Line-Up:
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARP *Live* (Final Frontier, Nature, SWEDEN/ITALY)
JUHO KAHILAINEN *Live* (Prologue Music, Bpitch Control, Hki)
MESAK (Harmönia, Klakson, Mr Velcro Fastener, Hki)
DORA GRAY (X-Rust, Tku)
Visuals by: TURU SANOMA & WHITESPACE
Timetable:
2200-0000 Dora Gray
0000-0100 Juho Kahilainen *Live*
0100-0200 Raiders of the Lost ARP *Live*
0200-0400 Mesak
Biographies:
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARP
Raiders of the lost ARP is Mario Pierro (known as on half of Mat101 and Jollymusic) solo project.
His professional career started in 1996 when he met Marco Passarani from Nature records and together they decided to start a series of projects: releases, radio-show and organization of parties. At the beginning the first musical project was called MAT101 and it was realized with Francesco de Bellis (aka Francisco) and Emiliano Tortora who lately decided to split from the band. They've released an album and a couple of singles that helped them to become popular in the electronic underground movement. So far they've collected many live performances, many tracks on compilations and remixes using the name MAT101.
After 3 years MAT101 decided to start another project called JOLLY MUSIC: While MAT101 is more electro oriented, JOLLY MUSIC is more into psychedelic disco and electroacoustic soul. The first track came out on a FINALFRONTIER 12" sampler with tracks from the rest of the NATURE RECORDS crew and it did get the attention of the most respected underground crews. Then a couple of singles came out in order to anticipate the full lenght album called Jolly Bar. As soon as the album came out the reaction from the press was very strong: from England to Italy, from Japan to Germany the specialized magazine where shouting like one of the most original record of the year. After a short while Nature records licensed this album to Sony UK, and even if the end of the story was pretty sad, with the major label not releasing the album, the duo had the chance to experience a great adventure working with some very talented singers (such as Erlend Oye from Kings of Convenience and Sonya Madden from Echobelly) and producers (such as Steve Dub of Chemical Brothers and New Order fame). As Jolly Music, the duo also remixed artists such as Jamiroquai (accepted by the artist, but never released by the label) and Garbage.
In 2002, Mario, Marco Passarani and Francesco have created the Pigna label as a sublabel of Nature, in order to release their most dancefloor-oriented tracks. In 2005, the three guys joined forces to celebrate the 10th release on Pigna, releasing the LP "Let 'em Talk" as Pigna People and playing live at several festivals.
When you talk about Mario's solo projects, it's impossible not to notice his love for soul, funk and jazz: that's exactly the flavour you get in Mario's electro-techno. As Raiders, Mario has released several EPs and one LP: "Electric City Phunk Vol.3" (Plasmek 012), "Drive" (Pigna 003), "3" (Nature, NAT2126), "Funk Series Pt.2" (Pigna 006), "4" (Nature, NAT2125). In 2007, the "Beyond the Dark" EP showed the Raiders sound revised by two inspired remixes by Detroit pioneers Galaxy2Galaxy and Los Hermanos. The new Raiders of the lost ARP LP "Tema5" (Nature, NAT2127) will be released in 2008.
Since the release of the "4" LP, Mario has been perfecting a live set which features a combination of vintage analogue synths, drum machines and a laptop, playing several european clubs as well as the Detroit Fuse-In festival in 2006. The set features improvised tracks built on-the-fly as well as excerpts from released ones.
JUHO KAHILAINEN
Juho has been pushing tracks for a long time. He played his first gig in 1997 and to be honest, not much has happened after that. The bastard might have been lucky to release some shots on BPitch Control, Initial Cuts, Frozen North Recordings and Prologue Music, but he is still doing the same stuff he did that time. We might ask him why is he still here? Normal people understand to stop when there is no progress.
