October 2005
- Features:
* Music & Media October 21-23: Music & Media Goodies
- Business
- Live News
- Behind The Scenes
- Behind The Numbers
MUSIC AND MEDIA: New Talent Exposed Live and via Podcast
Over 80 international guests from around the globe (10+ countries) will attend the Music & Media conference in Tampere Finland October 21-23 to check out the hottest new talent from Finland. Among bands showcasing are Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM), Bleak (HELSINKI MUSIC COMPANY), Sister Flo (DELPHIC RECORDINGS), Astrid Swan (DELPHIC): showcasing artist list here>>>.
After last year’s popular Focus On Japan panel, the “Focus On” series continues with Focus On The Baltics, the panelists being key music business professionals from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Other 2005 panel topics include: International Sales Events - What’s In It For Me? with SXSW, Eurosonic and Musexpo; European Live Music Forum Presentation; an IMMF workshop Live Around The World; and a keynote interview with ex-Clash and Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner. Details on all the international panels here>>>
Music Export Finland will also unveil the latest figures on the Total Market Value of Finnish Music Exports and announce the artists, partners and campaign identity for the Midem 2006 Opening Night.
The conference will also see the release of the world’s first podcast containing licensed music; this has been produced by Tezoma Solutions, a pioneer of digital media. Users subscribe for the podcast files, which are then automatically delivered to their computers over the internet. The music in the podcast is licensed by the individual labels and by the Finnish composers’ copyright organisation, Teosto.
For more info on Music & Media, please contact the wry and sulky Music Export Finland producer Ville Kilpeläinen at ville@musex.fi or call +358 (0)20 730 2230.
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BUSINESS
The Finnish rock group Private Line‘s (PLAYGROUND MUSIC/BAD HABITS RECORDS) debut album 21st Century Pirates will be released in Sweden on October 17. The band plays two gigs in Sweden with D-A-D on October 17-18, details here>>> Private Line will also make a short trip to Germany, performing in Berlin’s Frannz Club on November 15. The album has already been released in Finland, Japan, Italy and Russia.
GBFAM RECORDS announces the next big export band after Negative: Day Eleven! Day Eleven have the guts to sound like themselves, from punk to ballads, from goth to pop. Their debut album Almost Over Everything backed up with energetic live performances will make this band one to watch in 2006. Day Eleven will perform live at Music & Media on October 22.
Finnish kanteleplayer Timo Väänänen (DIFFERENT LEVEL) is to release three records this year. He plays various types of kantele (Finnish national string instrument), including a customized electric model. Besides Finnish traditional folk music Väänänen explores such genres as electro, dance and ambient. He’s also a member of the Welsh-Finnish trio Taith, whose latest album Now & Then was BBC1’s Album of the week: “...this is an understated gem of a record from three very fine players…”
Multiply awarded saxophonist Joonatan Rautios (AIKAMEDIA) international-standard instrumental solo album Medicine will be released in November 2005. Medicine includes a variety of colourful music full of expressive power. The album represents a wide range of styles: gospel, funk and jazz, plus Finnish-nationalist emotions.
Unisex Distortion (SAUKKODESIGN) proclaim themselves the first Finnish GLBT band. Their music is a mixture of retro sounds and fluent melodies with modern dance rhythms. Their stage act is a combination of rock show and burlesque cabaret with a touch of decadence and energetic dancers. Despite their gay-oriented vibes Unisex Distortion‘s music is aimed at all ears!
Callisto (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) has started the pre-production of its second album with Jonas Olsson. In December Callisto will head into the studio in the backwoods of Finland’s northern west-coast countryside. The album will be released in the first half of 2006. Their debut album True Nature Unfolds was released worldwide in a co-operation between Fullsteam Records and Earache Records.
New Finnish electro label FROZEN NORTH RECORDINGS has only three releases to its name, but already they’ve got amazing feedback from big-name DJ’s like Laurent Garnier, Jori Hulkkonen and Electric Indigo. As a new label, they’ll give a chance for new talents, along with well-known artists, to release music on 12”.
