June 2005
- Features:
* Finns @ Sónar Festival, June 16th-18th
* Music & Media invites international professionals
- Business
- Live News
- Behind The Numbers / Behind The Scenes
SÓNAR GETS A DOSE OF FINNISH ELECTRONIC MUSIC
Finlands sonic underground forces bring electronic delight to Sónar, the 12th Advanced Music And Multimedia Art International Festival held in Barcelona on June 16th-18th. The closing night of Sónar, Saturday June 18th, lets the experimental soundscape-meisters Es, Kemialliset Ystävät and Islaja enchant the audience with sweet sounds from Finnish forests at the Fonal Records showcase.
Music Export Finland will assemble the Finnish stand (Record Fair stands 2 and 3) at Sónar for the first time and it includes a buzzing bunch of companies from Finland. With loads of goodies ranging from electronic soundscapes to jazz and high-tech DJ gear, looking for deals for their top-quality products:
- Crystal Eye Ltd:
This audio-visual production company specialises in films, DVDs, music projects and multimedia installations. At Sónar to present the Tone Of Finland collection.
- EKS:
With its state-of-the-art DJ technology, this high-tech electronics company is backed by experience, innovation and user-friendliness, creating cutting-edge audio technology for the global market.
- Fonal Records:
Independent record label for diverse experimental, naive pop music, semi-acoustic psychedelic folk and electronic soundscapes. See showcase details below.
- Koneisto Festival:
A two-day festival in Helsinki, Finland, August 12th-13th presents a cross-section of contemporary club music, including various genres of electronic and other rhythm music, from hiphop to funk.
- Ricky-Tick Records:
Presenting the jazz of mighty cool Five Corners Quintet Ricky-Tick Records releases top-notch jazz, concentrating especially on dancefloor, soul, and Latin jazz.
- Rockadillo Records:
One of Finland’s best-established, most globally recognized independent labels, specializing in electronica, world music, jazz, experimental and progressive, including RinneRadio, Wimme and Kimmo Pohjonen.
Fonal Records Showcase, Saturday June 18th
@ SonarComplex (MACBA)
17.00 Es (FONAL RECORDS)
“Es combines the abstract nature of electronics, and the visceral effect of live instruments and song structure to create an open and welcoming environment. It’s not self-aggrandizing pathos, but a humble invitation to come closer and be touched.” - Matthew Wuethrich, Dusted Magazine
18.00 Kemialliset Ystävät (FONAL RECORDS)
“Snatches of Kemialliset Ystävät’s Kellari Juniversumi actually sound like outtakes from Timothy Leary’s acid tests in the swiss mountains, with spoken vocals over deep pools of reverb and flashy acid guitar.” - The Wire
19.00 Islaja (FONAL RECORDS)
“The voice and music of Islaja provide a welcome oasis of idyllic, eccentric solitude.” - Matthew Murphy, Pitchforkmedia
MUSIC & MEDIA INVITES INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONALS
Music & Media, the annual music conference taking place in Tampere, Finland for the 16th time on October 20th-23rd, is inviting international professionals as guests of Music & Media and Music Export Finland. You may already have received your invitation; if not, keep checking your mail during the summer…
For more info on Music & Media, plus a possible free trip to Finland and access to the event, please contact the Music Export Finland office.
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BUSINESS
The no. 1 export band in Europe in 2004, The Rasmus (PLAYGROUND) have set the release date for their new album. Hide From The Sun is set for world wide release on September 12th. It is being produced by Martin Hansen and Mikael Nord Andersson, the team responsible for their breakthrough album Dead Letters, which has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, gone top 10 in 10 countries and received 8 gold and 6 platinum awards around the world.
Finnish rockers The Latebirds (GRANDPOP RECORDS), led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Markus Nordenstreng, have finished mixing their new album, Radio Insomnia. The album was recorded in Woodstock, NY, with producers Ken Coomer (Wilco), Charlie Brocco (George Harrison, Fleetwood Mac) and Lasse Kurki (Lemonator). Guests include MC5-guitarist Wayne Kramer, Posies/REM-member Ken Stringfellow, Tom Petty’s organ player Benmont Tench and several Wilco members. The album will be released in Finland on August 10th.
Industrial metallers Velcra (EMI FINLAND) will release their new album Between Force and Fate all over Europe on July 4th, 2005. The album has been already released in Japan by EMI Japan and has entered various record-shop sales charts, this week’s highpoint being #6 on the Japanese Tower Records listing. Velcra being a European tour in October.
