Murmansk

Until now, non-metal bands from Finland went largely unnoticed. This year’s by:Larm appearances suggest that 2010 undoubtedly belongs to the Finns. Enter the alien and eerie world of Murmansk. Borrowing their name from the cold and isolated Russian outpost, this Helsinki–based foursome invited the selected few present at Rockefeller Annex on Friday night to an intense and passionate sonic experience. Hidden behind a thick veil of smoke and large amounts of distortion their compositions proved to be incredibly well-arranged and flawlessly executed. Their bass-driven sound consisted of countless melodic layers and dynamic changes creating lunar soundscapes infused with urgency and aggression, while their gripping lower-key passages were washed away in gloom and melancholy. Their aloof and enchanting singer is tiny in size but possessed a considerable vocal range.

Joensuu 1685

Brothers Markus and Mikko Joensuu managed to track down another guy with the same surname called Risto Joensuu and formed a band cunningly named Joensuu 1685 (the number has apparently got some family tree references). Their farfisa organs haunted Stratos, a venue on the 12th floor of a building with a creepy view over snow-beaten Oslo. The trio were super tight, generating vintage noise and achieving a remarkably full sound, while their airy take on Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire’ was simply genius. Mikko’s pristine vocals were compelling and meditative - almost cathartic – and their generous feedback psychedelic loops resulted in a dazzling performance.

Rubik

Cheerful fanatics Rubik gave by far the liveliest and most fun performance of the weekend at John Dee on Saturday. Having eight vivacious folks on stage who screamed and jumped up and down for half an hour made for very good entertainment indeed. With a brass section in their arsenal, complete with tambourines and glockenspiels, they burst into infectious melodies and released a great deal of energy. They made everybody in the room dance too! Comparisons range from the Flaming Lips to Animal Collective - with an added Finnish twist.

See full article here.

The workshops feature solid leads from major record companies for all the important music markets on the planet, so for ambitious young writers inspiration is usually easy to come by, especially when partnered with experienced writing partners.

The workshop has produced long-term partnerships for some people and an educational, as well as eye- and ear-opening experience for all.

For more information and participant listings, check out the event page.

As we all know, you’ll really be at Finnish Metal Expo/Helsinki Metal Meeting to work your ass off, not to party. That’s just how serious-minded a person you are. Luckily for you and the expense report you’ll need to write, Finnish Metal Expo’s Industry Day at Nosturi is packed full of goodies, from a roundtable discussion dealing with the future of metal magazines and other topics to a buffet dinner and a live show.

Click here for a list of participants.

The Cable Factory Expo Area will be a veritable smorgasbord of everything metal has to offer, worldwide: gear, clinics, interviews, an interactive songwriting workshop with Tuomas Saukkonen of Before the Dawn and all the rest of the quality stuff you’ve come to expect.

The gigs offered at this year’s Expo are sure to cause more mayhem than a busload of lost pensioners in the subway system of a strange city. At Nosturi, Finntroll will release their 5th studio album, “Nifelvind” during the expo. They’re playing with two up-and-comers: the progressively inclined Barren Earth and the 80s-to-the-core Armour.

Over at Cable Factory, there’s no lack of world-class headbanging: Apocalyptica, Sonata Arctica, Amorphis, Satyricon, Hypocrisy... None of them need introducing. You can also check out some bands you may not be as familiar with as the aforementioned legends: the revelry of Korpiklaani, the dramatic and doomed Swallow the Sun, the death metal stylings of Survivors Zero, atmospheric metal by Kiana, Russian metalcore juggernaut Amatory, self-proclaimed goth core by V For Violence, the industrial metal circus of the ever controversial Turmion Kätilöt, grungey and catchy Doom Unit, melodic metal mavens Winterborn and fresh from the Helsinki suburbs, death metal act Tukkanuotta.

And from Finland, the unique sonic tapestry of Vuk. The band is a vehicle and occasional alter-ego for the unclassifiable art of Finnish-American singer-songwriter Emily Cheeger, who manages to throw everything from voodoo percussion to arty Talk Talk textures and Balkan vocalism at her songs. The songs, to their credit, stand tall and stately in the face of this onslaught, so the eclecticism is obviously true expression, not affectation. The second album, The Plains, was easily one of the best Finnish albums of 2009.

On the strength of the album and her performances, Vuk spent a part of last year opening for Fever Ray in the USA.