One of the top DJ’s in Scandinavia, DJ Orkidea, has renewed his contract with UNIVERSAL MUSIC and will release two separate albums in November. The first, on November 16, is a DJ-mix A Place Called Happiness, which includes other well known DJ’s such as Slusnik Luna, Dallas Superstars, DJ Tiesto and Way Out West. The second, Music Speaks In Thousand Languages, is an ambient chill-out album and this limited edition will be released on November 30.
KTU (ROCKADILLO RECORDS/HOEDOWN) have made an impression on Americans with their latest album 8 Armed Monkey. “Throughout the record, everyone contributes to the music through both conventional (by todays standards) and unconventional means, creating a truly unique sound - one that people of more exploratory tastes should definitely seek out.” All About Jazz (USA)
Bloodpits (MERCEEDEES) debut album Mental Circus followed the great success of the first singles and reached the #4 spot on the Finnish album chart. Now the album is to be released on October 15 in Russia and on October 19 in Sweden. Italy will have to wait until November. The band will also be touring Italy in late December.
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LIVE
Currently in the middle of a US and Mexico tour, the cello metal trio Apocalyptica (UNIVERSAL) will complete a full year of live shows, heading to Russia November 613 and France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland November 22December 5. 22-Pistepirkko (BONE VOYAGE) has also new dates for their on-going tour. The quirky garage rockers will tour The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Norway in October and November.
The booming Deep Insight (FULLSTEAM RECORDS) will embark on a European tour supporting The Rasmus (PLAYGROUND MUSIC) October 17November 22. In only three years of playing together this emo-influenced group has already toured 20 countries, playing 200 shows, including this year’s tours of the UK and Japan in August and May.
The alt rock/emo outfit Disco Ensemble (FULLSTEAM) will undertake a sixteen-date European tour as support act for Hell Is For Heroes (UK). The tour schedule, October 25November 15, includes locations in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. The two groups have already taken each other’s measure in the Popkomm music trade fair showcase at Berlin’s Magnet Club in September.
October 1429 the explosive country punk live act Boomhauer (STUPIDO RECORDS) will appear in seven concerts in Germany, one in Switzerland and two in Estonia. The new material, also on the 2005 album Me Think OK, messes with a mix of twisted country, garage rock and whatever-billy.
Techno accordion shaman Kimmo Pohjonen (ROCKADILLO/HOEDOWN) teams up with multimedia artist Marita Liulia for five concerts in Portugal October 2129. Pohjonen performs with great focus on physical and theatrical elements, and Liulia adds an extra visual dimension as she “paints” Pohjonen‘s body in real time with computer animation specially designed and programmed for this Animator project.
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Behind the Scenes: Despite their frequent travels around the world The Rasmus’ (PLAYGROUND) home base is still firmly in Helsinki. Together with other members of the collective of musicians and friends called Dynasty, the band’s Lauri Ylönen and Pauli Rantasalmi have built a studio in their home town. So, whenever they happen to be home from their travels and tours with The Rasmus, they can concentrate on coming up with new things in their own studio. Rantasalmi also composes songs for Kwan (UNIVERSAL), so the hiphopping rock band will be using the studio actively, too. Kwan‘s members are also in the Dynasty-collective, along with musicians from Killer a rock band which unfortunately broke up earlier this year. 
Behind the Numbers: Eighteen is the new magic number for Finnish success in the United States. That’s the position HIM‘s (SIRE/HMC) new album Dark Light charted after selling 46 000 copies in its first week. It is easily the best chart position in the U.S. for a Finnish band. The opening week was successful in other regions as well: HIM topped the charts in Greece and Finland, went to No. 4 in Germany and Austria, No. 7 in Sweden, No. 10 in Italy and Spain, and No. 13 in Norway.