Music Preview: Tones Of Finland

By London_DaveK Last edited 196 months ago
Music Preview: Tones Of Finland
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In celebration of their 25th anniversary, avant-garde music magazine The Wire will be keeping the capital busy this month with a series of gigs under the banner Wire 25. Whilst many of the events are up our street, we were most excited to hear that two of the gigs were being organised by one of our favourite promoters, [no.signal]. Their evening with Tony Conrad this past June at St. Giles-in-the-Fields was the most fun we ever had in a church (well, aside from that one time in 1983 with our best friend's sister when Sister Mary Josephine wasn't looking). The performances that night by Islaja and Paavoharju were so good that we prayed for them to bring us a showcase focused on all the best Finland has to offer.

Lucky for us (and for you) our prayers, for once, were answered and Sunday, 4 November sees [no.signal] hold the first of their Wire 25 events, Tones of Finland, at Bush Hall. Featuring performances from Lau Nau, Tomutonttu, Pymathon and Kuupuu, Tones of Finland promises to "present continuous elements of the current Finnish avant-garde tastes". After having opened for Animal Collective at Astoria on Thursday, this will be only the second time that London audiences have been treated to Jonna Karanka's free and wild sonic experiments of loops, effects and vocals as Kuupuu. Pymathon, a stripped-down improvised metal duo of only drums and guitar, have even less London experience, as they make their UK debut at this showcase. Fans of Kemialliset Ystävät should have much to look forward to in Tomutonttu's set, as it is the solo project from the band's frontman, Jan Anderzén, whilst Lau Nau's psychedelic take on folk music will delight anyone who prefers a dash of the abstract in their acoustic sound.

With an excellent line-up showcasing one of the most vibrant music scenes of recent times, Tones of Finland could easily be the best night of experimental music to be had this November. Almost a fortnight later, however, [no.signal] will have a chance to compete with themselves for that honour, as they bring their Avant-Jazz Night with Rafael Toral to the same venue on the 17th.

Lau Nau photo by Susanna Majuri, all rights reserved.

Tones of Finland featuring Lau Nau, Tomutonttu, Pymathon and Kuupuu, Sunday 4 November 2007 at 7 p.m., £8. Avant-Jazz night featuring Trapist, Rafael Toral & Roger Turner, Klangstaub and Bo Wiget & Luigi Archetti, Saturday 17 November 2007 at 7 p.m., £10. Both events will be held at Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, W12 7LJ.

Last Updated 03 November 2007