Another Finnish producer fostered by the Red Bull Music Academy, Somepoe from Oulu, has caught my attention. A friend posted his soundcloud page to Facebook a while back and I clicked play.
Somepoe aka Topi Paananen is an interesting producer because he creates vogue beats. Yes, you read correctly. Vogue beats. Beats that vogue dancers would go crazy to (I'm not gonna start educating you on voguing right now but, believe me, it is a big part of who I am and what I do and that's why I pay attention to this guy). And to be honest, I'm not sure if he knows that he's doing vogue beats because they most definitely aren't very typical. But then again some of the samplers he uses consistently, are most definitely very typical and make his sound very vogue. Listening to these tracks, the next tune might have a Baltimore vibe or something totally different, which makes him even more intriguing.
Before entering the Red Bull Music Academy in 2012, Somepoe learnt to produce on his own. He got into music in elementary school through rapping which lead to DJing and especially scratching. From the start he has been a "do it yourself" kinda guy, creating tunes, recording them and doing the art work and then selling the albums to his friends. Mostly he works at night time. He says that he might have ideas about the rhythm and then he just starts exploring by using the computer, synthesizer, drum machine and vinyls. Often an existing song is the starting point but then he might remove the original track totally from the final version.
Until now, Somepoe's music has been released on Rad Summer, Cool Records, Sounds of Sumo, Car Crash Set and MK Label. He has played in numerous clubs in Finland and he has hosted a radio show on Basso radio and during his stay in New York he got to play in Sullivan Room. His mix has been featured on Benji B Show of BBC Radio 1.
HillyDilly had a review of his EP "Places" in their discovery section in April 2014 saying:
Somepoe is a fresh name out of Finland, and he packs a floor-shaking sound into “Places” that’s sure to make any subwoofer cringe (that’s a hint to pull out your good speakers/headphones for the track, if you’ve any available). As an international native, the producer already has a unique background, but his graduation from the Red Bull Music Academy puts him in a whole different lane, quite possibly one he alone occupies. The intrigue doesn’t stop there, however, because his bass-heavy, synth-filled, brand-new track, “Places”, only adds to his distinctiveness. Enigmatic synths wave back and forth on the affair, creating an effect currently unparalleled; R&B vocal chops repeat throughout, never faltering in originality; and thumping bass remains continuous, giving the song its uptempo, danceable vibe. So whether it’s a result of his Finnish roots, his Red Bull Academy experience, or just his own sonic brilliance, Somepoe has displayed some very impressive originality on his first track here, and we invite you to grab his debut EP, Leave the House, HERE on iTunes if you’re digging.A free Christmas EP released in December 2013 is downloadable for free. I suggest you to check his other stuff out, too because you will discover all kinds of sounds.
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