Somepoe

now playing: J. Cole & Miguel - Power Trip (Somepoe Edit)

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.

Oaklyn

now playing: Oaklyn - Chasing the Sun

Perhaps the most refreshing Finnish release in a good while, Chasing the Sun is the debut of Oaklyn. Linda Ilves' vocals and Sami Tammela's production go nicely together and the outcome is soulful and smooth. Check it out.

Gracias

now playing: Gracias - HKI

Sometimes some people do the right thing at the right time. Like Deogracias Masomi. He's released (in my opinion) one of the best rap/hiphop EPs in Finland possibly ever and the time is certainly right. Finland needed it. Gracias, formerly known as Luminate, has been in the game for a good time now but after giving out HKI, the first single of the Gracias EP, there has been a constantly growing interest in this 24-year-old Congo born talented rapper.

"Gracias made his debut in 2007 (as Luminate) with the mixtape Listenin Comprehension. Luminate faded himself away for a couple of years mainly because the bullshit politics in music and cheap beer. Uninspired by the state of hiphop, Luminate was quietly laid to rest. Metaphorically speaking. Gracias fell back and nourished his ears and soul with that vintage, golden-era, gritty hip-hop sound. He then reinvented himself after realizing how much passion he had for rap music + the local fanbase, consisting of little kids who were constantly demanding for new material. That was bugging the shit out of his nerves." (Quote from www.gracias.fi/bio)

Gracias EP was released in July 2011. From the start, it has been adopted by the Finnish hiphop heads and it has received good critique. Many say that it is not a brilliant album, yet, but a very promising debut that leaves you eagerly waiting for more. Personally, I find the production very nice. Laid-back, groovy and soulful is how I like my hiphop and that's what I get. I know I'm listening to something good when my head starts to nod and I feel like dancing. That's what's up.


Gracias was performing live in the opening night of Kluuvi shopping center and I was very pleased with his stage presence. (Footage coming soon). Rapping and performing seems so natural and easy for him - he has much less annoying mannerisms than Finnish rappers usually have plus his flow is very nice. Often I'm almost disgusted by the slow, hard and somehow pushy rapping that you hear a lot in Finland, but luckily Gracias makes a nice exception in this matter.

On the side of the tracks from the EP, he performed one new track from his upcoming album and it really left me waiting for more.

Olli aka DJ Mercy-1

now playing: Olli - BUUMM

One of the few Finnish deejays that have made an international breakthrough, Olli, is famous for his popping beats. As a member of Flow Mo Crew he is also known as a bboy... and a really nice guy.

His Boogaloo Danger Vol. 1 and 2 were released in 2008 and 2010. Beats from both albums have been played in numerous dance events all around the world and he's been said to be one of the hottest popping deejays no only in Finland but for example in Korea, too. Boogaloo Danger Vol. 3 was released just a little while ago.

Check out his blog and his store. Pop.

Skipless

now playing: Skipless - Stella

Today I'm about to keep it short and sweet. Skipless is the second Finnish producer in my posts. He comes from a little city called Ikaalinen - which is mostly known for its spa - and this is how he introduces himself on his website: There is nothing spectacular to tell about myself... Im producer from Ikaalinen, Finland.
I make my beats using only vinyls and MPC. My music is mainly built from old jazz, funk and soul samples, like the beats from golden era. I'm big fan of Pete Rock's productions, but there is also other big influences like Large Pro, K-Def, Damu the fudgemunk, Lord Finesse (etc..) and finnish producers Staffro and Aksim.

He has released two EPs: Jazzamentals in 2008 and Rooftops in 2009. Both were on Dusted Wax Kingdom and like all the label's releases they are free downloads. In 2011 Skipless gave out his first LP, The Traveler's Ghost which is also his first not fully instrumental release.

Download Jazzamentals / Rooftops / The Traveler's Ghost

I like his sound a lot. Maybe he's not technically the best producer you can find but there's something very honest about his music. Nice jazzy loops and soft vibes all over. Totally enjoyable, totally smooth. I've listened to his music while stretching out and that means complete relaxation for me. I've also played his beats while cooking with friends, walking with the dog, watching the rain... So,yeah.. umm.. anyways. Get good music for free and enjoy.

Maw-

now playing: Maw- - Day's End

I'm not a huge fan of Finnish hip-hop in general but every now and then there are exceptions. This time, a guy called Maw- surprised me very positively. I think I was just studying my Last.fm neighbours' libraries and bumped up into some one listening to Maw- and, since I had never heard of such an artist, decided to check it out. It turned out that I had been sleeping on some dope instrumentals.

As I did a bit of digging on the artist I found out that Maw-'s music has been played even in Solid Steel radioshow (right inbetween Erykah Badu and Ghostface Killah) by Ruckus Roboticus. That tells you something, doesn't it.

This right here is the first full album that he released.



Please do take a look at his bandcamp. There are four albums, all available for free. And, if you're interested, check out his blog aswell. And most importantly, enjoy nice chillout music.