I spent the latter half of June visiting Finland for the first time. The majority of my mother’s side of the family all live there and I’ve wanted to visit Finland for as long as I can remember, probably since I asked my grandmother why she spoke with that beautiful accent that none of the rest of us have. I could go on at great length about how wonderful it was getting to see people I hadn’t seen in years and meeting so many more relatives for the first time, about the amazing experience of connecting with my roots and visiting the motherland. But I won’t – not in this piece at least. Here I’m going to focus on one aspect of the trip: the records. Bridget and I spent much of our trip hanging out in different record shops in Helsinki, digging for things on our own and getting schooled on the long, storied history of Finland’s music scene. What follows is the list of everything I brought back, broken up by shop. If you’re reading this in Finland, or if you ever find yourself in Helsinki, check out the shops below. You’re sure to find something new and incredible.
I tried to link to the bands/records in question as much as possible. If anything sounds interesting please click on the links and listen along as you read. You can also scroll to the bottom to listen to the show I did on Radio Nautilus with some of these records. The greatest part of my digging adventures in Finland was discovering the wealth of Finnish music that I knew next to nothing about when I got off the plane. Kiitos paljon to everyone who opened my eyes and ears. Each of the record shops has been linked to as well.
My first night in Finland I excitedly walked down the street from our flat to see local stoner doom mongers Desert Lord perform in the basement of the infamous Lepakkomies, a dive bar of much repute whose name is Finnish for Batman. As I walked down the street the crowd of people in black smoking and noisily drinking outside in the glow of orange neon bat signs made it easy to find. I navigated between pool tables and drunken patrons, hopped down a flight of stairs and paid 5 euro to get into the basement. It was exactly what you’d expect – hazily lit, sticky floor, and walls lost behind a collage of stickers of bands I’ve never heard of. It was perfect.
After Desert Lord’s killer set I approached the band to cop a 7″ and thank them for the show. Sampo (vox) reluctantly informed me they were sold out, and when I told him I loved listening to the full length online but didn’t have enough euro for a CD he kindly gave me one for free. I asked him where he liked to buy records and the drummer turned around to shout with Sampo “Rolling Records!” Mika (drums) went on to tell me that they had the best selection, great prices, and were maybe a couple hundred meters from where we were standing. Mika and I continued to geek out on music and he gave me a record put out by End Begins, the American style hardcore band he plays guitar in. Armed with their recommendation, I wandered back home in the pale midnight dusk of Helsinki in the summertime, eagerly anticipating the next day.
Rolling Records (Kallio)
The constant sunlight of summer in Finland makes it easier to adjust to the time difference, or maybe it’s just that the absence of light and the freedom of being on vacation make it easier to sleep when you’re tired and go adventure when you’re not. Either way, we head to Rolling Records the next day feeling fresh. Rolling Records sits on the edge of what’s known as “Crackhead Square,” although its permanent residents are a decidedly tame version of the Arcata Plazoids. We walk in and proprietor Tuomo stands behind the counter chatting with a customer while changing a record. The raucous opening riff of the Pumpkins’ “I Am One” blasts from the speakers as I find the prodigious heavy metal section and I know I’m in the right place.
After digging on my own I take my substantial pile of interesting covers up to the counter and ask Tuomo if he knows any of them. He knows and likes a handful, but doesn’t know a few others. Since they’re mostly sealed I snap photos of the covers to research on my own before buying and ask him for his recommendations. Tuomo proceeds to play me some of my favorite records that I found on the trip, including the second Mara Balls LP and a 7″ from Hän, the first release on Tuomo’s in-house record label that was debuted that very day.
The b-side has been stuck in my head more or less since I heard it. The gods smiled on me when Sampo and Mika from Desert Lord recommended a record shop I hadn’t found in my research online that happened to release this 7″ the day I walked in. Tero from Hän is also in Teksti-TV 666, and both groups are fantastic. I’m kicking myself for not getting a dozen copies of this single.
This was one of the few records I knew I wanted to find before coming to Finland. Circle began as a krautrock group in the early ’90s, singing in glossolalia before Sigur Rós brought the practice into the popular consciousness. Their sound has evolved from record to record and the sound of Terminal is very much at home on their new US label Southern Lord. The cover is a collage by the talented Samantha Muljat (who did Earth’s Primitive and Deadly cover) and features the iconic, spaceship-like Ted Geisel library from UCSD.
