Come Finnish Independence Day, there is no better way to spend it than listening to Finnish music. On the eve of Independence Day, Friday, December 5th, there was a nice lineup featuring some of Finland’s finer underground names at the premises of Tiivistämö. The three-band night opened with ROCK-SILTANEN GROUP doing their garage rock thing, continued with the dark synth-pop vibes of SEKRET TEKNIK, and finally came to a close with the audiovisual stoner/kraut extravaganza of MÖYHY-VEIKOT.
ROCK-SILTANEN GROUP took the stage first. The band gained attention with the football anthem, “Uskon Huuhkajiin,” but the song has rarely been on their setlist lately. It seems that the band is determined to prove that their other material better represents what the band is actually about, and maybe that is indeed the case. The band is a grooving unit led by bassist-vocalist Mikko Siltanen, who is backed up on stage by guitarist Joni Ekman, known for his own projects such as JONI EKMAN & KOIRA, and drummer Sebastian Krühn (SAMANNA, AMURI). The trio of experienced musicians took a minute to warm up, but by the latter half of the concert, songs like “Pizzaa ja kaljaa” and “Santanan kolmonen” built up a nice warm setup for the next two artists.
SEKRET TEKNIK came up next. The duo has a unique vibe with aesthetics borrowed from the Soviet synth-pop era, featuring heavily processed vocals and trademark clumsy dance moves. Irony and humor are present, but that’s not all there is to the band. SEKRET TEKNIK has a knack for getting you on your feet and making you dance. The songs, such as the new single “Missile Guide,” also carry some deeper thoughts if you’re inclined to listen for them.
Now, MÖYHY-VEIKOT is, of course, a very original concept. The best way to experience their music is undoubtedly live, as the weird yet enchanting video backgrounds are a significant part of the experience. A duo band consisting of a drummer and a guitarist accompanied by playback bass lines might not seem as cool as it is. However, when you’re watching Finnish cross-country skiing legend Juha Mieto commenting on his loss at the Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics before a new set of fuzzy stoner tunes, it’s hard not to find it all mesmerizing and meditative. The full house at Tiivistämö speaks volumes as well. Even though MÖYHY-VEIKOT don’t play particularly aggressively, there were even attempts to build up a mosh pit during the show.
The MÖYHY-VEIKOT‘s reliance on background videos has a weakness as well: after the first song, there was a moment of fear when the video system jammed, and for a moment, it seemed the band might not be able to deliver what the fans were there for. Fortunately, the gods of rock ‘n’ roll were on the band’s side, and after a while of janking on wires, the show could go on. Check our photo gallery from Tiivistämö here…
Rock-Siltanen Group
Sekret Teknik
Möyhy-Veikot
