Finland’s sonic underground forces bring electronic delight to Sónar, the 12th Advanced Music And Multimedia Art International Festival held in Barcelona on June 16th-18th.
This year’s Sónar Festival June 16th-18th will experience the new generation of Finnish musicians combining a DIY aesthetic with traditional folk forms, liberating theologies of noise and improvisation. FONAL RECORDS showcases sonic-soundscape creators Es, Kemialliset Ystävät and Islaja. Performing on Saturday 18th at SónarComplex, these artists have already attracted interest and amazement in electronic music circles world-wide:
“Their childlike avoidance of musical conventions often makes their music resemble the bold, iconoclastic and sometimes psychotic products of outsider art” - The Wire, December 2004.
Sónar is the essential meeting point for an alert public, cutting-edge artists and the most influential professionals from the sectors of electronic and experimental music and modern arts. In its 12th edition Sónar will be presenting over 300 activities including DJ sets, SónarPro professional fair, concerts and works in every multimedia format: installations, cinema projections, net art and design.
Six companies are joining the Music Export Finland stand 2 and 3 in SónarPro area in MACBA (Plaça dels Ángels 1). These companies range from electronic soundscapes to jazz and high-tech DJ solutions; Fonal Records, Ricky-Tick Records, Rockadillo Records, Crystal Eye Ltd, EKS and Koneisto Festival. See details below.
SonarPro is aimed at companies and/or people involved in the different sectors of the avant-garde music industry and multimedia arts. A focal point of activity that in 2004 brought together 1697 professionals from 668 companies and 33 countries.
Finnish Showcases at Sónar
Saturday June 18th
Fonal Records Showcase
@ SonarComplex (MACBA, Plaça dels Àngels 1)
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
CONFIRMED FINNISH DELEGATES:
Ricky-Tick Records
Ricky-Tick Records aims to release top notch jazz, concentrating especially in dancefloor, soul, and latin jazz. Presenting the jazz of mighty cool Five Corners Quintet, who are collaborating with legendary jazz vocalist Mark Murphy on their forthcoming debut album Chasin’ The Jazz Gone By, due to released in the summer of 2005.
Mr. Antti Eerikäinen, Managing Director, antti(at)ricky-tick.com
Koneisto Festival
Koneisto is a two-day festival which presents a cross-section of contemporary club music, including various genres of electronic and other rhythm music from hiphop to funk. Held in Helsinki, Finland in August 12th-13th.
Mr. Mikko Niemelä, Project Manager, mikko(at)koneisto.com
Fonal Records
Finnish independent record label of various experimental, naive pop music, semi-acoustic psychedelic folk and electronic soundscapes.
Mr. Sami Sänpäkkilä, Label Manager, fonal(at)fonal.com
Crystal Eye Ltd
A production company specialising in films, DVDs, music projects and multimedia installations that innovate audio-visual expression and are artistically ambitious while still reaching a wide audience. Presenting in Sónar Festival is the Tone Of Finland –collection. The pioneers of Finnish electronic music composed the “fictional movie score” out of an existing soundtrack of Ilppo Pohjola’s gay classic Tom of Finland - Daddy and the Muscle Academy. Featured artists includes the likes of Jimi Tenor, DJ Slow, DJ Bunuel, Mika Vainio of Pan Sonic, RinneRadio and Giant Robot.
Mr. Ilppo Pohjola, Managing Director, pohjola(at)crystaleye.fi
Rockadillo Records
One of Finland’s most highly established and globally recognized independent labels, specializing in electronica, world music, jazz, experimental and progressive, including RinneRadio, Wimme, Kimmo Pohjonen, Piirpauke, Pekka Pohjola and XL.
Mr. Tapio Korjus, Managing Director, tapio(at)rockadillo.fi
EKS
EKS is a Finnish high-tech electronics company backed by experience, innovation and user-friendliness, creating cutting edge audio technology for the global market. A whole stand is dedicated to present their state-of-the-art DJ technology such as the XP10, the first real plug’n'play system for playing digital audio streams.
Mr. Antero Ramsay, CEO, antero(at)eks.fi
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Music Export Finland
An export association that represents the entire Finnish music industry. Main target is to initiate and facilitate the marketing, promotion and sales of Finnish popular music abroad.
Ms. Paulina Ahokas, Director, paulina(at)musexfinland.fi
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Contact person: Konsta Klemetti, Music Export Finland
Tel: +358 (0)20 730 2230
Fax: +358 (0)20 730 2231
Email: konsta.klemetti (at) musexfinland.fi