Man, oh man. This record is PHENOMENAL. This is the first record that Tuomo recommended to me and I passed along his recommendation to everyone else I met at other shops in Finland. Maria Mattila was one third of heavy garage rock greats Jukka ja Jytämimmit until the group disintegrated and she rose from the ashes as the genius behind Mara Balls, purveyors extraordinaire of heavy psych rock melodies. Distortion drenched guitar riffs, a chaotic wash of drums, thudding and driving bass, and Maria’s clear elegant vocals laid over top. If you check out only one record from this extensive essay make it this one.
Albinö Rhino describe themselves as “heavy atmospheric downtuned psychedelia” and I think that fits right in with my own description of them as melodic doom-laden psych rock. However you want to call it, it’s heavy, heady, and surprisingly pretty to listen to. Tuomo recommended this group and when I found another record of theirs at Teen Wolf, Riff Religion, with a cover that’s a pretty obvious homage to Sabbath’s Master of Reality I snagged that one too. Not wanting to go all in on a band I hadn’t listened to I left behind a third records of theirs and I’m definitely rethinking that decision.
Masters of the Universe is one of my favorite hip-hop records of the early 2000s. I was stoked and a little incredulous to find this preview of the record featuring three of my favorite tracks and their instrumentals. When I got home I found my suspicions were well-deserved: according to discogs this particular pressing is mislabeled and actually has tracks 03, 08, & 16 pressed. Oh well. Still great music, still a great find. I feel like most international digging excursions come with an inevitable misfire and this switch is pretty inconsequential as far as those go.
The Cure is one of my all time favorite bands, and I have a weird thing where I’ll only buy their music if I find it in the wild (no ordering on discogs). This is the first time I’ve seen this single in a shop.
J Mascis’ heady and heavy stoner rock group. Stoked to finally cop their second album. For a review of their fiery head-fogging debut click here.
Clean copy? 5 euro? Hell yeah.
- Teksti-TV 666 (pink wax) – 1, 2, 3
This record is one of my favorites that I came home with. An anonymous patch-vested metalhead recommended Teksti-TV 666 while I was at Keltainen and I took a photo to check it out before buying. I was hooked from the first track, and when I saw it again at Teen Wolf I snagged a copy. On my second trip to Rolling Records I had the luck to meet Tero from Teksti-TV 666 and Hän. Tuomo had a pink original press in stock so I swooped another copy and asked Tero to sign it. He was friendly and kind and turned me on to quite a few other great records while I was there. Teksti-TV 666 could be described as shoegazy krautrock with a psychedelic twist, like a more acid-fried and rockin’ early Cure or Jesus and the Mary Chain. If you’re into postpunk with loud layered guitars this one’s for you.
Handpicked by Tero, his friend’s band that he had a hard time describing but highly recommended. I’m pretty sure their lineup includes Teemu from Teksti-TV 666. They kind of remind me of a more melodic and more talented Blood Brothers, sans nails on chalkboard vocals. Artful and raw, with a healthy shot of gutsy blues riffage.
I saw dozens of copies of two recently repressed releases by Leevi & the Leavings at pretty much every record shop we visited. On my second trip to Rolling Records I finally asked Tuomo what was up with these records that I’d seen everywhere. Apparently Leevi & the Leavings were huge in Finland in the ’80s. They play intricate synthpop that’s vaguely reminiscent of a less morose Smiths. Tuomo and Tero both assured me that they were great and Tuomo recommended this record over the other. I’m looking forward to checking out the rest of their catalog.
Black & White Records (Hakaniemi)
We hit Black & White after browsing the indoor Finnish crafts market in Hakaniemi. The window sported a ton of cool records, boxed sets, weird tchotchkes, and a bespectacled taxidermy badger. Before we even walked in we knew we had found a good place. We entered and found a digger’s paradise with dense crates filling the middle of the shop and full shelves lining the walls. I found great records everywhere I looked and had to remind myself to try to limit my selections to Finnish records I’d have an impossible time finding anywhere else. Black & White have multiple sections of excellent music from Finnish artists and I had a hard time narrowing down my picks. Patrik and Anna were extremely helpful and recommended several records that are among my favorites that I brought back. A very friendly guy peered over my shoulder while I was sorting my pile and offered up his recommendations as well. Geraldo was more than happy to talk about Finnish bands with me and gave me a serious list of artists and albums to check out. He’s a big fan of Finnish prog and psych and was a treasure trove of musical knowledge. All three folks were a delight to chat with and Bridget and I spent a long time hanging out there. I’m pretty sure we even stayed well past their Saturday afternoon closing time and they were so cool about it that it didn’t even occur to us until we were about to leave.