JA JA JA in London, at the Lexington on Thursday, February 25. For more information, check out the website www.jajajamusic.com.

The Finnish offering this year rides the gamut from cool to hooligan. Joensuu 1685 has been tipped for a full European takeover at many an event and their plans are proceeding apace. Murmansk mines the same shoegazing sheet of sound as the Joensuu brothers, but comes up with a totally different noise. Rubik is art rock as it was meant to be played. Manna is pure charisma and material produced by Mikko Joensuu, the linchpin of his own band. On the electronic front there’s Mesak, one of the progenitors of skweee and a member of electro legends Mr Velcro Fastener, as well as Jesse, the denim and leather hooligans of synth.

The good folks of Music Export Finland will be there, for discussions, the notorious “Speed Meetings”, lectures, debates, workshops… Among the close to 2000 attendees, you’ll recognize us by the huge grins on our faces, because with music this great, business can’t be anything but good, maaaan!

By:Larm in Oslo, on February 18-20. For program details and more information, check out the event page.

Eurosonic, the live industry’s very own private retreat, and definitely the sweetest excuse to visit Groningen, will feature six Finnish acts: Manna, VUK, Jesse, Joensuu 1685, I Was A Teenage Satan Worshipper and Jaakko & Jay. So for Thursday and Friday this week, be prepared to fly your Finnish freak flag high.

Eurosonic in Groningen, The Netherlands on January 14-16. For program details and more information, check out the event page.

At MIDEM 2010, the Finnish Pavilion will be filled with action and goodies. The Finnish delegate list is as long as this winter is cold. We’re also bringing back the legendary Black Monday party, so if you have the cast-iron guts, do your ‘ead in with Finnish drinks, like hundreds of delegates have in years gone by. Please also stop by and grab your copy of the steaming-fresh compilation of the latest Finnish music.

MIDEM and MidemNet in Cannes, France on January 24-27. The Finnish Pavilion is downstairs on the main aisle (23.01/25.02). For more information, check out the event page.

The goal of this major update is to offer clients and partners, as well as everyone interested in Finnish music and the music industry, a bigger range of services on a convenient, user-friendly platform. In the near future, Music Export Finland’s clients – Finnish music companies – will be able to log in to a dedicated area on the website and access an array of tailored services.

FI News has undergone major reconstructive surgery. As of the first edition of 2010, FI News will introduce new Finnish talent, picked by prominent Finnish media tastemakers. The new feature is called “Artist of the Month”, but will not be limited to performing artists – topical makers and shakers, such as songwriters and producers, will also get into the spotlight.

We hope you find these changes positive and useful. But this is still a work in progress, so if you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Finnish music is doing better than ever on international markets. According to music export research, royalties from abroad received by Finnish artists have grown steadily throughout the 2000s. Royalties paid to Finland have grown once again, by 28 per cent on last year, and Finnish artists are attracting audiences of millions of fans – at live performances, as record buyers, and in social networks.

What do we at Music Export Finland do to help give Finnish music sector professionals a chance to offer clients the expertise, networks and resources needed for internationalization?

Music Export Finland’s operations in 2008 spanned 238 companies and actors in the music sector. An even hundred companies took part in our joint projects, 29 actors in the trade applied for sparring sessions in our refineries, and more than 150 companies benefited from our marketing and publicity campaigns. In total, our operations covered some 270 artists and creators.

In the autumn, Music Export Finland chalked up five years as a broad-based export organization representing the entire field of Finnish music exports. Prior to that, we worked as an export ring for 12 companies and organizations. Music Export Finland’s operations are thus of school age: We are starting to learn to read and do sums, even to learn from our mistakes and to analyse our own actions.

Music Export Finland’s operations are, in fact, undergoing a significant transformation. We are upgrading our services to assist various popular music genres more effectively, and as broadly as possible, and to offer tools for promoting exports, both for those just starting to export and for successful, expanding companies that already have music-export experience. Read more about our range of services on this website.

I feel utterly privileged to be working with such a great team at such an exciting time. As a taxi driver enthused to me: “You know, I am convinced that music can be Finland’s next Nokia.” You know, I agree. The exquisite berries of the North have now ripened – and you are all welcome to pick the juiciest ones for yourselves.

Helsinki, December 14, 2009

With best wishes,

Paulina Ahokas
Director