Discover Finland's Finest Music At King's Place

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 125 months ago
Discover Finland's Finest Music At King's Place
Värttinä
Värttinä
Timo Alakotila and Maria Kalaniemi
Timo Alakotila and Maria Kalaniemi
Tsuumi Sound System
Tsuumi Sound System
Alamaailman Vasarat
Alamaailman Vasarat

Take your ears to King's Place for some aural exploration, Finnish style, at the London International Festival of Exploratory Music (LIFEM).

Some of Finland's finest traditional and contemporary folk, folk-rock, progressive jazz, acid jazz, avant-garde jazz, and electronic music will be explored over four days. Knowing nothing about Finnish music at all, we looked into the line-up and had a listen.

Värttinä contemporary folk music group are celebrating 30 years in 2013. Hailing from the Karelia region of Finland and drawing on women's vocal traditions and ancient poems known as runos, they've been around in various incarnations, like a Finnish folk Sugababes, since 1973. Listen to this - we think they're irresistible:

Alamaailman Vasarat translates as Hammers of the Underground and their music is tricky to describe but we'll have a go. Sort of klezmer-crazy, oompah, folky, heavy metal circus. Sort of. Watch this and imagine it live:

Also on the programme are pianist Iiro Rantala, eight-piece urban folk combo Tsuumi Sound System, a retrospective from electro-experimental artist Jimi Tenor and the UK premier of the collaboration between pianist Timo Alakotila and accordianist Maria Kalaniemi. In addition, there are two documentary film screenings, Soundbreaker about radical accordianist Kimmo Phjonen and Sähkö The Movie, shot by Jimi Tenor.

Find out what Finland sounds like.

LIFEM 2013 - The FInnish Line is at King's Place from 30 October to 2 November.

Last Updated 24 October 2013