, receiving rave reviews from UK press. Kimmo Pohjonen will perform in Rämsöö, Finland, Aug 16,17, 2008 as part of the Motor Music Festival. Earth Machine Music features Pohjonen performing live with local farmers and their farm machines, farm tools, animal sounds combined with accordion, machine samples, animal samples and more. The festival also features the project Konela by Samuli Kosminen and Jukka Perko. A slide show of Earth Machine Music UK tour fotos can be seen here.
KTU goes to Kazan. Mixes new album in Helsinki
KTU (HOEDOWN) (Kimmo Pohjonen, Trey Gunn, Pat Mastelotto). Will travel to Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia for the Creation in Kazan festival on August 30, the festival taking place in the main square of the city. The festival will also feature Patti Smith and Eddie Jobson and is expected to draw over 100,000 people. KTU will perform in Moscow on Sept 1.
Hanoi Rocks summer starts with a new single and the introduction of their new drummer 
Hanoi Rocks (BACKSTAGE ALLIANCE) are finally announcing their new drummer! Hailing from Sweden, the new member is George Atlagic, nicknamed Jolle among friends. Hanoi Rocks comment on the decision: Jolle is technically a very skillful drummer and his style is greatly in the vein of the former Hanoi Rocks drummers, Gyp Casino and Razzle. Hanoi Rocks just released a new single Teenage Revolution/Self Destruction Blues on May 28th, 2008. The single is already a collectors item since it includes the original arrangement of Self Destruction Blues, previously unreleased in Europe by Hanoi Rocks.Hanoi Rocks summer is busy as always the band will play at the biggest Finnish and Swedish rock festivals and will also visit Norway, Estonia and the UK.
Poets of the Fall broke a deal with EMI Music Publishing and sells gold.
Poets of the Fall (SAM AGENCY) have signed a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing on May 2008, including the newest gold-selling album “Revolution Roulette”. Check out the band live in europe later this year.
Tampere clubbing! Were an ice machine!
Club Tampere operates under the umbrella project Club Finland and is funded by the Creative Tampere programme and the Ministry of Education of Finland. The project aims at expanding the markets and promoting the music business and production of Finnish music companies to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Currently over dozen small and medium sized companies from the music sector in Tampere Region take part in the project.
And for that Tampere sound…
Cosmic Studios’ website and services have been renewed. In addition to music production and recording Cosmic Studios expand to Preproduction, composing and A&R-services. They’ve got an ftp to up- and download music files for mixing and mastering.
Fork it over to the USA
FORK (KHY SUOMEN MUSIIKKI OY) has been invited to the annual SoJam a cappella festival in North Carolina, USA for the second year in a row, this time as the headlining band. Last years festival was headlined by Naturally Seven, an American group often considered to be the best contemporary a cappella group in the world. The professional a cappella groups Duwende (New York) and FORK together with Naturally Seven hosted the festival last year.
June 19 FORK will continue its quest for world domination with its intoxicating show.
Hateform spreads its wings over the world
During a short silence in the Hateform (7:45 RECORDS)camp, big steps have been taken. A distribution deal with Playground Music Scandinavia was recently signed, covering rest of the Scandinavian territories and the Baltic countries. So “Dominance” will see daylight outside Finland at the end of summer. On top of Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, Playground will also take charge of the rest of the European distribution and licensing of Dominance, so hopes are high in both camps. On the other side of the globe, Soundholic from Japan also took the bait, and will be pushing the album to stores in Japan during late summer of 2008. The firm that has worked with acts like Krisiun, Scar Symmetry, Deicide and Trivium earlier decided to licence the album, so that the japanese can also get dominated!
On top of all this, the album will also be available on the American market through The End Records. So prepare the world, hate is taking its form!
www.myspace.com/hateform
Heal thyself
Finland’s official indie band Sister Flo (FULLSTEAM RECORDS)will release their third album “The Healer” internationally on July 4. The album has been given an extremely warm welcome in Finland, where it was, for example, selected as the album of the year by the prominent music magazine Rumba. Quotes a Finnish magazine, The Healer reflects “a surprisingly rich and fine stream of tones
The Healer is an episode filled with harmonies and whispers that grows into a dramatic and entertaining pop serenade towards the end. The Healer, as characteristic of the band, is a collected and subtle entity full of stylish folky pop.” Were not sure what that means, but well take it!
Holy European release, Batman! Its Gotham O.D Monochromatic!!
