The internationally recognized singer and songwriter Ina Forsman has toured both sides of the Atlantic. Originally from Helsinki, Forsman lives now in Berlin and has released three studio albums (2022's "All There Is" being the latest) along with one solo and two collaborative live records. Forsman’s music intersects the sounds of blues, soul, jazz and old school r&b, accompanied by her strong and expressive voice.

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Already hailed as "Finland's answer to Khruangbin" after their debut single, Helsinki-based quintet Rosettes have found a lot of domestic media interest. Their sound owes a lot to 60s and 70s classic soul, but dipped in soft psychedelia and hazy effects and iced with Tytti Roto's (also known as Ty Roxy) pop sensible vocals. Quite surprisingly, two of the band's musicians are also familiar from the thrash metal band Foreseen and one from hardcore greats Kohti Tuhoa.

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Siinai is an instrumental space rock/shoegaze quartet with severe krautrock tendencies. They were initially formed in 2007 under the name Joensuu 1685 around the talents of siblings Markus and Mikko Joensuu. The trio, which also featured Risto Joensuu (no relation), released an eponymous studio album in 2008 before officially transitioning to Siinai in 2010 and issuing their debut album, "Olympic Games", in 2011. The following year saw Siinai working with Wolf Parade mastermind Spencer Krug on the Moonface album "Heartbreaking Bravery". In 2014, Siinai released their sophomore long-player, "Supermarket", and in 2016 they headed back into the studio with Krug to record "My Best Human Face", their 2nd Moonface collaboration.

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Cats of Transnistria, formed in 2014 by sound designer Tuomas Alatalo and vocalist/keyboardist Henna Hietamäki, builds slowly swelling guitar and violin feedbacks and melancholic melodies that bring to mind a feverish dream. Their unique style of delicate, slow and experimental pop music has been influenced by post-rock, classical minimalism, shoegaze, dream pop and sound art, resembling something akin to the works of Slowdive, Cocteau Twins and Grouper. After their third album "Aligning" (2019) the duo went on a hiatus, only to return in 2024.

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The Snake’s charisma stems from a passion for a heartfelt, strong guitar sound, bright vocal harmonies, and lyrics straight out of a diary. This group of old and new friends quickly found a meaningful connection with each other and started creating. Having released two singles and played a handful of shows before their debut album "Always Bites Back", The Snake has built an engaging reverberant world under the influence of music from the 60s, strong fuzz, and simple 90’s echo and hints even from country music.

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Droemsk (stylized in all lowercase) is a music producer, sound artist, and sound design student at the University of the Arts, Helsinki. droemsk produces magical and bouncing chill beats, influenced by 90s boom-bap and jazzy vibes. In the fall of 2024 droemsk will release lofi pop album with US-based singer Myself. Besides the beats music by droemsk, you can find their music also in projects like Anna Brear's album They Shiver on a Spring Evening and the solo ambient project Uniluoto.

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Composer and musician Jimi Tenor needs no introduction: after more than 35 years of career as an established artist, Tenor has redefined his style and sound over and over again and moved from 60s and 70s jazz, psychedelic soul and African funk to techno and experimental rock. Tenor continues to release music in different formats and through different labels at a formidable pace. In 2024, Jimi Tenor teamed up with retro-soul label Timmion's amazing house band Cold Diamond & Mink and made perhaps the most soul-influenced album of his career, "Is There Love in Outer Space?".

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Singer-songwriter Carla Aakre explains that she uses her imagination as a versatile tool in songwriting, seeking to expand upon her creative abilities and pushing boundaries for her brand of indie folk/pop music. By collaborating with her friend, producer/mixer Roni Ylhäinen, Carla Aakre's music got influenced by the analog sound as they recorded demos, many of which ended up as final takes. After completing the musical groundwork at his studio, the duo added string and horn arrangements led by Aakre’s sister Milla Käyhty. Carla Aakre's debut album will be released in early 2025.

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Indigo Trails, an indie duo based in Vasa, is comprised of singer and songwriter Alexandra Lumme and guitarist Lito Calderon. The band's inspiration comes from handpicked stories from Lumme's life. The duo's debut EP, ”Depart” (2024), was described as a multifaceted mix of indie, rock, and pop with traces of jazz.

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Ada Aik is the alter-ego for musician Karin Mäkiranta, known from bands such as Karina and Babel, as well as her work on film music and theatre. Moving between fantasy and realism, Aik produces electronic music that flirts with the uncanny valley effect. Her full-length debut, "The Mysterious Life of Ada Aik" (2022), was a concept album with each track representing a room in her dollhouse. With a more electronic-focused sound and signed to the Helsinki-based label Below0, Aik released the follow-up EP "Medeia" in December 2024.

