Kemialliset Ystävät
I found out about Kemialliset Ystävät pretty late (they had been releasing limited edition albums since the end of the nineties). At this point, they had just released Kellari Juniversumi and there was a lot of critical praise surrounding the album. The name of the band started popping up on the internet sites and stores I frequently visited. Finland was the new musical mecca and I was missing out on it. I already knew about Circle, which I was never all that enthusiastic about (although I do enjoy many of their side projects). Everyone was naming these new, unpronounceable group names whose music supposedly sounded like weird forest folk music and comparisons were being made to the new psych bands from the USA which I already enjoyed, like No-Neck Blues Band and Sunburned Hand Of The Man; so I had to get hip as to what was going on.
I tried to find the strangest band name I could find and check them out. Kemialliset Ystävät was the lucky winner (or was I the lucky one?) and searches brought me to the Fonal Records website which included mp3 samples of some songs. Just one listen to Pallo from Kellari Juniversumi and I was hooked for life. The folky violins, distorted wails and mumbled lyrics in finnish had a profound romantic effect on me. The sounds were out-of-this-world yet it wasn't completely alien. It really did feel like forest music from a land unknown. It was very tribal, but the electronic instruments and the improvised feeling of the songs twisted all my notions of what folk or "world" music was supposed to sound like.
A lot of the whole finnish sound these days revolves around this formula, and many bands share members from other groups. It's like a whole family celebrating and putting out their songs. Some of the simple melodies which surface on a few songs do have a touch of The Residents to them, but that all just adds to the charm. Kemialliset Ystävät are probably the better known of the whole lot today (alongside Avarus, Päivänsäde and Islaja) and are a great place to start to discover the underground musical scene in Finland. Fonal do a great job at promoting and distributing this bands' albums, but keep your eyes out for often very limited releases in one format or another.


Suurempi Pieni PalatsiLabel: Alice In Wonder Records Release: 2001 Format: CD Cat. no: AW 072 074 |
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Varisevien Tanssi/Silmujen MarssiLabel: Lal lal lal Release: 2001 Format: CD-R Cat. no: LALLALLAL#3 |
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Kellari JuniversumiLabel: Fonal Records Release: 2002 Format: CD Cat. no: FR-21 |
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Nuuha Ni HakaLabel: Jewelled Antler Library Release: 2004 Format: 3"CD-R Cat. no: VOL.11 |
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AlkuhärkäLabel: Fonal Records Release: 2004 Format: CD Cat. no: FR-33 |
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UltraLabel: Outa Release: 2005 Format: 7" Cat. no: OUTA007 |
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Lumottu Karkkipurkki (Vapaa Systeemi)Label: Fonal Records Release: 2005 Format: CD Cat. no: FR-38 |
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SaijaLabel: Beta-Lactam Ring Records Release: 2005 Format: 7" Cat. no: MT061B |
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Latvasta LahoLabel: Celebrate/Psi/Phenomenon Release: 2005 Format: CD Cat. no: 1010 |
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TajuLabel: Pok Records Release: 2005 Format: CS Cat. no: POK7 |
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Kemialliset YstävätLabel: Fonal Records Release: 2007 Format: CD Cat. no: FR-50 |
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Harmaa LaguuniLabel: Secret Eye Release: 2008 Format: CD Cat. no: AB-OC-41 |
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Split Series #19 - Kemialliset Ystävät/Sunroof! Label: Fat Cat Records Release: 2008 Format: LP Cat. no: 12FAT076 |
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