Monochromatic from Gotham O.D (OFF RECORDS) will be released across Europe on 25.07.2008 by the german record company and music distributor SPV GmbH. SPV is one of the biggest independent distributors and record labels and their roster includes bands like Motörhead, Helloween, Judas Priest, Sepultura, Dio, Mötley Crüe, Manowar, Type O Negative and many more…
SPV GmbH releases Monochromatic exclusively in Germany, Switzerland and Austria and non-exclusively across the rest of the Europe. Albums from the bands Manufacturer’s Pride
Its a bird! Its a plane! No, its LIVE NEWS!
Exogenic Records
28.6. Kiwa heads to Germany to play a gig at the Fusion Festival
11.8. Texas Faggott is playing at the worlds biggest trance festival Boom, which takes place in Portugal.
Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM RECORDS)
After a show in Tokyo supporting Puddle of Mudd and a handfull of shows at the biggest festivals in Europe (Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, Hultsfred, EuropaVox) Disco Ensemble will make finnish music history by being the first finnish band to play the legendary Warped Tour (USA) in July.
June 14: SE-Hultsfred Hultsfred Festival
July 19: CH Gurten, Gurten Festival
July 09-30: USA - Warped Tour
Kimmo Pohjonen (HOEDOWN)
June 14: Poznan, Poland - Ethnoport Festival (solo)
July 25: Sines, Portugal - FMM Festival (KTU)
Aug 16: Rämsöö, Finland Earth Machine Music / Motor Music Festival
Aug 17: Rämsöö, Finland Earth Machine Music / Motor Music Festival
Aug 30: Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia Creation in Kazan (KTU)
Sept 1: Moscow, Russia (venue TBC) (KTU)
Stalingrad Cowgirls (WARNER) gigs:
June 21: Sweden, Pajala, Meänfestivaali
July 31: Norway, Storås, Storås Festival
Aug 01: Norway, Åndalsnes, Rauma Rock
Aug 02: Sweden, Östersund, Storsjöyran Festival
Värttinä (HOEDOWN)
Värttinäs 25th Anniversary tour of Finland was filmed by Petri Ylönen (Oy Filmiteollisuus Fine Ab) and licensed to Finnish National TV, YLE, for four broadcasts on the national channel YLE 2.
Upcoming Värttinä concerts:
June 13: Poznan, Poland Ethnoport
July 11: Ortigueira, Spain
Aug 1: Dranouter, Belgium Dranouter Folk Festival
Aug 22: Islas Azores, Portugal Mare de Agosto
Aug 29: Lubin, Poland Osrodek Kultury Wzgorze Zamkowe
Aug 30: Spain Folk Plasencia Festival
JPP (OART MUSIC)
JPP travels to Edinburgh, Scotland for the East Neuk Festival on July 5.
Star You Star Me (STARS-MUSIC)
Finnish discohouse duo STAR YOU STAR ME will play on Stereoleto festival, St Petersburg, Russia, where other acts on the main stage include Massive Attack and Sebastian Tellier. While S.Y.S.M. boys have been busy with their other projects like Déclassé they seem to have quite a strong following in the russian electronic music scene!
Matthau Mikojan (POKO REKORDS/GAGA GOODIES)
Matthau Mikojan released his debut album few months ago and now he’s doing a mini tour in Germany. The gigs are going to be one man acoustic shows including covers and some own material. Later this year he will be touring in Germany with his band. Matthau Mikojan is also known as the former singer of Finnish band Bloodpit.
July 03: Logo, Hamburg
July 04: Wild At Heart, Berlin
July 05: Rock-Wikinger Bar, Berlin-Friedrichshain
Alamaailman Vasarat (BACKSTAGE ALLIANCE)
The prophets of fictional world music, Alamaailman Vasarat will tour heavily abroads during summer 2008. Besides the biggest European world music festivals, Vasarat will play in Mission Folk Music Festival, Canada, at the end of July.
July 26. Mission Folk Music Festival , British Columbia, Canada
Aug 08. Bardenfreffen, Nurnberg, Germany
Aug 08. Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary
Aug 15. Eurion 2008, Smrzovka, Czech Republic
Aug 16. Zappanale, Bad Doberan, Germany
FOR A DIFFERENT LIVE EXPERIENCE
Classical music in the cabin
You can now enjoy the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and other concerts even during summer, when many orchestras are on holidays. ClassicLive is a web-service streaming symphony concerts live and on-demand from the worlds leading orchestras. During summer, classicLive-concerts are available to subscribers for three weeks on demand. All new users are offered one free week free trial period. Besides concerts, viewers can find plenty of extra materials such as blogs and video interviews about the music and performers on the site as well. Lahti Symphony summer offerings include film-music by John Williams and Osmo Vänskä Farewell concert.