There must be good reasons not to paint too rosy a picture. The Finnish airwaves and the chart programs of the local TV are still dominated by your average Pearl Jams, Ace of Bases and 2 Unlimiteds, as it must be everywhere over the MTV-gazing civilized Western world. As for the recording techno and dance acts, it's very easy to count them with the fingers of your both hands, as the Finnish tastes are still orientated to the traditional melancholic soft pop music, or to the always so popular rock 'n' roll sounds (the biggest import act at the moment being the Leningrad Cowboys, who are - somehow mercifully - being taken as *actual* Russians outside these Northern shores).
The foreign chart acts, like the Prodigy being occasionally at the Top One in Finland don't really count - in 1995 the punk rock is still considered as something radical in the Finnish music scene. For example, the internationally acclaimed Sahko label must only remain in minority, as no one actually knows them in Finland, their records' distribution almost literally from hand to hand, at the same time as the word of their outcrop spreads rapidly in the international DJ and techno circles.
The Finnish raves usually vary from 100 to 1 500 people; with 2 000 we would already be talking about a really massive happening; but as an average, 200 - 500 attending would be quite normal. The most important crews organizing the raves are the (now semi-defunct) Hyperdelic Housers of Turku, Elliot Ness's Vision and Ilmilieska of Helsinki, Pumpkinhead Promotions and PETY of Tampere, not to mention many smaller 'posses' around Finland.
The 'grand old man' of the Finnish rave scene (at 24 years of age!) must be DJ Elliot Ness, who has been organizing and promoting parties since the early 90's. Other name DJ's filling the Finnish dance floors at the moment are Ender, Jokke, Borzin, Orkidea, Sami, Mad Maxx, Elukka (translates as Animal), Teo and Angel; not to mention DJ Kaippa, whose dance act 3rd Nation reached last year the British charts with their 'I Believe'.
The most popular styles of the Finnish raves at the moment are happy house, trance and acid, gabber, house (including garage, deep, NY house, etc.), and of course, techno. Ambient has also gained a strong foothold in Finland - last year Radio City in Helsinki played continuously, all night and day, ambient music for the whole two weeks, which must have been an unique happening on the whole world scale - although one rarely hears ambient music at the parties. Curiously, jungle has never actually reached these shores, and the more enlightened people into the underground Detroit and minimalist sounds a la Jeff Mills, Underground Resistance, etc. still remain only from 30 to 60 people in Finland total.
Though there is not a heavy drug scene attached to the Finnish rave circles, the most consumed drugs among the party people are weed, LSD, ecstasy, speed and cocaine - alcohol not included, the absence of which would be a curiosity in the traditionally heavy-drinking Finnish culture. Still, compared to their continental European counterparts, the Finnish ravers must be relatively 'clean'.
Sven Vath visited Finland his second time in August, when Trans-Global Underground and Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart were also seen as part of the WOMAD World Music festival. The autumn '94 brought to Finland the names like Richie 'Plastikman' Hawtin, whose Halloween set was widely acclaimed; playing together with the British dance guru Andrew Weatherall, whose trance set was, according to those present, surprisingly lame... Also the chart monsters Prodigy were gigging in the largest cities during November.
The biggest spring 1995 happenings so far have been the Symbol party in Helsinki with the Dutch DJ Dimitri, and the Velvet Underground party in Tampere with the legendary British DJ Nicky Holloway, both in March. This April will also bring to Finland the Christian techno vegan Moby from the USA, who will also attend the summer's biggest rock festival, Provinssirock in June. In April will also take place in the largest cities the 'House of House' tour, with Lunatic Asylum from France, DJ Toby from Japan, and Choci from London.
The records they got from their trips to London and Berlin, since their availability in Finland those days was nearly non-existent. Their parties were often ridden by the local police, as the most ravers were underage, and though the Hyperdelic Housers were also organizing the big Typpihappo raves at the Turku Typhoon hall as part of the large Ruisrock festival held every July, their activities were starting to recede by the summer of 1992, as techno and house music were already playing in every self-respecting disco and dance venue.
The Hyperdelic Housers were to spawn the first underground label of Finland, Sahko Recordings, which central place was to be in Helsinki. During 1993 Sahko already published five 12":s, the early 1994 saw the first Sahko CD, 'Metri' by Mika Vainio, recorded as O. Tommi Gronlund, the head honcho of Sahko, working also as an archtect, couldn't even in his wildest dreams foresee Sahko's success as a reputable part of the international techno underground. Sahko records were praised by such people as Mixmaster Morris and Mike Paradinas of Mu-Ziq, they reached the DJ charts of the German techno magazine Frontpage and the British DJ magazine; last December Tommi was interviewed by the leading British pop music tabloid NME.
Oddly, Sahko remained in underground in their native Finland as their products were still hard to get by, except in those specialized dance music stores; as their domestic Finnish distribution was nearly non-existent despite all the hype they had received overseas. Now, with Sahko licensed to the British NovaMute label, it may be possible that their outcome will find its way even to those lazier techno punters, who have no time nor interest to chase after those valuable original silver sleeved 12":s.
Also, as the Russian techno and rave scene will get bigger, maybe Finland will soon act as an important gateway for the international artists and DJ's en route to the Eastern dance floors. Some foretaste of this was had back in 1992, when the Finnish DJ's Pixy and Chill visited the Planetarium raves of St. Petersburg, Russia - the rave scene is rapidly blooming in the East of the Finnish border, too. But despite all said and done, the fate of the Finnish scene may just have to stay in the marginal; as of interest only to those most dedicated connoisseurs looking for the more obscure and exotic sounds.
ERKKI RAUTIO trerra@uta.fiThanks to Henrik Huhtinen, Pertti Gronholm, whose article on Sahko I heavily loaned, and especially to Samu Mielonen, without whom, etc.
[NOTE: Eliot Ness's Vision posse has been since dead and buried, replaced with his House of House crew.]
Also by Mono Junk:
Mono Junk cassettes:
(P) 1995 SSR FREEZONE / CRAMMED DISCS. (C) 1995 SSR FREEZONE / CRAMMED DISCS.---(Ask these records at:)
SAHKO/PUU Groovy Beat Records
Peramiehenkatu 11 Henrikinkatu 5
00150 Helsinki 20500 Turku
FINLAND FINLAND
Fax +358-0-628 8870 Tel./Fax +358-212 333 717
E-Mail: george@freenet.hut.fi
[Sahko discography: Sahko 001-006 from the ex magazine 1.2 (May 1994).] Thanks to Samu Mielonen, the boys at Groovy Beat, Jouni Alkio & Tomi Koskinen for providing the information.