Concert For A Nameless Island

Concert For A Nameless Island (2008)

Timo Kaukolampi, Tuomo Puranen (both of Op:l Bastards) and Mi Duncker perform in a spontaneous midsummer concert for a nameless island. Camera & edit: Gun Holmström. Filmed in the archipelago of Southern Finland (Inkoo/Ingå).

Music Videos by Shadowplay, Jimi Tenor & His Shamans and Op:l Bastards

Some pHinnWeb-related music videos, courtesy of YouTube user Lihaa77...


Shadowplay: 'Night Porter' (1985/1987, video by Hannu Puttonen)

Shadowplay, a Finnish cult band, who started in 1982, combining raw post-punk moods to jazz-tinged flavours provided by the trumpetist Marco Kosonen. In 1985 they released the now-legendary 7" 'Night Porter', taking its name from Liliana Cavani's decadent 1974 film of the same name. Shadowplay appeared with this song in 1986 Finnish film Kill City, which performance was the highlight of that otherwise best-to-be-forgotten flick. The albums Touch & Glow, Eggs & Pop and Raw Powder were also to follow. The band's henchman Brandi Ifgray was also to release two solo albums for Sähkö Recordings' sub Puu, produced by Jimi Tenor and Tuomo Puranen of The Elevators/Op:l Bastards.


Jimi Tenor & His Shamans live 1988

Before his career as an eclectic lounge-jazz-soul-funk man Jimi Tenor was known in the late 1980s for his industrial-tinged, oil barrel-banging band Shamans.


Op:l Bastards: 'Sagittarius III'

Legend of Gruppa Sagittarius is a 2001 short film by Hannu Puttonen featuring the track 'Sagittarius III' of Op:l Bastards.

And The Lefthanded (FIN) on DC Recordings' (UK) Forthcoming Compilation

Finland's And The Lefthanded (formerly Larry and the Lefthanded; the members Timo Kaukolampi and Vilunki 3000 are also part of Op:l Bastards) will appear on DC Recordings' forthcoming compilation Death Before Distemper 2 with their magnificent 'Rocket Rock', my favourite track (early Pink Floyd meets Hawkwind meets 60s psychedelic garage rock meets Krautrock meets...?) from their 2004 album In the Kingdom of The Shadows. (You can hear 'Rocket Rock' also at the MySpace page of And The Lefthanded.)

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Death Before Distemper 2 - Revenge of the Iron Ferret
Format: CD/2-LP/digital download
Cat.no.: DCR89
Label: DC Recordings (UK)
Date: 9 June 2008

tracklist:

1. The Emperor Machine: Introduction (0:55)
2. Booze: Insanity Drive (4:28)
3. And The Lefthanded: Rocket Rock (4:29)
4. The Oscillation: Somatone (4:26)
5. Bot'ox: The Crash Theme (6:41)
6. Depth Charge: Castle of Doom (4:49)
7. Kelpe: Shipwreck Glue (5:57)
8. Muscleheads: Phosphorescence (8:32)
9. The 63 Crayons: Heal Us (4:54)
10. The Emperor Machine: Swiss Machine (2:25)
11. Padded Cell: Beautiful Gloom (Dennis Young version) (5:10)
12. Astral Manhole Project: Perfected Love (6:20)
13. The Oscillation: Head Hang Low (Kelpe version) (5:56)

Press release notes from DC Recordings:

Following on from 2006's astounding Death Before Distemper (DCR73) compilation, DC Recordings is proud to present the second installment in the series: Death Before Distemper - Revenge Of The Iron Ferret. The inevitable culmination of years of rodent fetishism, the Distemper that has been gradually affecting the label, manifest in recent DC Recordings events and peculiar art works, has demanded a new survey of our musical landscape from which we are now able to present the following specimens:

Booze is the formidable collision of Milo Smee (Chrome Hoof) and Demian Castellanos (The Oscillation); taking a break from their respective projects to deliver this febrile outburst of gravelly percussive filth -- 'Insanity Drive'. And The
Lefthanded herald from Finland and bring their lunar psych to the roster after years of self-imposed musical exile in their native country. Bot'Ox features the talents of masterful French producer and DJ Cosmo Vitelli, here bringing a touch of the cinematic with the sumptuous disco groove 'The Crash Theme'. Already notorious for their recent DJ set at the "Hairy On The Inside" event in London, Muscleheads are a shadowy duo whose debut track 'Phosphorescence' is a remarkable experience in droning disco-fied Krautrock. The 63 Crayons delivers a mutated motorik classic in the form of the Silver Apples-esque 'Heal Us'. All of these tracks are exclusive to this DC compilation.

Alongside these new characters certain members of the DC familiar are present with fresh new offerings. Depth Charge, the eponymous leader of our creed who some feared lost in musical oblivion -- returns to dispel any such speculation with the truly masterful, Carpenter-esque 'Castle Of Doom'. Meanwhile Padded Cell give us a unique version of 'Beautiful Gloom', a track taken from their new album Night Must Fall (DCR72) but reworked here by Liquid Liquid's Dennis Young. The Oscillation's bucolic 'Somatone' is a glimpse of one of the many new directions that Demian Castellanos is heading in with his forthcoming material. Andy Meecham's Emperor Machine goes into library-esque territories with the bizarre mechanical guile of 'Swiss Machine', whilst Kelpe's 'Shipwreck Glue' is one of the standout tracks from the acclaimed Ex-Aquarium (DCR82) album. Due to repeated demands from the music-consuming masses we have also featured here Kelpe's remarkable remix of The Oscillation's 'Head Hang Low', previously available as download only b-side.

