Diesel is raping Karhu sneakers

Diesel has released a viral campaign starring Finnish Disco guru Åke Blomqvist. Viral video is promoting Diesel's new retro sneakers.

When you take a closer look at the original video of the Finnish Disco guru posted to YouTube 2 years ago, original video clearly shows Åke is wearing Finnish "Karhu originals" sneakers. Well, mash-up is a mash-up. Get your Karhu originals from Finnishdesignshop.com.

The Millioners - Most Sexiest Music

Around the same time in early 2003 as world´s first cloned sheep Dolly died, The Millioners was born. It all started in a shady session which took place at an old warehouse in Helsinki, Finland. Young men with different musical backgrounds came together as one.

They like to call their music "disco music". But it´s not some shitty disco you can rollerblade into and wear a stupid wig. They like their disco dirty. Like italo disco, which is a big influence for them. Kano, Cerrone and so on. French acts such as Daft Punk, Serge Gainsbourg, Michel Polnareff and Alan Braxe have also inspired The Millioners a lot.

Download for free Up to you (Ercola remix) MP3 from their website.

FogScreen breaks into clubs in Los Angeles and London

FogScreen, Inc., creators of the world’s first walk-through projection screen made of "dry" fog, are proud to announce that the FogScreen™ projection screen is now prominently featured at the entrance way of Markus Thesleff’s new nightclub Maya in London and David Judaken’s new Los Angeles nightclub, Opera.

HELSINKI BURLESQUE FESTIVAL

HELSINKI BURLESQUE FESTIVAL 31st Jan - 2nd Feb 2008

Bump 'n' grind, shimmy and shake Helsinki, it's time for the 1st ever Burlesque Festival in Finland!

2nd February 2008 restaurant Kaisaniemi will offer you an evening full of hootchy kootchy and hot-hot-hot hip shakes. Do you dare to visit the hidden tavern of mystical tropics, enter the secret heart of vice? Forget your problems and enjoy the company of pompous pirates, exotic beauties, sharp smugglers, side-show freaks, crafty cowboys and seductive servants.

In the shadows of the night who will You be and who will You meet - The Brazilian bombshell Carmen Miranda or Phantom - The Guardian of the Eastern Dark?

Mika Kaurismäki opens Brazilian restaurant Bossa in Helsinki

Finnish film maker Mika Kaurismäki is opening a new restaurant in Helsinki: Bossa. The two-floor eating place at Annankatu 21 will be Brazilian and Latino themed and will have a bar side and an à la carte dining area.

The restaurant will have a capacity of about 300 people and will offer Brazilian food, wine, beer and other drinks.

There will also be live music on offer at Bossa, starting with Brazilian music about once a week. Later on, Kaurismäki would also like to programme a wider range of music performances.
Bossa will likely officially open around the 15th of November.

Mika Kaurismäki is the elder brother of director Aki Kaurismäki.

Mika Kaurismäki earlier co-founded the well-known Moskova and Corona (Eerikinkatu 11) bars in the centre of Helsinki.

Language course in a toilet

"I never have a glass of whisky at 8am in the morning." and same in Spanish. Ambient sound surprises in a dark toilet of the La Cocina restaurant (Kluuvikatu).

Another weird toilet (ladies bathroom) in Helsinki is on the 14th floor in the hotel Torni. It's holding the title of the "Toilet with a best view". Going there for the first time feels a bit weird since the walls are basicly all window. But since you’re sitting on the top of the city, no one can see you, but you can see everywhere.

Some other funky toilets in Helsinki restaurants are situated in Kuurna (Meritullinkatu 6), Bob's Bar (Ullanlinnankatu 5), Stockholm Diskotek (Yrjönkatu 31), Kola (Helsinginkatu 13),.

Helsinki. Kallio. Hip bars. Luft. Kuudes linja. Kola. Soul kitchen.

Just couple years ago Kallio district in Helsinki was full of cheap&shitty beer-halls. Well, it still is, but nowadays Kallio offers excellent alternatives.

