Kompleksi have been booked to Turku Modern, a new festival dedicated to electronic dance music and club sounds. Will be playing on Saturday 25 July at Klubi (showtime tbc). Here's the full line-up:
Turku Modern
house, dancehall, dubstep, electro, indie...
Where: Turku, Finland Date: Friday 24 July – Sunday 26 July, 2009 Venues: Klubi Turku / Donna / Café Aula of Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova
Black Bear Sound Clouds Cosmo Baker (New York City, US) Dead-O Denaro Desto Didier Elmo Felix Manell Fummer Hannulelauri Hitto Hälinen, Larjosto & Liinamaa Ionik Jerry Valuri Jori Hulkkonen Kompleksi Komposti Sound Lempi-Joe & Piitu Lintunen Misf*ts Poika & Hirviö Renaissance Man Sheikki Sheikki Suomen Moroderit Top Billin Villa Nah We Love TKU X-Rust
This year's Tampere International Short Film Festival will take place on 5 - 9 March 2008. Out of the programme, of pHinnWeb interest is at least Darkbeat: An Electro World Voyage by Iris B. Cegarra (2006), a documentary on electro music, also featuring Finland's Mr Velcro Fastener among such international luminaries as Aux 88 members, Octagon Man, Cosmic Force and many more. Darkbeat will be shown on Friday 7 March, 10 pm at Plevna 2. Furthermore, Planet B-Boy by Benson Lee (2007) on breakdance culture (Saturday 8 March, 10 pm at Plevna 2) sounds interesting. And also a series of Warp Records videos is promised to be a part of the festival schedule.
Festival of Finnish popular music in Ghent, Belgium
'Etoiles Polares Finland', a festival dedicated exclusively to Finnish music, will take place at Vooruit Arts Centre, Ghent, Belgium, on December 12 - 15.
'Etoiles Polares Finland' is produced by Vooruit Arts Centre with additional programme consultation by Fimic, and with the support of several Finnish institutions and foundations.
Vooruit Arts Center is a prominent cultural house hosting two venues with standing capacities of 1200 and 300. Music aside, it programmes regularly contemporary dance, plays, performance art, and installations.
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)
The second Monsters of Pop festival of Tampere, 10-12 August 2007, offered many cultish goodies for discerning connoisseurs, providing some sorely needed alternative to the otherwise mostly boring Finnish festival summer, with all those jaded Suomirock and metal bands circulating at every other domestic event dedicated to stinking portaloos, combat drinking and intoxicated brawls.
Here are some personal favourites as witnessed at Yo-Talo, one of the gigs venues alongside Artturi and Laterna: alas, the latter two I had no more energy to visit myself, and perhaps better so, because spending three nights only at Yo-Talo made me feel afterwards some physical strain and bodily decay... Anyway, kudos to all at Monsters of Pop organisation for setting this thing up, and also getting Mr. pHinn in, which added some welcomed sparks of light to this summer I could personally well have lived without otherwise. Already looking forward to MoP 2008!
Kukka's long-awaited comeback gig featured a very excited crowd. I used to describe their music as "Velvet Underground meets Kraftwerk", and though this description must be grossly misleading, I hope it at least offers some pointers to their melancholic indie pop laced with some electronics. Kukka disappeared from the scene in 2001 but had already managed to gather a considerable cult reputation through their gigs and demos spreading from hand to hand, and obviously that memory has not faded, which could be witnessed with the encore song 'Chabom' with a strangely serene, even church-like atmosphere in the audience. Obviously the Helmilevyt label is going to release Kukka's old demos soon, so you might be able to hear yourself what the fuss was all about. You can listen to such old favourites heard during the gig as 'Hey Mr. DJ', 'Hot Light' and (my own fave track) 'Machine' on Kukka's MySpace site.
K-X-P: spacey excursions meeting electronic funk, which briefly visited being on the verge of prog-rock but fortunately no 20-minute drum solos were heard in the end. The line-up consisted of Timo Kaukolampi and Tuomo Puranen, both familiar from Op:l Bastards, accompanied by the live drumming of Tomi Leppänen, the real Stakhanovian hero of labour who also appeared at the festival with Aavikko (not to talk about his work with Circle, whose offshoot Rättö and Lehtisalo I unfortunately missed this year). I really enjoyed this gig with its psychedelic overtones too, making me think of some DC Recordings acts like The Emperor Machine or Giallos Flame.
Studio: I had no earlier experience with this band from the West Coast of Sweden, but what I heard was for me pounding funkish indie pop very much reminiscent of early 90s Manchester bands like Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. I mentioned this to one of the band after the gig, which he was not at all displeased to hear. Nice throbbing lights for the stage show too, though I was glad for not being an epilectic.