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Pink Chameleons are a three piece fronted by Black Lizard’s Paltsa-Kai Salama (vocals and guitar) with Antti Sauli (Bass) and Iiro Tulkki (Drums, Keyboards) formed in 2016. Although they may pigeonhole themselves as 'garage/blues/country band', others might say otherwise. "It’s all fuzzy riffs and nods to power pop hooks that leave you with anthemic sing-along choruses you won’t get out of your head", writes the US blog Austin Town Hall about Pink Chameleons' 2021 single "Hot Dog" – which was followed by their debut album "Peace & Love" in the same year.

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Cecil Opia (she/they) is an artist and producer with a dark alternative pop sound echoing the sounds of 90s trip-hop and shoegaze. With a mission to help her listeners feel less alone, Cecil’s music delves into personal struggles with depression and her experience as a trans woman. With her raw and honest approach to lyrics, she strives to be a voice for both those battling mental health challenges and people in the LGBTQ+ community.

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With her powerhouse vocals and ability to weave narratives in her songs, Helsinki-based Emilia Sisco effortlessly fuses soul, jazz and blues. Released on Timmion Records, Emilia Sisco's single "Don't Believe You Like That" quickly gained worldwide admirers. The follow-up, a double a-side "Trouble" b/w "It'll get better" was a collaboration with the acclaimed production house Cold Diamond & Mink. Drawing inspiration from legendary icons like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Billie Holiday, Sisco infuses her music with a rich blend of influences, taking timeless traditions of soul and r&b, infusing them with her own style and modern sensibilities.

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PK Keränen is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, songwriter, lyricist and founder of Finnish indie mainstays 22-Pistepirkko since 1982. Keränen founded the indie rock duo The Moontwins together with accordionist and singer-songwriter Leija Lautamaja around 2022.

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Vaasa-based Nightrain Express is a combination of completely different cultures and backgrounds. Lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter Lito Calderon is originally from Latin America, while bassist and producer Martin Holm and drummer Jere Risla have long careers in the Finnish music scene, but their sound is a combination of authentic, folky Americana and big, anthemic choruses sung with a raw emotional tone.

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Lahti-based singer-songwriter Haydé (Heidi Naukkarinen) creates majestic melodies and dramatic arcs in her art-pop compositions. Her second single, "Neighbours", for example, marries dramatic strings with a euphoric breakbeat, ending up as a haunting song about two lost people who meet in the stairwell of an apartment building. Haydé's debut album "Picturesque", produced by Dennis Millner, will be released in February 2025.

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Even compared to icons such as Annie Lennox and David Bowie, the New York based singer-songwriter Janita blends alternative rock, jazz, and pop. Originally known as a 90s teen pop star in Finland, Janita started her career singing in Finnish, but has switched to English after moving to United States. On her latest album "Here Be Dragons" (2021) Janita has a new, more alternative sound compared to her previous music. Janita’s music leans on strong melodies and soulful vocal delivery as well as storytelling with thought-out lyrics.

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Chione is a singer-songwriter who delves into the world of dark-toned pop. Her debut single, "Light," was released in August 2018, which has since been followed by a good handful of releases, such as the singles "Hey You!", "Paradise," and "Bohemian." Chione studied music production at the prestigious Point Blank Music School in London and graduated as a singer from Laajasalo Institute in Helsinki in 2017.

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Behind the artist name Helvi is Annika Tepponen, who works as a singing teacher and lecturer at the Turku Conservatory, has released music under the artist name Anni& and has been in the bands Moora and Aukea. Helvi's five-song debut solo EP "Free Your Crayons" (2024) deals with, among other things, secrets and pathological stalking. The harmonies and melodies of the songs boldly move outside traditional pop frames, which creates tension and unpredictability in the stories.

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With a blend of punk, jazz-funk, no-wave, pop, and indie-dance, Drug Store Raid emerged from the Helsinki underground music scene in 2021. Drug Store Raid's debut album draws influences from bands like Talking Heads, The Birthday Party, Swans, and even Madonna. The band explores themes of fitting in, mental health struggles, sewers, and the quirks of fashion, all wrapped in a package that balances humor and youthful rebellion.

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Singer-songwriter Julye Blom strives to embrace the spirit and heart in her music. Her expressive vocal sound combines soul, blues, and rock’n’roll, coming out in a smoky flow. Equal parts 1970's bluesy rock'n'soul and 1990's funky, smoothed-out neo-soul, Blom's debut album "Painting It Blue" was released in late 2024.