Released just prior to the summer, when DC artists old and new, will present a series of unprecedented live events, Death Before Distemper 2 - Revenge Of The Iron Ferret will provoke fear, rage, uncertainty and rabid delight amongst the musical hordes!

Death Before Distemper 2 Launch Party
@ Corsica Studios, London, 21st June 2008

The Emperor Machine live (First Ever Live Show Ever!!)
Padded Cell live
Kelpe live (feat. All Traps Set on drums)
The Oscillation live - tbc (feat. Live Visuals of JULIAN HAND)
Depth Charge DJ - Clause Four DJ - Muscleheads DJ
More details of this sensational event to follow...

And even before the compilation DC Recordings gives the latest offering from Padded Cell, a.k.a. Richard Sen and Neil Higgins, with an exclusive remix from Depth Charge (a.k.a. J. Saul Kane, the label's boss and a cult artist in his own right):

Artist: Padded Cell
Title: Savage Skulls
Format: 12"/digital download
Cat.no: DCR88
Label: DC Recordings (UK)
Date: 21 April 2008

Tracklist:

A. Savage Skulls (Extended Version) (5:26)
B. Triple X Syndrome (Depth Charge remix) (6:28)

Press release notes

The Exciting World of J. Saul Kane @ pHinnWeb

Op:l Bastards live @ NS.Klubi, Jyväskylä

NS.KLUBI
Saturday 29 September 2007
Op:l Bastards live, DJ Erkko + NS.DJs Rokko, Jiri & Israel
Upstairs: Orkestar Business Class + Hear DJs
@ Ilokivi, Keskussairaalantie 2, Jyväskylä
2200-0300 hours, age limit 18
tickets 7/8 euros, advance Levykauppa Äx

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Tiedote
Vapaa julkaistavaksi

SUOMIELEKTRON SUPERYHTYE OP:L BASTARDS JYVÄSKYLÄÄN 29.9.

Jyväskyläläisiä hemmotellaan la 29. syyskuuta kun juuri comebackinsä tehnyt Op:l Bastards -elektroyhtye saapuu keikalle NS.Klubille Ilokiveen.

1990-luvun puolivälissä perustetun Op:l Bastardsin ura kulminoitui The Job -albumin julkaisuun vuonna 2001. Elektroa ja diskoa autotallirockiin omintakeisella tavallaan yhdistelleen trion mainetta kasvattivat hurjat keikat klubeilla ja festareilla ulkomaita myöten. Nousukiito päättyi kuitenkin erimielisyyksiin levy-yhtiön kanssa ja unohtumattomaan jäähyväiskeikkaan vuoden 2002 Koneisto-festivaalin päälavalla.

Op:l-miehet eivät jääneet lepäämään laakereilleen, vaan panostivat muihin bändeihinsä, joiden lista on vakuuttava: And The Lefthanded, Uusi Fantasia, Motiivi:Tuntematon ja Kaukolampi, Puranen, Nykänen. Lisäksi yhteistyötä on tehty norjalaisten Annien ja Erlend Øyen kanssa.

Kesällä 2007 bändi teki näyttävän comeback-keikan Helsingin Juhlaviikkojen yhteydessä järjestetyllä Flow-festivaalilla. Samoihin aikoihin uudelleenjulkaistiin myös Op:l Bastardsin aikoinaan loppuunmyyty albumi neljällä bonusbiisillä varustettuna. Tällä kertaa bändin itsensä julkaisema levy nousi heti Suomen albumilistalle. Nyt bändin on tarkoitus tehdä vain tarkoin valikoituja keikkoja, tänä syksynä mm. Norjan Ekko-festivaalilla sekä NS.Klubilla Ilokivessä.

Op:l Bastardsin lisäksi NS.Klubilla kuullaan syyskuussa DJ Erkkoa sekä klubin omia DJ:tä. Yläkerran ohjelmasta vastaavat rovaniemeläisbändi Orkestar Business Class sekä Radio Hearin DJ:t.

7 euron hintaiset ennnakkoliput ovat myynnissä Levykauppa Äx:ssä.

Monsters of Pop 2007 Memories

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:


Rättö ja Lehtisalo: 'Saamari kantaa olympiasoihdun stadionille' (11 Aug '06 @ Yo-Talo)


Rättö ja Lehtisalo: 'Ihanan syyllinen pallokala' (11 Aug '06 @ Yo-Talo)

The Return of Op:l Bastards

A long-awaited return! Helsinki's Op:l Bastards has remastered and re-released their 2001 album The Job with four bonus tracks. Also, some Op:l Bastards comeback gigs are now promised...




Artist: Op:l Bastards
Title: The Job
Format: CD
Label: Jupiter / Lefta
Cat.No: JUP 027CD
Year: 2007

Tracklist:

1 Funking
2 Tantor
3 Spraybeat (Eagle Mix)
4 Scorpius
5 Deal
6 Masqued Lover (Andante)
7 At Tuamo's
8 Jet Black Man
9 Sinulle (For You)
10 Sagittarius III


Bonus tracks:

11. Money
12. Don't Bring Me Down
13. Brewski (Snake Blissken 1996-Mix)
14. Telephone

Release entry @ Discogs






Op:l Bastards: 'Scorpius'

Links:

Op:l Bastards @ MySpace

Op:l Bastards @ Discogs

Op:l Bastards @ Wikipedia