When I first started browsing at Black & White I asked a fellow digger in the stacks for any recommendations of Finnish bands that he likes. He seemed very taken aback and couldn’t really offer anything up, probably confused and uncomfortable with this stranger smiling and talking to him for no apparent reason. He later came up to me with this record in hand and said it was really weird, but definitely worth buying. Anna chimed in from behind the counter to say that Patrik had set a limit on how many times she could play it each day as she had been obsessed with it since it came in. She immediately put it on and it caught me from the first acid washed chord. Pekko Käppi plays both acoustic and electric jouhikko, a traditional Finnish lyre with two or three strings that’s played with a bow. You can see and hear one here, which will give you an even deeper appreciation for the virtuosity and originality that Pekko brings to his compositions with his modified jouhikko. The songs on Matilda are a driving and refreshing blend of traditional Finnish instruments with modern stomping psychedelic folk rock.
Patrik gave this a strong thumbs up and described it as “just great rock, excellent excellent rock.” Good enough for me to buy blind. Haunting riffs with a psychedelic tinge that sounds like someone took modern recording techniques with them back to the occult revival of the ’70s. In some spots, it also sounds a little bit like Tinariwen doing the soundtrack to Stranger Things. Apparently my family is also down with Death Hawks. My cousin Aleksi put this on when he was showing me Finnish bands while we were hanging out at his parents’ house in Hämeenlinna. Our relative Tero walked by and popped his head in just to smile while nodding his head, say “Death Hawks” and give a thumbs up before walking on.
Each Blassics record I found sported a sticker asking “Dig ethiopique jazz, deep funk and analogue sound?” Good enough for me. Both Blassics records that I bought are great, and I get the impression that they’re like the Finnish El Michels Affair. Analogue recording techniques, subtle funky atmospherics with an afrobeat touch, and top-notch musicians.
The back of the first Blassics record says “This recording was made in a way some call old fashioned. We call it real…it was all recorded, mixed and mastered on tape, vinyl master was cut direct from analog master tape, during the whole process no digital devices or computers were used. This is a true AAA recording. We call it real. Recorded in a wooden house in a peaceful state of mind.” I take it this is where the name of their second record comes from.
Geraldo was very pleased to see this one in my stack. He told me that Pharaoh Overlord features three members of Circle and that their debut is considered a classic and pioneering album of Finnish experimental stoner rock. The seething, face-melting drone of these eight tracks spread over four sides doesn’t disappoint. Waves of guitar haze cascade over hypnotic bass lines and muddy riffs. The drums relentlessly keep time with the steadiness of a smoke-spewing freight train trudging its way down the line. It’s everything you could ever want for a session in Scandinavia.
This cover caught my eye and the sticker lauding Apollo as the first Finnish heavy rock group cemented my interest. When Geraldo nodded and tapped the cover with a finger while looking through my selections, saying “These guys are good,” I took it home. The songs are a mix of riff-centric heavy rock and lighter proto-prog ballads, with the occasional free jazz freakout interlude.
Kingston Wall is one of the few Finnish bands I knew about before coming to Finland. Psychedelic hard rock with a flair for Eastern mysticism. They’re very well known in Finland and their frontman, Petri Walli, is revered as a local rock hero. We were able to visit his grave in Hietaniemi Cemetery where he is interred in the company of former prime ministers, famous generals, artists, and poets. Kingston Wall’s discography was only ever released in small batches and is difficult/expensive to find. Svart released this five LP compilation of live recordings that I couldn’t resist. There’s also a boxed set reissue of their three studio albums with cool liner notes, a slipmat, and other fancy goodies, but I somehow managed to talk myself out of buying that one too.
