On Foreign Soil: Minuit - I don't know where this is! October 12 - November 14
Author: Paul Dodge
"...and now you must have one of the cocktails that are only from this club - it is one part absinthe, one part triple sec, apple liqueur..."
I don't remember what else was in it, nor much else that happened from then on...
Welcome to Finland.
I don't remember what else was in it, nor much else that happened from then on...
Welcome to Finland.
 |
This is Minuit on tour in Europe promoting the new 12" of Fuji we just pressed in the UK. But mainly it's an excuse for a glorified holiday, and to go to some crazy places and have a laugh. It's electronic, but it's live. It's breakbeat, but you'll sing along - tell me if I'm wrong.
TAMPERE, FINLAND "Even if you're lying please tell me that everything's gonna be fine."
The thing I was most nervous about for the trip was the sound. We weren't travelling with a soundie and were winging it every night. But this club was beautiful, like a small opera house. It sounded great and was packed. No one knew who we were, and when we played they almost brought the roof down. One girl was saying afterwards it was because of the live thing - they could see us making the music and Ruth out the front pulling it all together and that energy just got everyone hollering. Near the end of the set I got out the front and said: "No-one in NZ believes we're here so can I take a photo?" Everyone squeezed into the middle of the room so they'd fit into the shot, just like at camp. This guy gets up on stage and says "That's not how it works, you have to be in the shot too," so we jumped into the crowd and he took photos of everyone. Ryan and Ruth said I'm not allowed to do that in London but we'll see.
HELSINKI, FINLAND "I don't know where this is but let me stay here."
Midnight at a gay man's 20th. Them dancing in the kitchen, singing up a storm to the equivalent of Finnish Abba; us sculling a cauldron of heavy-handed, homemade strawberry punch. You, avid reader, and I both dearly wish I had the camera that night.
What's crazy here is there are famous d'n'b producers and breaks producers coming out the rafters. The sound guy was signed to a UK breaks label as well. He said: "Yeah the Finnish scene is weird. People are known more outside Finland than in."
DJ Infekto aka Rico Tubbs aka Riku Pentti, Finland's best breaks DJ and all round top bloke, put these shows on for us. He was part of Bomfunk MCs when they were around. His apartment is a wild collection of sci-fi figurines, kung-fu DVDs and crates of vinyl.
Lost Ruth for three hours in a secondhand shop where she roamed untethered amongst beautiful vintage dresses made in Finland and Romania and the Ukraine; all for NZ$8.
Two songs from the end of the set, a girl gets up on stage, shakes Ruth's hand and starts chatting. "Oh I talked to you on myspace," she says, "You guys are really good", really loud, kinda right into the microphone. Unbeknownst to her we were still going. Yes, the club cocktail claims many casualties.
