Architecture in Helsinki

Infobox musical artist
Name = Architecture in Helsinki

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Img_capt = Architecture in Helsinki performing in Helsinki.
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
Genre = Avant-garde
Indie pop
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Tailem Bend

Polyvinyl Record Co.
Scotland Yard
Bar/None (former)
Trifekta (former)
Moshi Moshi (former)
URL = [http://www.architectureinhelsinki.com/ Official site]
Current_members = Cameron Bird
Gus Franklin
Jamie Mildren
Sam Perry
Kellie Sutherland
Past_members = Isobel Knowles
Tara Shackell
James Cecil

Architecture in Helsinki is an Australian musical collective based in the suburb of Northcote in Melbourne. The group consists of Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland.

Most of the band members can play multiple instruments. Their music makes use of a wide range of instruments, from more novel instruments such as analog synthesizers, samplers, the glockenspiel and handclaps; to concert band instruments like the trumpet, tuba, trombone, clarinet and recorder; and the more standard guitars, bass and drums.

The band has been on multiple national and international tours. They have toured the United States with acts such as Death Cab for Cutie and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and opened for David Byrne, The Polyphonic Spree, Yo La Tengo and Belle & Sebastian.

Career

Name of the band

Many have been interested in the band's name. Even though they mention Finland's capital Helsinki in their band title, it wasn't until the Flow Festival of summer 2007 that they played in Finland. "When we were in Norway at the end of last year there were a few Finnish interviewers who came to interview us mainly about the name. I think they were quite perplexed. To us, the name means having to answer many questions and inquiries about the name, which I guess, is entirely understandable," the band members have said. [ [http://www.komakinomag.de/index.php?text:lang:architecture_in_helsinki Architecture in Helsinki interview] ]

Formation and "Fingers Crossed" (2000–2003)

Architecture in Helsinki began with Cameron Bird in the late 1990s in Albury, New South Wales. Bird and fellow Architecture in Helsinki members Jamie Mildren and Sam Perry were members of a teenage funk-grunge band called The Pixel Mittens, and after a time the trio moved to Melbourne from country Victoria. [http://architectureinhelsinki.com/about/full/ Architecture In Helsinki » About] ] The band played one or two small gigs before going into semi-hibernation. In 2000, while studying photography at art school, Bird met James Cecil. The two had an instant musical connection and within a couple of months Cecil joined the band on drums. Around that time Bird met Kellie Sutherland at a party and invited her to play the clarinet on some of the band's songs. The band began work on their debut album at Supermelodyworld, James' recording studio built in a church hall on Melbourne's Southeast side. Recording was halted though when Bird had to leave for an extended holiday in the US, leaving the album unfinished. On his return, Bird, inspired by his experiences in Portland, Oregon wrote three-quarters of the songs for the album in six days. The songs marked the new direction for the band - short, catchy pop songs. Once again at art school, Bird met Isobel Knowles, Tara Shackell and Gus Franklin who would complete the band's lineup. The three new members filled in the gaps on the album to complete it. After nearly two years of work, Architecture in Helsinki's debut album "Fingers Crossed" was released on 9 February 2003.

"In Case We Die" (2003–2005)

In 2005, Architecture in Helsinki released their second album "In Case We Die" on their own Tailem Bend label. The album featured guest appearances by many local musicians. The album was produced by The Carbohydrates (James Cecil and Cameron Bird's production duo) in Cecil's Supermelodyworld studio, a large garage space in Melbourne's inner Northern Suburbs. It was mixed by Tony Espie (The Avalanches, New Buffalo, Robert Palmer), at 001 Studios in Melbourne.

"In Case We Die" received three ARIA Award nominations including Best Independent release, Best Artwork and Best Adult Contemporary Release. The song "It'5!" (pronounced "it's five") received wide airplay on the Australian national radio network Triple J and reached #56 in their annual Triple J Hottest 100 countdown in 2006 (for 2005).

Lineup changes and "We Died, They Remixed" (2006)

In mid-2006 a bulletin posted on the band's MySpace page stated changes to the band had been made and that Isobel Knowles and Tara Shackell were no longer members of the band. The group cited "creative differences" as the reason for their departure.

On 28 October 2006, Architecture in Helsinki released "We Died, They Remixed", an album consisting of remixes of their entire second album, "In Case We Die", and a remix of the song "Like a Call" from their debut album "Fingers Crossed". Artists who provided remixes included Hot Chip, New Buffalo, Safety Scissors, DAT politics, Mocky and Isan.

"Places Like This" (2006–present)

On September 2006, Architecture in Helsinki announced on Pitchfork Media that a new album was in the works for 2007 and that the songs would be played on their Autumn tour. [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/38394/Architecture_in_Helsinki_Talk_New_Album Architecture in Helsinki Talk New Album | Pitchfork ] ] In February 2007, the band announced on their MySpace blog that the album would be titled "Places Like This". "Places Like This" was engineered and mixed by Chris Coady who has previously worked with TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Grizzly Bear. The recordings took place in Dave Sitek's studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and in Sydney's Big Jesus Burger Studios between November 2006 and January 2007. The first single from the album, "Heart It Races", was released in May 2007. The album was released 28 July 2007.