Pluxus, also from Sweden, visited Tampere for the third time, and had adopted a more laptop-oriented sound since I last heard them. Whereas their music used to sound for me like home-grown electro, with their current line-up of three it was now more sleek, with touches of pounding techno-house and very danceable.
Martin Rev, the keyboardist for New York's legendary Suicide must have been for many one of the most expected acts of Monsters of Pop. His one-man show consisted of very lengthy tracks made out of loops, including also some Afro-Cuban sounds, something that sounded like an old Roy Orbison backing track, one backing track from Suicide's American Supreme but added with new vocals which Rev sang with his husky voice. Wearing a sleeveless Batman comics T-shirt, red leather pants and huge reflecting ski glasses, Martin Rev's keyboard technique was a sight to see too, featuring karate chops, playing clusters with his fists and doing some quick sweeps through the keys as if they had been potter's clay to be moulded. I heard Rev's performance had quite divided people's opinions, but what I enjoyed here was that totally uncompromising attitude of his. After the gig I got to visit Mr. Rev at his own private backroom at the upstairs of Yo-Talo to change a few quick words (and to slip him some of our own music, the shameless wannabe that I am, including our live version of 'Ghost Rider' with Sonic Temple Assassins) with the living legend, who seemed to be even Zen-like calm and relaxed, with those ever-present sunglasses never leaving his face.
Aavikko's extensive touring along the years in Finland and Europe seems to bear fruit now since the floor was totally crowded with dancing people almost going berserk, and as encore was heard their perhaps biggest hit, 'Viitostie', paying homage to Kraftwerk's 'Autobahn'. Wearing grey terylene slacks and black shirts, Aavikko ("Desert") looked and sounded like a parody of Finnish dancehall "humppa" crowd, but their ecstatic organ instrumentals have stealthily added a more electronic sound, making them distinctly different from the drunken iconoclasts like Eläkeläiset.
And some brief clips from the last year's Monsters of Pop:
[I wrote a bit about this festival in English here.]
TIEDOTE: TAMPEREEN POPKANSAA HEMMOTELLAAN 9.-11. ELOKUUTA
tiedote 26.7.2007, julkaisuvapaa heti
TAMPEREEN POPKANSAA HEMMOTELLAAN 9.-11. ELOKUUTA
Suomen persoonallisin musiikkifestivaali Monsters of Pop valtaa Tampereen kahden viikon kuluttua 9.-11. elokuuta. Kolme päivää kestävä festivaali esittelee kolmella eri klubilla kattavan otoksen koti- ja ulkomaista indiemusiikkia. Festivaalin ennakkoliput ovat tehneet kauppansa, joten tunnelma tulee viime vuoden tapaan olemaan katossa kaikkina kolmena päivänä.
Torstaina Monsters of Popissa kuullaan perinteistä kitaravetoista indiemusiikkia. Illan aikana esiintyvät muun muassa vastikään Ääni ja Vimma -kilpailun voittanut Pintandwefall, suomalaisen psykedeliapopin kruunaamaton kuningas Sister Flo, odotetun paluun tekevä Kukka ja tukholmalainen Don't Be A Stranger (SWE).
Monsters of Popin elektroninen perjantai-ilta painottuu Yo-Talolle, jossa ensimmäisen Suomen keikkansa tekevät Suicide-legenda Martin Rev (US) ja varsinkin brittimediassa viime aikoina kovasti hehkutettu Studio (SWE). Lisäksi kuullaan Op:l Bastardsista tutun Timo Kaukolammen uutta KXP-yhtyettä. Perjantai esittelee Monsters of Pop -yleisölle kolmannen tapahtumapaikan, Ravintola Laternan, jossa kitaroitaan kurittavat Kuopion garagerock-prinsessat The Micragirls, psyke-kraut-folk-rokkarit Plain Ride, sekä Aamulehden Valo-liitteen ja Monsters of Popin Bit 07 -kilpailun voittanut Genzale. Alkuillan odotetuin artisti on avopuolisonsa Hot Coken kanssa Artturissa esiintyvä monialataiteilija Anssi 8000, jonka Monikkotrilogia-nimellä kulkeva kolmen elokuvan kokonaisuus esitetään elokuvateatteri Niagarassa lauantaina 11.8. klo 16.00.