This is the one record Bridget bought on our trip. I think she had heard about this group on NPR before we came to Helsinki and man, am I glad she snagged it. Checking the back of the record, the lineup is a veritable Who’s Who of female musicians in West Africa. The lyrics are sung in a mix of Bambara, Fon, French, and English, and advocate for women’s rights and equality. West African funk with a heavy industrial influence, like a less smoked out Thievery Corporation, and righteous lyrical content. Les Amazones D’Afrique don’t let the message get in the way of the funk or vice versa, something few artists outside of Public Enemy have managed to pull off. I can definitely see why this record has been catching such critical acclaim.
Levykauppa Keltainen Jäänsärkijä (Kamppi)
My cousin Aleksi, my research online, and even the Rough Guide book I bought all recommended Keltainen Jäänsärkijä. It’s one of the longest-running and most famous record shops in Helsinki. They’re right next door to Tevasti Klubbi, Helsinki’s premiere rock venue (another cousin compared it to LA’s Whiskey-a-Go-Go). Maybe it was all the hype, maybe it was the friendly experiences I had had at smaller record shops before coming here, or maybe I was just exhausted after several days of walking all over Helsinki but I wasn’t as impressed by Keltainen as I thought I would be. In the wake of Rolling Records and Black & White, with their welcoming owners and their happiness to geek out on records with me, the silent, dim-lit atmosphere of Keltainen was a bit of a bummer. They do have an incredible selection, and a friendly/awkward anonymous metalhead in a patch covered vest offered some great recommendations, so I managed to find some great records nonetheless.
Legendary psych rock heavyweights from San Diego. When I saw a record from hometown heroes Sacri Monti in the stacks at one of the most famous record shops in Finland I knew I couldn’t leave it behind. Still kicking myself for not seeing them at the Alibi earlier this summer.
I first found this record at Black & White and was intrigued by the teaser text on its sticker describing Woodoo as the mysterious prog rock group who “marred [sic?] progressive rock stylings with Latin and African influence.” Combining the cover with this description I knew Woodoo would either be incredibly interesting or incredibly terrible. No middle ground. Luckily it’s really good, and with their odd instrumentation the 27-minute LP deftly rides the “incredibly interesting” side of the scales. I only wish it were longer.
I really like this record. Four piece from Tampere. In some ways reminiscent of the Rolling Stones but with their own unique flavor and snarl.
I had two unknown records from Oranssi Pazuzu in hand, and the friendly anonymous metalhead recommended this one as it’s harder to come by. Kosmomonument is a little outside my taste when it comes to metal, but it is a damn fine looking pressing.
One of the few records I was already looking for when I came to Helsinki. @vinylwife on instagram posted about this record when it came out and it caught my interest. I’m not typically into black metal, but with its psychedelic, drony atmosphere Oranssi Pazuzu rides the doom line enough for me to really enjoy this record.
When I first saw this I almost bought it based on the cover alone. When I came back to Keltainen to look for Kairon; IRSE! I came across this record again and went for it. The music is great, frenetic Finnish hardcore punk, but honestly even if the music sucked I would’ve bought it just to put up on the wall.
The beautiful wordless cover of this one made it a little difficult to track down and preview. Fuzzed out shoegaze with a heavy psychedelic edge. When I tried to find it at Levykauppa Äx in Hakaniemi one clerk had no idea what I was talking about and the other clerk knew right away. He told me they were sold out but it was a great record and if I knew I could find it at Keltainen it was well worth the trip across the city to get it. Having heard the whole thing now I certainly agree.
Levykauppa Äx (Kamppi)
This place was kind of a bummer. The stacks were disorganized and overstuffed. The bins and shelves had labels and dividers but the records just seemed to go wherever someone put them. I had heard that Levykauppa Äx was a chain and I shouldn’t expect much, but it was still a drag. Grating music playing, the person behind the counter didn’t even look up when I came in and just kept talking to their friend. The one good thing about this place was that it had a plaque on the wall that led me to Vinyl Hel, a tumblr site that features information about most of the record shops in Helsinki. A cool resource worth checking out.
SOUL Vintage (Kallio)
This rad vintage shop was just around the corner from our flat in Kallio. Bridget had been eyeing the pair of Doc Martens in the window for a few days so we decided to pop in. Cool clothes, just the right amount of “hip”, and a crate of used records in the corner for me to peruse while Bridget tried on the boots. I found a surprisingly good selection, including two records that I wound up buying.