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Stina Koistinen alias Stinako is a Finnish artist and music maker from Helsinki. She is known for her dynamic voice and intriguing music making skills. Koistinen has won the prestigious Finnish music award Teosto Prize with her band Color Dolor's album Love (2018) and was nominated for Hyundai Nordic Music Prize 2020 with her solo album, Stinako's Ikuisuus (2019). In 2024, Stinako will release three ep's, all produced with different collaborators. The first one, "Mind", was made in collaboration with electronic producer Kaukolampi.

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Known from the indie folk trio Lake Jons, singer-songwriter Jonsjooel embarks on a solo career. Jonsjooel is released his debut solo album, "Lullabies For Younger Self", in 2023, which was followed by the EP "Voices of a First Day" in 2024. Jonsjooel's sound is an experimental blend of various genres and influences. Drawing on his roots as a jazz drummer, his music defies easy categorization, and is promised to "create a unique and captivating soundscape".

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ILAIA describes his music as his "life experiences as a former cult kid told through moody bedroom pop." As you can expect, this is not light entertainment, as the artist deals with themes like loss, trauma and problematic relationships to sexuality, spirituality and self-improvement. Musically, ILAIA describes his sound as catchy alternative pop with elements of acoustic and electronic, inspired by his childhood’s pop icons and his love for old soul and jazz music.

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The lone Finnish-born member of her family, Dear Dea (Dea Juris) has navigated between being a daughter of immigrants in Helsinki and her years spent in the bustling streets of New York City. She pulls from her diverse experiences to craft music that taps into the universal human condition. Infusing her jazz background with contemporary pop influences to create an effervescent blend of soulful alt-pop, Dear Dea employs poignant lyricism with ethereal melodies; each airy note brimming with raw emotion. Her work aims to guide listeners through a honeyed field of nostalgia, longing, and the eternal quest for belonging. Dear Dea is signed to the US-based Every Deja-Vu label.

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Modem’s retro-futuristic and melancholic synth pop leans to the age of Italo disco, the Cold War, and Super Mario Bros, with a slight darkwave-ish and dystopian gloom hovering over everything. While you can find a couple of obvious hat-tips to e.g. Prince and New Order, the overall vision is purely their own, with vocals sung in Finnish. Even though Modem only started in 2022, the duo, consisting of Tytti Roto (vocals and synthesizers – also known from bands like Ghost World and Rosettes) and Ville Valavuo (synthesizers, guitar, programming – familiar from bands like Kohti Tuhoa and Foreseen) have already toured in Central Europe and Scandinavia. Modem's debut album "Megalomania" (2024) is released in the US by Don Giovanni Records.

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Electronic alt-pop artist Conchis' debut album, "Chapters" (2024), delves into the depths of human psychology, exploring themes of loss, yearning, consumption, and desperation, with a cinematic blend of electronic, pop, and experimental music. Working alongside producer Jonas Verwijnen, has imbued each track on the album with an element, depending on the song, so that listeners could tacitly feel and experience the lyrics and themes.

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Multi-instrumentalist and producer Oskari Halsti’s solo project OH? is an ever-evolving blend of post-punk new romanticism and epic indie-pop. The Finnish, now London-based artist has had an encyclopedic musical history; playing in heavy metal bands, jazz ensembles and as part of the Universal Music signed trio Wedding Crashers. In the music of OH?, you can hear the post-punk influence of bands like The Smiths or The Clash, the atmospheric synths of Joy Division, and the joyful melodies of New Order, as well as the pop motifs of U2 or Oasis, or even an unholy matrimony of Duran Duran and The National.

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Helsinki-based dreampop duo Eidetic Dreams plays wistful, gentle late-night pop, written and produced by singer-songwriter Siiri Kähönen and guitarist Antti Heikkilä. Founded in 2022, the band's music is described as "Scandinavian melancholy meeting indie pop enriched with electronic elements", radiating a sense of unhurried calm, offering them a way to pause and reflect.

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Helsinki-based Giant Robot first introduced their fusion of electronic music, funk, hip-hop, dub, and experimental rock to the world in 1995. The band was consistently active until 2007, and has gotten back together sporadically and unpredictably since then. Their original run of albums, "Crushing You With Style" (1999), "Superweekend" (2002), and "Domesticity" (2004) are regarded as classics in their native Finland. Current line-up consists of Abdissa ”Mamba” Assefa, Petro Niiniluoto, Kim ”Kasio” Rantala, Tuomas Toivonen, Aleksi Tolonen and Arttu Tolonen.

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