Anssi 8000
Where do you find the most interesting raw rock'n'roll within this early
year 2007?
The answer may come as a surprise to most people, but the birthplace of
today's rockingest music is a depressingly small village of Sahalahti in
Finland. Sahalahti is the place where the artist named Anssi 8000 lives and
breathes rock and other art forms like only a true modern child of mother
nature can.
Armed with a distinctive voice, a 3-string guitar and two drums, this one man orchestra makes a hell of a racket. A hell of a racket that resembles rock'n'roll greats from Elvis to The Misfits and Nirvana, but sounds completely original and different because Anssi 8000's style of performing the songs is a style of a true original.
Strange tempo changes and fierce dynamics are a natural part of Anssi's raw rock. Melodies collide with harsh guitar crunch and thumping kick drum in a beautiful way. The ape-like fury of banging the crap out the instruments meets with good ol'melodic song writing.
Anssi 8000's one man band shows are already the stuff of legends in the Finnish underground scene. Strange abstract stories about old guys from Sahalahti village are a vital part at an Anssi 8000 gig. The odd storytelling combined with the raw attack of simultaneous playing of drums and guitar makes Anssi's live shows stand out as a very different gig experience. Blues storytelling meets artsy performance in a very down to earth rock'n'roll kind of way. Go figure how he pulls it off, but he does. Recently he’s joined at his gigs by Miss Hot Coke. She puts some additional cream on top with syntheziser, backing vocals and some maracas, hi-hat or tambourine here and there.
In Finland Anssi 8000 (aka Anssi Kasitonni) is also a rather well known visual artist and a filmmaker. His short films that combine animation and live action have melted the hearts of audiences and critics alike. These other artworks by Anssi 8000 share the sincere excitement and the extraordinary combination of playfulness and serious thinking with his music.
text: Ville Pirinen
READ!
Anssi 8000 - short introduction in english at FREE! Magazine
WATCH!
also fresh on youtube (thanks to our french bootlegging friends Léo &
Pierre)
Anssi 8000 feat. Hot Coke - LIVE. The man/band has transformed from a
one-man-rock-xtra-vagansa to fully-functional-rockin-truckin-rock-combo. And
it's all good, baby.