Kraftwerk @ Suvilahti, Helsinki Aug13th 2009

The most influential group in electronic music to date, Kraftwerk, is set to perform in Helsinki’s Suvilahti on Thursday August 13. The event, co-produced by Flow Festival and Live Nation, takes place at the Flow Festival Main Stage on the night prior to the kick-off of the festival’s 2009 edition.

Kraftwerk’s live incarnation includes founding member Ralf Hütter alongside Henning Schmitz and Fritz Hilpert, both with already several decades of live experience with the group, and Kraftwerk’s video engineer Stefan Pfaffe. The iconic on-stage visuals play a key role in the band’s constant policy of minimalism also evident in their celebrated album artwork. Kraftwerk’s (German for "powerplant") live milieu could hardly be more fitting than that of the Helsinki gig in August: the historic Suvilahti power plant area celebrates the first full century of its existence this year.

The event on August 13 also marks the debut of the new and improved Main Stage area at Flow Festival. The sixth edition of Flow, organised as part of the Helsinki Festival, is held in Suvilahti on August 14-16.

A Journey Into Grindhouse: 27.2.2009 @ Orion

The Film Society of Helsinki University arranges the "American independent" seminar in co-operation with the Finnish Film Archive.

Check out the lecture by Jack Stevenson: "A Journey into Grindhouse".
After the lecture the movie Wild Harvest (Kuumaa kiihkoa, Jerry A. Baerwitz, 1962) is shown.

Orion (Finnish Film Archieve)
27.2.2009 @ 1430 hours:
A Journey Into Grindhouse (free entrance)
Jerry A. Baerwitz: Wild Harvest (5 euros)

Tour skating on natural ice

Skating on natural's ice is a "traditional" way to move on the top of Finnish frozen lakes. Now the 30km route in Rantasalmi is open, rental services available in Holiday Resort Järvisydän.

The most hardcore freaks will try the Ice Marathon in Kuopio.

More info:
http://www.iceway.fi/
http://icemarathon.kuls.fi/
http://www.jarvisydan.com/

How to Brand Nations, Cities and Destinations

Two Finnish place branding specialists have written a planning book for place branding.

"Usually, a country brand is not focused, resulting in unsuccessful place branding. It is possible to successfully raise your national identity to the level of an attractive brand. Building a country brand is an investment, with strong positive returns. This book will guide you along the path to building a successful brand."

More info:
How to Brand Nations, Cities and Destinations
A Planning Book for Place Branding

Jazz Heat Bongo Beat w/ Mulatu Astatke @ Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki, 4.4.2009

Flow Festival is ganging up with Ricky-Tick Records to produce a unique event entitled Jazz Heat Bongo Beat at Helsinki’s Kulttuuritalo ("Culture House"). The all-nighter at the historic venue will feature an astonishing headlining live act in the Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, touring Europe with UK’s The Heliocentrics, hot on the heels of their new collaboration album "Inspiration/Information".

Jazz Heat Bongo Beat, marking the fifth anniversary of Ricky-Tick Records, will also feature live performances by Finnish greats The Five Corners Quintet, Dalindèo and Auteur Jazz, each of which are also part of the label’s roster. The club space, taking residence in the lobby of the building, will be headlined by DJ Nicola Conte from Italy. The event will kick off at 7 pm and go on until 2 am.

More info: www.flowfestival.com/en/

Fruugo - secretive social e-commerce startup

Fruugo is a new shopping service that will be launched later on this year.

At Fruugo, they would like to bring retailers and consumers throughout Europe together for a new kind of shopping experience, one where consumers find a better way to shop and retailers find better ways to grow their business.

They want to make it easy for consumers to buy the stuff they want, in their own language and using the payment method they prefer – without the hassle of exchange rates, complex shipping costs, taxes, or staying up all night worrying "am I actually going to get my stuff?". They want to help with all that.

Latest rumours: Fruugo @ Crunchbase.com

Crayon Physics Deluxe

Crayon Physics Deluxe is a 2D physics puzzle / sandbox game, in which you get to experience what it would be like if your drawings would be magically transformed into real physical objects. Solve puzzles with your artistic vision and creative use of physics.

The game won the Grandprize in Independent Games Festival 2008.

So simple, but addictive!