Suomisaundi
Free-form Finnish psychedelic trance, known for humour and unusual sounds.
History
Suomisaundi is a free-form style of psychedelic trance from Finland s1. The name means 'Finnish sound' s1. It began in the mid-1990s s1. A party collective called Ruskababa introduced Goa trance to Finland through small summer parties s1. DJs played from DAT and cassette tapes s1. Producer Tim Thick made tracks with a music program called FastTracker 2 s1. Recordings of his music became popular in Goa in the 1995 and 1996 season s1. The compilation Flippin Bixies was released in 1996 and helped define the style s1. Exogenic Records became the first label to focus on suomisaundi in 1997 s1. The music is melodic and unusual, mixing Goa trance with funk, acid and game-like sounds s1. Tracks often include strange humour and spoken samples s1. Groups such as Texas Faggott and Squaremeat became known in the scene s1. Fans outside Finland are found in Russia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand s1. Some writers describe the style as free-form psychedelic trance s2. It is still seen as an eccentric corner of psytrance s1s3.
Sound
- Unusual, melodic leads
- Funny or strange samples
- Elements of funk and acid
- Fast, free-form structures
- Retro video-game style sounds
Key figures
- Tim Thick — Finnish producer central to the early suomisaundi sound
- Pepe Kosminen — DJ and founding chairman of the Midiliitto association
- Texas Faggott — Finnish suomisaundi group
- Squaremeat — Finnish suomisaundi group
Labels
- Exogenic Records — Helsinki , 1997
- Thixx'n'Dixx — Helsinki , 2000
- 6-Dimension Soundz — Tokyo , 2001
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Psytrance , Goa Trance , Acid Trance
Sources
- Suomisaundi — Wikipedia
- 10 Trance Subgenres You Need to Know — Insomniac (2015)
- Texas Faggott - 10 Essential Tracks — Trancentral (2018)