The annual Midem Music convention 2011 held in Cannes, France was my seventh participation in a row. Although it is nice to leave the cold, snow and darkness behind and travel to the sunny and warm Riviera, I feel it’s also important to take part in promotion, marketing and sales of Finnish popular music abroad organized by Music Export Finland. By participating I announce the seriousness of the intent of Finnvox to expand its international business and sales and also spread our customer base beyond our national borders. The Midem Music convention is a great opportunity to meet international customers as well as possibly forming some new contacts. It’s a great place to see other Finnish players in the business, with almost all being at the same place at the same time.
In the Finnish music export business it is easy to only see the already successful bands and their newest achievements and latest albums. Few consider that there have been many of us professional technicians working on and creating these records by hit artists that sell millions. The expertise of the studio business in Finland is world class and also affordable when compared to other foreign countries. We should be able to sell this know-how and expertise in the international market. And I don’t just mean the studios, recording, mixing and mastering but especially individuals, producers, engineers and other technical experts.
At this point let me send my gratitude and congratulations to Riku Pääkkönen, a long-term partner. Riku’s two decade long career as the master mind of Spinefarm Records came to an end at the end of January. The cooperation between Spinefarm Records and Finnvox Studios is paramount and cannot be ignored when it comes to the success and rise of Finnish metal music to the top. Riku Pääkkönen created from scratch one of the greatest metal brands in the world, which is now continuing towards the unknown future under a large international record company. Finnvox wishes Riku the best of luck and success in his chosen venture. This man still has much to offer to the music business.
During my trip I had the opportunity to meet Dividead, a metal band from Nice, with who we have had ongoing cooperative dealings. The boys invited me to their rehearsals to listen to live music and casually chat about the music business and the status of heavy metal in France. At their quite luxurious rehearsal room I got to experience walking on the red carpet of Cannes as the floor and walls of the room were lined with said carpet. How the celebrity ridden carpet had made its way into the décor the boys were unwilling to reveal. I suspect a suspiciously slow driving grey van filled with shady characters from the neighboring town dressed in Sentenced and Amorphis hoodies with carpet knives in hand on a dark and rainy midwinter night on beach boulevard…
By the way - a lot of new photoalbums coming soon! Michael Monroe, Killing Joke, Amorphis, Crazy World, Stam1na, Mokoma, Kotiteollisuus and Viikate at least.
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