- Features:
* A Sneak Peek at the Start of 2007
- Business
- Live News
- Behind the Scenes
- Behind the Numbers
A Sneak Peek at the Start of 2007
With a successful year behind them, Finnish music exporters are looking forwards confidently to 2007. Once again, it is going to be a busy year, with a vast number of releases, tours and industry events.
Just a couple of weeks after the New Year celebrations, the live industry-focused Eurosonic Festival kicks off, presenting four fresh ‘n’ cool Finnish acts. The showcasing bands are Bloodpit (MERCEEDEES), Islaja (FONAL RECORDS), Lapko (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) and Rubik (FULLSTEAM RECORDS).
More about Eurosonic 2007: www.musex.fi/eurosonic2007
And of course, following Eurosonic at the end of January is MIDEM, perhaps the most important meeting point for music-industry svengalis from all over the world. Once again, Finland will not be outnumbered, with altogether over 40 companies and more than 100 delegates attending the conference. Added to that, Finland will be presenting a Jazz showcase, with performances from top-notch artists Iiro Rantala (ROCKADILLO RECORDS), Jukka Eskola (RICKY-TICK RECORDS) and UMO Jazz Orchestra.
For friends of Sibelius, and to honour the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death, MIDEM will stage a classical concert focusing on his works. One of the nights soloists will be young Finnish violin virtuoso Pekka Kuusisto (ONDINE), who has been praised by the critics all over the world.
More about Midem 2007: www.musex.fi/midem2007
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BUSINESS
Chart-topping rock group Lovex (EMI FINLAND) are about to follow in the footsteps of many others of their kind and begin conquering the world from Germany. Securing their way to the top, these darkly clad rockers recently inked a deal with the German Sony BMG label GUN Records, which previously introduced German audiences to acts such as HIM and Within Temptation.
Rockin straight-forward and edgy is the key concept behind Sweatmaster, who have changed their label from the Danish Bad Afro to Finnish Fullsteam Records. Apparently, returning home feels good, as the guys are confident that their third album, due for release in March 2007, will rock you and your friends socks off!
Say ska and party! Break A Leg Entertainment have closed a 12-country deal for ska-combo The Valkyrians with the German label Pork Pie. On the booking side this live favourite is handled by Muttis Booking.
The label for modern Scandinavian jazz, Abovoice, has made a Japanese distribution deal with Ratspack for all its releases. Check out the catalogue at: www.abovoice.com.
Nightwish bass-maestro Marco Hietala has been busy working with his old band Tarot (KING FOO). The new album from this band also known in Finland as the godfathers of heavy metal is appearing Europe-wide on Nuclear Blast Records on January 19. The new video for the first single is now viewable at the band’s website.
Pop collective Treeball (KINKT RECORDS)have released their second album of 2006. And guess what? Its free for downloading! Go and plug into www.treeball.com for some heart-aching pop for the rainy days.
Finnish songwriter Patric Sarin is on the move! His latest achievements include songs for Swedish pop-phenomenon Darin, whose next single from his latest album is co-written by Sarin.
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LIVE
Seen by many as the next big thing, gothic rockers The 69 Eyes (POKO RECORDS) are to tour the US and Canada with Cradle of Filth, playing almost 30 support gigs January 23 - March 2. The entire The 69 Eyes back catalogue is being released in America via Cleopatra Records, while new material has also been made available with airplay of the first single, Perfect Skin, from the forthcoming album.
Having toured mainland Europe in 2006, melancholic punk rock band I Walk the Line (COMBAT ROCK INDUSTRY) next year embark on their first tour of Japan. January 12 28, they will appear at seven locations, Tokyo and Kyoto among them, with varying co-headlining bills.
Fonal Records artist Islaja will take her much-buzzed-about show abroad at the beginning of next year, as her combo performs at Eurosonic in The Netherlands on January 11, at Landmark in Norway on January 18, and at Norways famous By:Larm on the second weekend of February.
Scarily enough, trollish folk-metal group Finntroll (KING FOO) will be making a six-date club tour of Holland, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, December 26 - 31. Another folk-metal band, Moonsorrow (SPINEFARM), will headline a joint tour with three Canadian groups in Ontario and Québec, January 15 - 20.
A firm favourite among world-music fans, Värttinä (HOEDOWN), are to head out to the USA for the eighth time in their career. The tour dates, January 13 19, include appearances in Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington, Alexandria, Philadelphia, and Somerville. Meanwhile, RinneRadio (ROCKADILLO) and Iro Haarla (SNOW SOUNDS) will be putting jazz and club sounds together in Estonia, January 11 - 13.
The Valkyrians (BREAK A LEG ENTERTAINMENT) are about to take their ska-rocksteady show on the road in Germany. This much-hyped live outfit will perform at three locations, December 15-17. So, get out there, all you rudeboys and rudegirls!
Metal monsters Tarot (KING FOO) and Diablo (POKO RECORDS) will be getting heavy at the beginning of February on their Crows Over Germany 2007 Tour, presented by Metal Hammer Magazine. The tour starts in Berlin on February 5 and ends in Aschaffenburg on the 14th.
With a recent tour of Germany under their belts, Bloodpit (MERCEEDEES) will be going East to Russia next. The dark rockers are to play at Tabula Rasa Club in Moscow, December 17, with the visit including an acoustic charity gig for homeless children.
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Behind the Scenes
Usually a battle between hip-hoppers means that two rappers fight it out on stage verbally. Two Finnish rappers give a completely new definition to the word, since Steen1 and Pikku G will fight it out in a parliamentary election (although the word on the street is that they have no beef with each other). Both are campaigning to be among the 200 candidates to be chosen to the Finnish Parliament in the March elections. Neither are members of any party, but Steen1 is running in the ranks of the Finnish Communist Party and Pikku G is listed among the moderate Centre Party. 
Behind the Numbers
The queues to buy tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest final held in Helsinki in 2007 were huge - in addition to actual queues the phone lines were jammed because more people were making calls to buy tickets than ever before. Single tickets for the event were sold out in a mere minutes. This means that either Finns have truly been infected with Eurovision fever, or they just believe that the winning streak continues and want to witness it at any cost.