Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Avanto Festival 2007



Helsinki's Avanto Festival's schedule for this year has been published. Maybe one of the most interesting gigs there from pHinnWeb's point of view is the comeback of Organ, Finnish synthpop pioneers 25 years ago.

Organ was born when Pekka Tolonen and Seppo Parkkinen's electronic duo Argon — which had already released one of the milestones of Finnish electronic music, Kone kertoo (1981) — was joined by prog-rock bass player Tapani Lahtinen, and Mikko Saarela, previously known as the witty lyricist of popular punk/new wave band Eppu Normaali. In addition to off-the-shelf synthesisers, an important part of their instrumentation was an analogue drum machine called "Zyrgo", built by Tolonen. The year 1982 saw the release of their only album Nekrofiilis (Poko), which is, in retrospect, perhaps the best representative of the short-lived "Futu"(as synthesiser pop was called in Finland at the time) craze. The songs heard on the album were rehearsed in the electronic music studio at the University of Helsinki. The album contains a paean to Regina Linnanheimo, one the most glamorous Finnish film stars from the 1940s; in other songs, Saarela's socially committed lyrics examine topics such as vivisection and aid to developing countries as well as anti-war themes. Parkkinen was also one of the lyricists of their album. Unfortunately, the career of Organ was cut short by the waning of the Futu boom. Representatives of later generations of electronic music have, however, found Organ's music again, and their comeback performance is likely to receive the attention it deserves.

Organ @ Avanto/Äänen Lumo Club in Kuudes linja on Friday, 16 November from 9 pm to 4 am


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Avanto Festival 2007
16-18 November 2007
various venues, Helsinki

INTERNATIONAL FREE CINEMA (@ Kiasma & Orion 16.–18.11.):

MICHAEL SNOW (CA)
PETER KUBELKA (AT)
DOUGLAS GORDON (UK) & PHILIPPE PARRENO (FR)
NÄRA ÖGAT (SE)
STEKLIANNOE POLE (RU)
ESKO LÖNNBERG / CIRCLE (FI)
AVANTOSCOPE

ÄÄNEN LUMO (@ Kuudes linja 16.11. 21-04):

PAIN JERK (JP)
TAPE (SE)
ORGAN (FI)
PETRI KULJUNTAUSTA (FI)
ODJS HARRI & TG (FI)

POTLACH (@ Gloria 17.11. 21-03):

VOLCANO THE BEAR (UK)
EDDIE PRÉVOST & ALAN WILKINSON (UK)
AVARUS (FI)
KUUPUU (FI)

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