Fonal Records was established in 1995 and run from the forests around the Finnish city of Tampere (‘The Manchester of The North’) by creative all-rounder Sami Sänpäkkilä. The label houses a wide range of Finnish bands and performers who are mainly to be found within the electronic and electro-acoustic music genres.

That Fonal is more than your everyday label is quickly evident when you see their website. Not only do they offer performers a vast artistic freedom but they also issue posters, gadgets and clothing, they let the performers design their own artwork and offer them the opportunity to use the label's own - analogue furnished - SS-Palace recording studio. The most important names on Fonal are: Kemialliset Ystävät, Tomutonttu, TV-Resistori, Islaja and Sami’s own musical project Es.

Leading British monthly The Wire wrote of this unique label: “Fonal have created a body of work that’s admirably nationalist, willfully weird and, in it’s own odd way, as easily recognizable as that of more aggressively curated labels such as Kill Rock Stars or Touch or Southern Lord.”

More Fonal music to go along with the expo at the ABresto? Not here. But check out these euh fine Finnish concerts under the Arctic Accents banner:

UNIKO: Kimmo Pohjonen, Proton Quartet & Samuli Kosminen on monday december 5

VÄRTTINÄ on saturday december 17

And this doublebill in the ABClub: KALLE KALIMA PENTASONIC & RINNERADIO on tuesday december 20!

Kiitos, kiipis & kisses!