Year 2009 part 1

Year 2009 has been very, very special year for me. I spent the spring as an exchange student in Prague and met many fantastic people and had fantastic time there. So I'll spend some time concluding it.

The first part of the series 'Year 2009' is the normal 'favorite tracks from the year'. 

Burial & Four tet - Moth

Burial makes sounds that I simply love. I first time heard Four tet this spring when my friend recommended it to me, and loved it too. Then I found out that they just had released a track together, simply golden.

Joker - Digidesign

Joker has risen up to be my number one when talking about Dubstep. Big part is because of this particular track. Haven't been in many  dubstep parties this year, but this was part of Kode9:s set in Prague and it caused some serious skankin'. Have heard it later played also in a hip hop party so this is getting lots of love.

La Roux - In for the kill (Skream remix)

My friend linked the original song from youtube around the time it was released, I liked it. Quickly I realized that Skream had made simply golden remix of it. This have been playing all year on my playlists while original songs by Mrs. Roux soon died out.

Grizzly bear - Two weeks

This has also been playing for the whole year. Great tune and getting lots of attention, just heard it in a Car commercial in tv and some time ago it was playing in How I met your mother.

Rubik - Wasteland

I have heard lots of hype for Rubik and still never really haven't listened it. For some reason I have thought it as some sort of hardcore punk. Don't ask. Well finally when I got back to Finland in the summer I decided to check out as they had released new album this year. Well I think I didn't practically listen for anything else for the whole summer. Saw them also live twice. So I could say I liked it. My favorite track Indiana isn't found in youtube, so here is the single Wasteland. Pure gold all the same.

The XX - Heart skipped a beat

I noticed this in Stupido-shop's top 20 most sold albums and the description was interesting. After that I typed letters XX to Spotify and now it's my most played band for the year in last.fm.

Passion pit - Folds in your hands

Again from the same friend who introduced me to Four tet. I fell love instantly. Initially just found few songs from Hypem and this was one of them. It has still stayed as my favorite from the album, of which almost any track would be worth the mention. This album has also lots of memories packed from my time in Prague so it gets some special boost. 

Phoenix - 1901

Well this was my phone ring tone for few months. Every time I hear the opening sounds I start to move my hand towards my pocket.

Michael Black Electro - Agape

Waited this album since I heard it was coming this year. Didn't let me down. I bought the vinyl instantly with my friends address while I was in Prague, got the download code and saw the physical album only after 3 months or so. RoopeK is the best producer in Finland .point.

Animal Collective - What would I want, sky?

Was released quite late in the year, after the Merriweather post pavillion album (which I haven't listened but few times). Has been playing in the back of my mind ever since. Reminds me of something, but I can't tell what.

Clouds - Protecting hands part I & II

Clouds are one of the best artists in Finland. This was released by Deep medi, which is quite an achievement. I'm still missing the physical copy though as it was sold out when I was about to buy it. There were still some left in Chemical records when I last checked, I'll have to correct my mistake some day soon.

Randy Barracuda - Ketamine strut

Also good Finnish sound. Skweee has had a place in my heart ever since I heard it first time. Album has 8 tracks of greatness, Ketamine strut is only one in Youtube, my favorite is the final track Love axe/Heavy metal with vocals by Michael black electro.

Honorable mentions:

White lies - Price of love

Kings of Convenience - Peacetime resistance

Röyksopp - Miss it so much (ft. Lykke Li)

Bat for Lashes - Daniel

Fever ray - Seven

Whitest boy alive - 1517

Villa Nah - Ways to be

Zebra & Snake - Colours

Regina - Totuus minusta

plus many others.

If you're bored

Two sites ideal for killing time.

First, Vice magazine's DOS and DONTS.

http://www.viceland.com/int/dos.php

And second, texts from last night, interesting insight to American college students.

http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/

(and of course youtube, with videos like this: Year 2009 in autotune )

The artist formelly known as Kimarr

Juuso Malin is one of my favourite artists. He also seems to have lots of different projects going on.  

He used to produce some nice hip-hop tracks with the alias Kimarr with nice synth sounds.  This era sparked the 'Miss you already' ep in year 2005. Of which the title track appeared also in the soundtrack of 'Tyttö sinä olet tähti' movie. It features rapping from Tommishock and they also made a full lenght cd called 'Perfect strangers'. It's really dark and grimy album. They said in an interview for Basso magazine that the album is about the different personalities people have to use for work, personal life etc. And about growing as a person and about madness. Here's the title track from the album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvMPPO_zBvw

They talked about doing an album that was rapped in Finnish, but in the end I think only one song "Olemme" (found in spotify: Tommishock & Kimarr – Olemme) got released on Mestarisoundi 2007 soundcheck collection.  Kimarr also did some beats and remixes for other artists.  Especially the song 'Lume' by Pyhimys from the album 'Tulva' is great. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nac-ADPNqWM

It caused some serious controversy when it was released. Pyhimys had released under a year before album that was praised by the "Finnish-rap scene". Now suddenly he released a very unconventional track with a beat that reminds The Knife and trance music. So basically all the "true rap" guys hated it and all the rest loved. I personally of course loved it so much that I must have constituted for at least third of the listens in MySpace.

