Six Finnish acts will take over the stages of Groeningen’s Eurosonic this week! Read more about the acts below.

This year, Finland’s line-up consists of electronic music genius Kaukolampi, soulful crooner Bobby Oroza, accordion master Antti Paalanen, indie folk darlings Karina, one of a kind rapper-turned-singer-songwriter Jesse Markin and techno scene newcomer Detalji.

Antti Paalanen

In his teens, accordion virtuoso Antti Paalanen was a fan of heavy metal. These days he is very much into electronic dance music (EDM). As an end result, he makes relentlessly intense folk music where these two worlds meet: something that reminds of the stadium-sized dance anthems by Calvin Harris or David Guetta – but played with an electronic two-row accordion. “When I perform, I try to exclude all the barriers in my mind and focus on just being present. That makes fun and surprising things happen. The focus is on the beat. After all, the accordion is a dance music instrument”, says Antti Paalanen.

Showtimes:
WED 15 Jan / Der AA-Kerk, 23:45–00:30
THU 16 Jan / Coffee Company, 13:20–13:40

Read our recent In the Spotlight article on Antti Paalanen.

Bobby Oroza

Bobby Oroza’s sensual, soft and mellow music paints a dreamy fantasy of intimate, cosy club sceneries somewhere far away – and has a dreamy, vintage atmosphere that could flow right out of an old transistor radio on a careless sunny afternoon at the beach. His visual aesthetic is something you could find in a David Lynch film: vintage cars from the late 1950s, dark suits, long trench coats and red curtains. Despite being a rather recent artist, Bobby Oroza’s single This Love has already been sampled by rapper Earl Sweatshirt, and can also be heard in multiple Netflix shows – and even in a feature film. 

Showtime:
WED 15 Jan / Hooghoudt Barn / 22:10–22:50

Read our recent In the Spotlight article on Bobby Oroza.

Detalji

Detalji is a Helsinki-based artist, producer and sound designer known for her self-written anthems dedicated to the club culture as well as cravings for substances and intimacy. Strongly influenced by 1990’s techno and IDM, Detalji builds her songs in a progressive manner combining pop hooks with raw synth sounds and trancey atmospeheres. In 2018 Detalji released her dancefloor-friendly debut ep titled "SEX", which was followed last year by her second ep “Ravenous”.

Showtime:
THU 16 Jan / Kokomo / 01:20–02:00

Jesse Markin

Hailing from the tiny rural town of Viljakkala, Liberia-born Jesse Markin has quickly become the hottest name in the Finnish urban and indie scene. Markin's music is a unique mix of indie pop, rap, soul, r&b and African folk. Although Markin ”doesn’t consider himself a singer” (he became originally known as rapper Thelo Ekow from the The Megaphone State duo), his music can easily be compared to modern-day singer-songwriters such as Moses Sumney. Markin’s sound is traditional and British, closer to XL Recordings’ roster than American neo soul. Jesse Markin’s critically acclaimed debut album "FOLK" was released in 2019.

Showtimes:
THU 16 Jan / Plato Record Shop / 17:00–17:20
THU 16 Jan / Grand Theatre, Main / 20:00–20:45

Read our recent In the Spotlight article on Jesse Markin.

Karina 

Folk pop duo Karina, consisting of Karin Mäkiranta and Helmi Tikkanen is regarded as one of the most intriguing indie acts in Finland. Their delicate and intimate sound combines elements from Sufjan Stevens inspired indie folk to 4AD-esque melancholic dream pop. Nominated for the 2019 Hyundai Nordic Music Prize, their self-produced debut album "Karina" was released in 2018 to widespread critical acclaim from the Finnish media, with songs like Bambi and Täällä sinua juhlitaan being praised as the greatest Finnish pop songs of the year. The album has followed with more singles and shows in Norway, Estonia and UK, as well as support slots for the group Beirut in Luxembourg and Germany. Karina's second album is slated for release in 2020.

Showtimes:
FRI 17 Jan / Coffee Company / 15:50–16:10
FRI 17 Jan / Lutherse Kerk / 22:40–23:20

Kaukolampi

Award winning composer and electronic musician Timo Kaukolampi released his solo debut under the artist name Kaukolampi in 2017. The pioneering Finnish musician is also known from spiritual space rock outfit K-X-P and has worked with cinema and contemporary dance. Prepare for a live show filled with heavenly electronic cosmic ambient music, deep beats, pulses, echoes and noise, along with stunning visuals.

Showtime:
THU 16 Jan / Grand Theatre, Main / 00:30–01:15

Read our recent In the Spotlight article on Kaukolampi.