Both of these records are long time favorites that I fell in love with as a teenager. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked them up at a record store only to put them back in favor of something harder to find. But used copies at a great price that would also become mementos of my first trip to Finland? Impossible to turn down. It doesn’t hurt that You’re Living All Over Me is pressed on translucent purple wax.
Teen Wolf Records (Kallio)
Bridget and I got a bit turned around while walking in the rain one day. We took a weird route back to our flat that led us past Teen Wolf Records. With interesting records in the window and a rad logo, we knew it’d be worth coming back. We returned during their open hours and proprietor Jere is creating a rad space inside. Great selection, fair prices, and Jere turned me on to some fantastic local groups. He recently put out a compilation tape of local Finnish punk bands on his own in-house record label that features some stellar tracks. In addition to running a label and selling records, Jere is also crafting Teen Wolf as a venue and community space for the Helsinki punk scene.
I was surprised to find out that this group is from Wales, as they’re on a Finnish label and the cover would fit right in with the Finnish cultural milieu. I guess it’s rainy and depressing in Wales too. 40 Watt Sun is a vaguely morose postrock indie group and worth a listen. I feel like I’ll need to return to this record once winter comes back in order to really hear it.
Top shelf psychedelic stoner doom from Finland with a moving, rollicking lilt. Vocals like Robert Smith on a bad trip.
Man, and I thought Tombstoned’s debut was good! The follow up record is even heavier, even louder, and the riffs are even better. Top shelf psychedelic stoner doom from Finland.
Blindly purchased based on the record cover’s homage to Sabbath’s Master of Reality and Tuomo from Rolling Records’ previous recommendation. More great music from Albinö Rhino, this time less celestial and more straightforwardly doomy.
- Teksti-TV 666 (black wax) – 1, 2, 3
See above, back under Rolling Records. Excellent shoegazy krautrock with a psychedelic twist, like a more acid-fried and rockin’ early Cure or Jesus and the Mary Chain. If you’re into postpunk with loud layered guitars this one’s for you.
Fantastic Finnish garage punk, blistering and acidic. I was intrigued by the cover in the window and Jere recommended it as one of his favorite recent releases.
Levykauppa Äx (Hakaniemi)
On our last day in Finland Bridget and I returned to Helsinki with my mom and aunt. We took them to Hakaniemi for delicious vegetarian lunch at Silvoplee and a jaunt through the indoor market. We also showed them Black & White, and since we were right there I decided to try another Levykauppa Äx to see if I could skip returning to Keltainen for a couple records. This Levykauppa Äx was a world apart from the one in Kamppi. Clean, well organized, massive vinyl section downstairs and knowledgeable staff. They didn’t have the Kairon; IRSE! record I was on the hunt for but I found a couple others.
The sticker on the cover says it all: “Fantastic heavy-as-fuck stoner rock with a metal flair, stuffed with psychedelic bliss and the former Count Raven and Saint Vitus vocalist at the top of his game. Mandatory!”
Rockin’ music that’s too good for me to dismiss as indie pop, but the label fits well in the same way that you could describe The Smiths as indie pop. Definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in Finnish music but don’t have an appetite for doom.
French stoner doom with rad album artwork that’s right out of a Corman film poster. ‘Nuff said.
That’s the gist of it! I only covered the record shops that we visited and the records we scored in this piece, and there was so much more that I didn’t go into here. Hanging out with two of Helsinki’s roller derby teams, taking our first sauna, spending time with family, meeting my greatgrandmother for the first time on her 100th birthday, all the delicious food and the terrible beer, the list goes on. Our trip to Finland was incredible. I can’t wait til I can return to the land of Väino’s children. I’ll definitely be on the hunt for more records when I do.
Moi ja kiitos paljon to Saari, Sampo and Mika, Tuomo, Patrik and Anna, Geraldo, Jere, Aleksi, both Teros, Tarja, Aki, and everyone else who not only schooled me on Finnish music but was welcoming and kind beyond belief. I hope to see you all the next time I’m in the motherland, and I can’t wait to get my feet back on Finnish soil!
Easton Connell 
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