Architecture in Helsinki
February 26th 2008 22:00
Architecture in Helsinki is an Aussie melodramatic, ghetto-tech and jungle music collective based in Melbourne and was formed in 2000 by original members and longtime mates Cameron Bird, Jamie Mildren and Sam Perry of a teen funk-grunge band called The Pixel Mittens.
They were later joined by Gus Franklin and Kellie Sutherland to complete the "perfect lineup, an amalgamation of well-schooled and self taught, loose and tight, happy and sad, city kids and country folk. A group of people with influences and tastes spanning the last 183 years of pop music, coupled with the isolation of Australia."
Citing the Mighty Boosh and the Mighty Murray River as their influences, the band has a reputation for sensational live shows and a large, loyal fan base. They have released a total of three studio albums: Fingers Crossed (2003), In Case We Die (2005) and Places Like This (2007).
The band's debut album, Fingers Crossed is best known for its gentle, high-pitched synthesizers and wide range of musical instruments including glockenspiel, woodwinds, xylophone, flute and may more.
AIH has matured through the years while their popularity has grown exponentially both at home and overseas (esp. Japan and Europe). Their most recent studio album, Places Like This is a polished effort while still retaining the more playful antics than a steamboat full of bunnies that they're well known for. The album has the earmarks of a band that has it all pretty much figured out and that they really know where they are and where they’re going. The fact that the album itself was recorded in less than two weeks is a testament to that.
My favourite track from the album is “Lazy (Lazy)”, a silky smooth track with a thumping bassline while tracks such as the B-52s influenced “Hold Music”, “Feather in a Baseball Cap” and “Muppets in the Caribbean” are highly recommended.
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