Also from the Kimarr time originates the four splendid pose it up mixtapes. They were released in web and also in physical form as cd:s that were given for free in several record and clothing stores in Helsinki and at his dj gigs. I got only the third one but it got lost somewhere :( I think originally the first one was sort of a "abc of indie posing" and then it got three sequels. My favourite is the number three, which I listened for the whole summer and it's one of those mixtapes that I know every point the track changes by heart. At least the last one is still available in missingtoof:

http://missingtoof.com/2007/11/03/kimarr-pose-it-up-4/

After this in 2008 Kimarr started the Ka So Re project. Soon after this it was announced on his myspace that Kimarr is dead.

Ka So Re is straight on synth dance pop, or something eightiesque, I'm not good with genres. In any case, it's really good. The 'Petite' ep was released by Gaea records and had five songs and 2 remixes.  Here's the title track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UziqwX5Nb0I

The ep can also be found in spotify:  KA SO RE – Petite EP and of course it's sold in many digital music stores.

Ka So Re has done some (great) gigs with the Skweee-star Eero Johannes around Finland. I of course haven't seen any as I'm living in the hard core punk capital of Finland and haven't been able to be in any correct place at any correct time. (As I'm just wandering around randomly in time and space). But hopefully someday I manage. There also was nice Spring got cancelled mictape in the beginning of 2009. It hit well as it had sorts of minimal feel and I had just randomly wandered to Berlin and out around that time.  

The most recent activity of Ka So Re I've heard about is the remix of the, rising indie pop comet of 2009,  Zebra & Snake's song Colours (which I also happen to love). It's found in both of their myspace so I'm not giving any links for this one. 

And now we finally get in to the point. Which is the newest alias Femme en fourrure. This one is more techy and minimal (as given indication by the Ka So Re mixtape) with heavy bass. I stumbled upon it while I was watching through videos of Miikka Lommi to show hmm, an assbrush to my firend. Finding the aforementioned brush took some time, but finally I found it and also happened to see new video by the Femme en fourrure. I didn't realize it was again another project for mr. Malin this time with guy called Bianca, but I thought that the guy in video sure looked like him. And finally, today I stumbled upon this name again and realized that it was indeed him. There is links to two mixtapes in their myspace and there's a remix of some song by some french artist that I don't know in discobelle:

http://www.discobelle.net/2009/12/08/train-to-bamako/

There is also single coming out in January from Top Billin and, TADAH, finally here is the video from which the whole text originates:

Femme En Fourrure - Plump Biscuit from miikka lommi on Vimeo.

Enjoy.

Nize mix

Dj Fiskars, of Top billin fame, has made a mix of the week, and it contains a XX song so it's obviously good:

You'll find it here: http://mixoftheweek.com/mixes/motw284.html

I've heard praise for the other mixes also and those what I've heard are good good good.

Jamo mark of approval to this one.

Prague (and Berlin) Street art

I was doing my erasmus studies in Prague last spring. While wandering around in the city I took photos of some more interesting street art stuff with my phone. Now finally I got them sorted. Here are some of the better ones:

more photos can be found:

here

Great music videos

http://www.fallonyoursword.com/

This site has caused some serious addiction. Especially the part about the mountain and climbing it.  Very clever mixing of the videos and extra nerd points for using material from Star Trek.

Some super-sweet electro-pop for the wintertime

Well as we have snow again I can sincerely say that it's winter. I've been listening some cheering up dance music recently because for some reason I have been in really good mood for a while, aven if I don't have anything special to cheer about currently.

Well, enough of small talk, this is my first music post so what would be better track to open it with than one of my favourites for past few years. I'm talking about incredibly cheerful Fred Falke from France and his remix of the Whites boy alive's song Golden cage. It was quite a big hit in summer 2008, but still works:

The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (Fred Falke remix)

Let's continue with a band that has links with the previous one. The New wine is from Bergen Norway and Erlend Øye of King of convenience and The Whitest boy alive fame is their friend. They had an ep downloadable in their myspace while back and this is my favourite from the four songs:

The New Wine - Revolving Cylinder

Then from Norway across the border to our sweet Finland. Villa nah has gained quite much hype already, including featuring in Jori Hulkkonen's new album and a podium place in Rumba magazine's and YleX radio station's "Dozen of the future" "ranking" of the best rising acts in Finland along with Jaakko&Jay and Les Corps mince du whatever. I finally got the three song VN Ep last monday and I love it. I'm waiting eagerly for the release of their LP, produced by the aforementioned Hulkkonen. Here's quite crappy quality live version of the song "Ways to be" from last summer's Flow festival.

Villa Nah - Ways to be (Live in flow 09)

And what would be better to top this post than fresh Hot Chip single from their next album coming in the beginning of 2010. Practically nothing to say about this, just enjoy:

Hot Chip - Take it in