Thanks to Dj Lil Tony (Toni Rantanen) more and more new hip bars are rising to Kallio.

Kola (Helsinginkatu 13) was one of the first ones, then came Club Liberte (Kolmas linja 34), Kuudes linja (Kaikukatu 4; entrance from the inner yard), Soul Kitchen (their á la carte menu reminds an old LP vinyl cover, Fleminginkatu 26), Sävel (Hämeentie 2) and Porvoonkadun baari (Porvoonkatu 19). Latest newcomer is Luft (Aleksiskivenkatu 30).

After the strict smoking ban one can nowadays breathe in "always good tunes" bars like Rytmi (2. Linja 2) and Ompu (Siltasaarenkatu 15).

Hostel: part II starring Vera Jordanova

Hostel: part II is a horror movie produced by Quentin Tarantino. Finnish supermodel Vera Jordanova is playing one of the main roles. Premiere is shown in Finland @ Nightvisions Horror movie festival (26.-28.10.2007).

Felix Zenger - Awesome human beatbox

Drums, scratches, bass, vocals, effects, percussion – and just one mouth! Finnish beatboxer Felix Zenger not only produces a wide array of sounds, imitations of musical instruments, and fast complex rhythms, but above all uses his mouth to create new and original music. The 20 year-old, awarded with Artist of the Year honors at the 2007 Funk Awards, has already performed with the J.B.'s (James Brown RIP), DJ Q-bert, Lew Soloff (Blood, Sweat and Tears) and The Coup.

Design District Helsinki - The hub is growing

SoHo in London/New York, SoFo in Stockholm and Design District Helsinki (DDH) in Finland.

Helsinki offers an ideal place to get to know Finnish design and to buy top-class Finnish design products. Located in the centre of Helsinki, the Design District Helsinki is an area full of design and antique shops, fashion stores, museums, art galleries, restaurants and showrooms. Unfortunately not all the best shops and bars are part of the DDH hub.

See the DDH map available on designdistrict.fi.

Flushing your toilet with design water

About year ago the bottlers of trendy "Voss" water from Norway wanted to limit local access to its source in a southern valley in Agder, since the local residents used "Voss" water even for flushing the toilet. At the same time the trendiest hotels and restaurants were charging as much as $10 dollars for a single "Voss" bottle. The trick was excellent branding: Pure water. Hip bottle.

Now Finns are replicating the concept "Pure water. Hip bottle." by releasing the Veen spring water. VEEN bottle received the international ”Best bottle in glass” 2007 -award in Mexico City September 2007. The bottle is designed by Architect Antti Eklund from Finland. If you want to taste the VEEN at least Ilmatar restaurant (Bulevardi 2-4, Helsinki) serves it in Finland.

Rhythm Funk Masters, Afro American Arctic

Strangely enough, an afro-beat band from Finland!! Why not? Rhythm Funk Masters’ music isn’t actually pure afro-beat, but it also combines elements from different music styles like jazz, funk and rock to it. Each band member brings in his own character. To say it in a simple way, they play instrumental afro-beat, funk and jazz music with a strong Scandinavian flavour. Rhythm Funk Masters was formed in 2003 in Helsinki. They’ve had some gigs every now and then, but now they’re going to get more active that they got their first album out (available at Levyvirasto.net)! Afro-American-Arctic is recently released in Finland and Japan.

Visual artist Jiri Geller @ Gallery Krista Mikkola 11.10. - 4.11.2007

Jiri Geller's exhibition @ Galleria Krista Mikkola (Neitsytpolku 9, Helsinki). Jiri is part of the Helsinki-based art collective ROR (Revolutions on Request). International breakthrough is near?

EDIT (27th of October 2012): Jiri Geller is part of the Showroom Helsinki collective at the moment.

Kolo and Maja; alternatives to an ordinary hotel stay

Kolokoti.fi (in Helsinki) has two Finnish homes for guests to use. At Kolo and Maja you'll find furnitures, paintings and installations from Finnish designers. Ask for the sauna availability that can be arranged if free!