Alternative indie-rockers Lodger (ONE EYE LTD) will have their self-financed debut album Hi-Fi High, Lights Down Low official release through EMI this autumn. The album will be released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by Pop-Up Records. Lodger’s prize-winning, highly acclaimed animated music videos are also included in two worldwide MTV campaigns later this year.
The rriot grrl group Bitch Alert (POKO REKORDS) are releasing a five song EP featuring a cover of The Buggles’ 80’s classic Video Killed the Radio Star. The new EP out in June 15th will also include live material from the group’s 2004 UK tour.
The first single from gothic rockers Bloodpit (MERCEEDES), Out To Find You, leaped to the top of the Finnish singles chart in its first chart week. It also single went straight to number 61 in the European official singles chart after its Scandinavian release. Bloodpits long-awaited debut album will come out in mid-August.
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LIVE
The eleventh Nordic showcase festival, Spot 11 in Aarhus, Denmark, is billing three Finnish groups in a programme running June 10th-11th. The Danish Rock Council ROSA has invited the cross-dressing vacuum cleaner-armed Cleaning Women (BV2 PRODUKTIONS), the moody and melodic poppers Sister Flo (DELPHIC RECORDINGS), and the masters of sticky grooves Fat Beat Sound System (EXOGENIC RECORDS), who will all perform on the opening day of the festival.
Almost one-fifth of this year’s Wacken Open Air festival will be Finnish metal: ten of the fifty-plus programmed bands attending Germany’s notorious metal meeting on August 4th6th will be from Finland: Nightwish (SPINEFARM), Teräsbetoni (WARNER MUSIC), Finntroll (SPINEFARM), Apocalyptica (UNIVERSAL), Ensiferum (SPINEFARM), Hanoi Rocks (WOLFGANG), Sonata Arctica (SPINEFARM), Turisas (CENTURY MEDIA), Machine Men (CENTURY MEDIA), and finally Sentenced (CENTURY MEDIA), whose story is approaching the final chapters with only few ‘funeral’ gigs left.
Accordion terrorist Kimmo Pohjonen (ROCKADILLO) will make his second appearance at the prestigious Meltdown Festival in London on June 26th. Having performed in 2002 as Kluster duo with Samuli Kosminen, he now duets with drummer Sami Kuoppamäki at the closing night’s Jimi Hendrix tribute concert Songs of Experience. The programme includes Jeff Beck, Flea, Balanescu Quartet and the festival curator, Patti Smith. Each artist will perform two songs from the Hendrix repertoire. Tour info>>>
The most prominent of Norwegian jazz festivals Bergen’s Nattjazz, Moldejazz, Varangerfestivalen and Trondheim Jazz Festival are billing 14 concerts by Finnish acts for the summer. With a total of four appearances, Ilmiliekki Quartet is the most-booked of the eight groups playing in Norway. Kimmo Pohjonen (ROCKADILLO) will perform with two different line-ups, on one hand with his improv duo boasting French drummer Eric Echampard and, on the other, with the sound-processing-oriented Kluster joining Kronos Quartet. Other performers include Nordic Kollektiv, Jarmo Saari, Scorch Trio, Kvalda, Pekka Pylkkänen Tube Factory and Oiling Boiling Blues Band.
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Behind The Scenes: When bands break up, it’s usually either an ugly or anti-climactic affair. One of Finland’s best metal bands Sentenced has avoided a cliched death, and will go out with their boots on. Even fans must be satisfied with their respectable way of ending the band’s career. Sentenced already sentenced itself to death in the winter. In May the band release The Funeral Album, which fits the title’s description perfectly. Now the band has embarked on The Funeral Tour, so fans can enjoy their favourites one last time. Maybe knowing this is really the end eases the pain.
Behind The Numbers: Film director Ilppo Pohjola continues to pay tribute to Finnish illustrator and gay icon Tom Of Finland. Pohjola has now organised the release of a double-compilation, which features reworkings of the soundtrack of his documentary Daddy and the Muscle Academy. Seventeen Finnish musicians including Jimi Tenor, RinneRadio, Pan Sonic’s Mika Vainio and Giant Robot have made their own tribute to Tom Of Finland, often using his voice sampled from Pohjola’s documentary. In total the two cds include 137 minutes and 19 seconds of music, 30 tracks, 10 different cover designs and too many naughty words to count.