Lauantaina Yo-Talon lavalla nähdään elektropop-hengenheimolaiset Aavikko ja Pluxus (SWE), joiden välinen ystävyys on kestänyt jo lähes kymmenen vuotta. Varmaa on, että lavalla nähdään hurja analogiurkujen taisto. Monille tämän vuoden festivaalin kohokohta tulee olemaan Ravintola Laternan lauantain Fonal-ilta. Fonal on noussut 2000-luvulla yhdeksi maailman arvostetuimmista kokeellisen folkin levy-yhtiöistä, jonka julkaisut myyvät loppuun kerta toisensa jälkeen. Lavalle nousevat Fonalin kärkinimet Paavoharju ja Islaja, sekä ihka ensimmäisen keikkansa soittava porilainen Eleanoora Rosenholm.
Lisätietoa Monsters of Popista ja sen esiintyjistä löytyy festivaalin nettisivuilta www.monstersofpop.net. Ennakkoliput ovat myynnissä Yo-Talon verkkokaupassa osoitteessa www.yo-talo.com ja levykauppa Platassa Tampereella. Tapahtumakohtaisten lippujen hinnat vaihtelevat 5-12 euron välillä. Kolmen päivän festivaalipassi maksaa 38 euroa. Lippuja ja passeja voi ostaa myös tapahtumapaikkojen ovilta festivaalin aikana, ellei niitä ole myyty loppuun.
Martin Rev, the keyboardist of New York's legendary electronic duo Suicide will arrive to Tampere's Monsters of Pop festival that's going take to place on 9-11 August 2007. Rev's solo works have been released on such labels as Finland's Puu/Sähkö Recordings.
Alongside Martin Rev, other confirmed acts of Monsters of Pop will be Pluxus (a Swedish electro/synth act which appeared at our Club Telex in 2001 and whom I interviewed then), Paavoharju (an internationally acclaimed Fonal Records act, combining ethereal pop/folk with spiritual overtones even to Bollywood sounds), Sister Flo, The Micragirls (my own favourite, a very energetic all-female garage rock band of a cultish reputation), Kukka (a welcomed, albeit brief, return from a Tampere synth/indie band which sadly split after some very promising demos in the late 90s, and whose members have continued in such projects as Risto and Moppi & Aivokurkiaiset), Don't Be A Stranger (Sweden), Anssi 8000 & Hot Coke, Islaja, Cats On Fire, The Rollstons, Genzale, Tolbiac, Obi Blanche, Sweeties and Aksu.
KONEMETSÄ 2007 – OPEN AIR FOREST FESTIVAL 6-8 July 2007 Ollila, Marttila, Finland http://www.konemetsa.net (check for info in English)
Suomen kovimmassa kasvussa oleva kesäfestivaali Konemetsä järjestetään tänä vuonna neljännen kerran 6.–8. heinäkuuta. Festivaalin tapahtumapaikka on sama kuin edellisinä vuosina: Ollila, Marttilan kunnassa.
Innovatiivisuudestaan tunnettu tapahtuma tulee olemaan kansainvälisempi kuin koskaan sekä artistien että yleisön osalta. Ulkomaiset ja kotimaiset elektronisen musiikin huippuartistit tuodaan yhteen esiintymään uusien nousujohteessa olevien artistien kanssa.
Esiintyjälista julkaistaan 1. toukokuuta ja tätä ennen ennakkolippuja saa ostaa hintaan 32 euroa. Tämän jälkeen ennakkolipun hinta on 38 euroa ja festivaaliportilta 45 euroa. Hinnat sisältävät välityspalkkion ja ovat voimassa koko festivaalin ajan. Lippuja myyvät mm. Tiketti, Lippupalvelu, Streat Beat ja Blanko. Viime vuonna loppuunmyytyyn Konemetsään myydään tänä vuonna enintään 3000 lippua.
Festivaalin yleisilmeestä ja infosta kiinnostuneet voivat tutustua tarjontaan etukäteen esim. YLE:n Kulttuuriuutisten klipistä 8.7.2005 ("Metsä todellakin on nasta mesta") osoitteessa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gajd4o0lIos sekä tietysti festivaalin omalta kotisivulta http://www.konemetsa.net. Ulkopuolisen arvostelun festivaalista tarjoaa esim. arvostettu englantilainen elektronisen musiikin erikoislehti iDJ Magazine (September 2006 Issue 78), joka piti Konemetsää viime vuonna heinäkuun parhaimpana tapahtumana yhdessä Glade-festivaalin (UK) kanssa.
[Belgium's Schizoïde and Sickboy enjoying that special Tampere delikatessen mustamakkara ("black sausage") at the backstage of Klubi - photography: Sakke Karipuro]