Pop artist Jarmo Mäkilä's exhibition @ Galleria Forsblom

Gallery Forsblom Projects (Pohjoisesplanadi 27C) presents Jarmo Mäkilä's exhibition (Oct 11 - Nov 11).

Bar Nolla

New bistro & bar Nolla (Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21) reminds much of the Erottaja bar (Erottajankatu 15-17) but is more "clinic like": minimalistic scandinavian decorations. Always good tunes (ie. new rave, electroclash, punk disco, indie dance) by local dj's like DJ Kalleliini, Erkko.

Live with a Shaman in the middle of nowhere in Lapland

Do you want to live in middle of the wild forest with a real Shaman (Nulituisen shamaani @ Levi)? Book a "room" from the sleeping chamber.

Explosive ravioli at the La Société du Cochon

How it feels when food explodes inside your mouth? New restaurant La Société du Cochon (club of the pigs) will be opened in November (Address: Mannerheimintie 14). Experience the explosive Ravioli and other hifi molecular gastronomy. They emphasize; most of the ingredients will be local and organic.

Icemagic, Finnish "ice master"

Icemagic creates ice sculptures for companies and private parties. They have done ie. the decorations of the Arctic Icebar (Yliopistonkatu 5; entrance from La Bodega) in Helsinki. The Arctic Icebar is a chilling experience in a nightclub! Inside the icebar the temperature is a constant -5 C. Upon entry to the Icebar guests are given a warm cape and gloves to wear.

gTIE - ties with rock 'n' roll attitude

A new Finnish collection of ties, chokers and knotted scarves called plastrons with the brand name gTIE was launched in March 2007. gTIE is an idea of a personalized tie with graphic details and more than a shake of that rock ’n’ roll attitude. Office&showroom @ Nordenskiöldinkatu 3.

Cuba Cafe is open

Kim Heiniö, the owner of Korjaamo bar and Fanny Goes to Hollywood, has opened a new bar called Cuba Cafe (Erottajankatu 4). On the drink menu there are 12 different mojitos (even Diet Mojito!!). You can also rent a Party Room for own private parties.

Art fair Suomi 07

ART FAIR SUOMI 2007 once again presents the hightlights of Finnish contemporary art in October this year (@ The Cable Factory and MUU Gallery).

A21 Lounge in Helsinki

New A21 Lounge (Annankatu 21) offers a compact space for brainstorming, events and training. During the weekends (Fri-Sat) it's open for public. Just ring the door bell and get in. Nice cocktails!

Loft apartments

It’s nice to see how old empty factory buildings are getting a new life in Helsinki area (links in Finnish only, sorry): Personal Loft apartments in old factory (Tapanila), old radio factory (Tali) and old silk factory (Tikkurila).

Exceptional timepieces by Harri Koskinen and Stepan Sarpaneva

Nice souvenirs: VAKIO watches designed by Harri Koskinen and limited editions of exceptional Sarpaneva timepieces designed and manufactured by Stepan Sarpaneva.

Electronic Helsinki vol. 1

ELECTRONIC HELSINKI VOL.1

1. Lunar Mascot: Story
2. Millioners: Bodyintouse
3. Musa Basha: Sherpa Boy
4. Dj Pataässä feat. the sensitive man: Just vain sulle
5. Uusi Fantasia: Kenkä Joe
6. Ercola: Sumthang
7. PJVM: */*****
8. Imatran Voima: Nuttin´but leachin´
9. Mr. Velcro Fastener: Masters of the unipherse
10. Dj Vilhelm: Pan o´ rama
11. Boyz of Kaligula: Nazitiger
12. ALInEN: Testio
13. The Five Corners Quintet: Before we say goodbye (Jori Hulkkonen Remix)
14. Polytron: Red Whine

Electronic Helsinki vol. 1 CD cover is designed by Paola Suhonen /IVANAhelsinki. Buy the CD/MP3's from Levyvirasto.net online shop.