The band was also successful with singles such as "Debbie", "Hold Music", and "Lazy". "Heart It Races" was later nominated for an ARIA award in the Single of the Year category. [cite web |url = http://www.ariaawards.com.au/winners-nominees-2007.php |title = ARIA Awards 2007 : Winners & Nominees 2007 |accessdate = 2008-03-09 |date = 2007 |publisher = Australian Recording Industry Association ] "Heart It Races" and "Hold Music" came in at number 19 and number 36 in the 2007 Triple J Hottest 100, respectively. [cite web |url = http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/countdown/text/countdown.htm |title = Hottest 100 Countdown |accessdate = 2008-03-09 |date = 2008-01-26 |publisher = Triple J ]

During the band's New Year's Eve performance on 1 January 2008 (they came on at midnight), it was announced that it was James Cecil's last show with Architecture In Helsinki.

The band was to release a new EP with some new songs in April 2008. [cite web |url = http://architectureinhelsinki.com/newsletters/newsletter_05-03-2008.htm |title = AIH Newsletter |accessdate = 2008-03-09 |date = 2008-03-05 ]

Discography

Albums

*"Fingers Crossed" (2003) - Trifekta Australia (2004) - Bar/None Records USA
*"In Case We Die" (2005) - Tailem Bend/Bar/None Records/Moshi Moshi Records
*"We Died, They Remixed" (2006, remix album) - Tailem Bend/Bar/None Records/Moshi Moshi
*"Places Like This" (August 2007) Polyvinyl Record Co./Scotland Yard/Tailem Bend/Co-operative Music

ingles and EPs

*"Like a Call" (2002) - Trifekta, out of print
*"Kindling" (2003) - Trifekta, out of print
*"Keepsake" (2004) - Trifekta, out of print
*"Do The Whirlwind" (2005) - out of print
*"Maybe You Can Owe Me" 7" (2005) - Moshi Moshi - out of print
*"Do the Whirlwind" UK version (2005) - Moshi Moshi
*"Wishbone" 7" (2006) - Moshi Moshi
*"Heart It Races" (2007) - Polyvinyl Record Co/Scotland Yard/Tailem Bend
*"Hold Music" 7" (2007) - Tailem Bend
*"Like It Or Not" (2008) - Polyvinyl Record Co/Scotland Yard/Tailem Bend

Live Recordings

* [http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1137/a-building-that-bangs-with-sounds-and-their-sounds-incessantly-moving-in-herds "Heart It Races"] (Free Download from Daytrotter)
* [http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1137/a-building-that-bangs-with-sounds-and-their-sounds-incessantly-moving-in-herds "Debbie"] (Free Download from Daytrotter)
* [http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1137/a-building-that-bangs-with-sounds-and-their-sounds-incessantly-moving-in-herds "Underwater"] (Free Download from Daytrotter)
* [http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1137/a-building-that-bangs-with-sounds-and-their-sounds-incessantly-moving-in-herds "Like it or Not"] (Free Download from Daytrotter)

Remixes

* B(if)tek - "Hi Fi Kids" - Architecture in Helsinki Remix - "Frequencies Will Move Together" (2003)
* Shout Out Louds - "Very Loud" - Architecture in Helsinki Remix - "Combines" EP (2006)
* Bonde Do Rolê - "Office Boy" - Architecture in Helsinki Remix - "Office Boy" EP (2007)
* Bumblebeez - "Dr Love" - Architecture in Helsinki's Dr Hookah Mix - "Dr Love" EP (2007)
* YACHT - "See a Penny (Pick It Up)" - Architecture in Helsinki Remix (2007)
* 33 hz - "Paris, Texas" - Architecture in Helsinki's Supermelody Remix (2007)
* Midnight Juggernauts - "Into The Galaxy" - Architecture in Helsinki's Choose Your Own Adventure Mix (2008)

Music videos

* "Like a Call" (2003) - Directed by Isobel Knowles
* "Kindling" (2003) - Directed by Kellie Sutherland
* "It'5!" (2005) - Directed by Isobel Knowles and Ali Dullard
* "Do the Whirlwind" (2005) AUS Version - Directed by [http://visublog.mechafetus.com/ Paul Robertson]
* "Do the Whirlwind" (2006) UK version - Directed by Nima Nourizadeh
* "Wishbone" (2006) - Directed by Isobel Knowles
* "Heart It Races" (2007) - Directed by Kris Moyes
* "Hold Music" (2007) - Directed by Kim Gehrig
* "Debbie" (2007) - Directed by Josh Logue
* "Like It Or Not" (2008) - Directed by Josh Logue

References

*Cyclic Defrost - [http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/article.php?article=836 Architecture in Helsinki interview]
* [http://trifekta.com.au/artists/artist.asp?id=15 Trifekta's Architecture in Helsinki page]
* [http://www.bar-none.com/artists.php?recordID=Architecture%20in%20Helsinki Bar/None's Architecture in Helsinki page]

External links

* [http://www.architectureinhelsinki.com Official website]
*MySpace|aihmusic|Architecture in Helsinki
* [http://www.theindiemusicdb.com/db/artist.php?id=1 Architecture In Helsinki] entry in The Indie Music Database