Juho is a stubborn individual. As a musician his "career" might have been an anti-climax with a lot of effort and not much achievements, but is there something else he could do? The poor bugger is not much of an athlete. You couldn't imagine him as a model either. Let's face the facts: he is good enough to be a dj. Juho's problem is that he wants to be a bit more than that. He believes that making music will take him somewhere. So far it hasn't happened. Some people think it never will.
Do not feel sorry for him. He has chosen to live this way. It is possible that he even wrote this piece-of-shit text himself. Juho draws his inspiration from melacholy, depression and anxiety. The future is something to fear. It might be that this kind of self-pity and pathetic dystopian visions feed him as an artist. What a loser.
MESAK
1977
Born in Turku/Finland.
- 1989
Introduction to music instruments and singing in school and at home with his musical family. Influenced by big brothers listening various music, synth music and other non-pop stuff. Gets to know hiphop through a friend.
1990 - 1992
First experiments with music production. Tape loop edits, dubbing with open reel tape recorder and a turntable. Later PC tracker programs combined with Tascam 4 tracker, Roland SH7 and various equipment.
1992 - 1996
Teams up with classmate Tatu Peltonen for making music with Atari ST1024 and various gear. While techno and "idm" being a big influence the boys make a lot of music toghether in Peltonen's father's recording studio in Muurame, mid Finland.
1997
Peltonen & Metsätähti forms their electro band Mr Velcro Fastener. First release is recorded on the hot summer of 1997, "Wad EP" oldschool electro gets good reviews all around. Metsätähti keeps on doing his own experiments at the same time.
1998
Making of "Totani", the first released Mesak track.
1999
Mr Velcro Fastener releases their first album "Lucky Bastards Living Up North" and tours in Germany & Italy.
2000 - 2001
More Mr Velcro productions and touring in US. Working with Erlend Øye on his solo album and remixes. Recording and mixing solo material in Frankfurt, and eventually those recordings get released as Gadgets "On Earth" album & EP.
2002 - 2003
Performing various gigs in Artgenda festival in Hamburg. First two Mesak 12"s (Rikos Records & Klakson Records). Starts co-operation with Jani Lehto, another producer from Turku: Star You Star Me debut release "Antidis" on Moodmusic is still being played out by many house DJs. Produces also finnish hiphop group Ronskibiitti.
2004 - 2006
Metsätähti keeps making remixes for artists such as Machinedrum and Transparent Sound. He puts out more vinyl releases under his Mesak pseudonym, and plays various solo gigs both in club and arty spaces. Collaborates with various VJ's and visual projects. Same time Mr Velcro Fastener is busy with international touring and their third album, while also Star You Star Me produces more 12"s and an album. Runs "Huge Bass" club in Turku. Produces another Ronskibiitti rap album.
2007 - present
Mr Velcro 10th year anniversary compilation. Soundtracks for some finnish science fiction books. Mesak runs Harmönia label together with Randy Barracuda who's known of his electro act Imatran Voima. Harmönia's scandinavian funk called skweee climbs up underground playlists. Summer of 2008 brings pale producers to present their Skweee showcase in Sónar festival. Mr Velcro starts recording new music and Star You Star Me keeps on touring.
DORA GRAY
After going out in several events since 2000 (illegally of course) Dora Gray realized that djing was her big dream. Being influenced by electronic music since early childhood she started her dj career in 2006. Dora Gray has been a deep house lover since the beginning. She has later broadened her taste towards minimal and dubby techno through tech house after finding The X-rust organization and Club Butane.
Dora Gray has played in small and big venues such as UMF5 in 2008 and was the first female guest dj ever in Butane November 2008. Being a perfectionist she is always pushing her technical skills and by that is trying to encourage and open an easier way for other female djs in Finland.
http://www.myspace.com/raidersofthelostarp | http://www.discogs.com/artist/Raiders+Of+The+Lost+ARP | http://www.finalfrontier.it | http://www.myspace.com/431395926 | http://www.juhokahilainen.com | www.myspace.com/juhokahilainen | http://www.mesak.net | http://www.myspace.com/hugebass | http://www.klubi.net | http://www.x-rust.org
