Circle (the Finnish band): S/D

i probably just overestimate the popularity of Circle, i'm just used to their stuff disappearing really fast.

Blue Collar Distro still has mailorder copies (for $21): http://www.bluecollardistro.com/hydrahead/product_info.php?products_id=7109&cPath=4_137&store=

1000 copies across the three colours. Apparently black vinyl is actually more limited than eyeball. I will have copies of the black vinyl at least to sell in a couple of weeks...

So, I never actually told all you good Circle-loving people my exciting news that I alluded to a while back...

NWOFHM!

http://www.nwofhm.com/

http://thewire.co.uk/images/artists/circle/circle.jpg

I have set up a specialist UK-based mail-order for all things Circle, Pharaoh Overlord, Ektro, NWOFHM!, ... and related. I have the support of a number of labels already, including Jussi at Ektro, have lots of stock (as listed) in hand, loads more new releases and back catalogue to come, and plenty of exciting plans and developments on the horizon!

'Like' the facebook, 'follow' the twitter, browse the website, sign-up to the mailing list, make an order, spread the word... if you would like.

Kiitos!

So that is you I've been following on Twitter! Nice work! Do those of us planning to order from the U.S. need to know anything special?

Thank you!

In terms of ordering from the USA, I don't think that there's anything special to know, except that postage is horrific!

ha, yes horrific is the word. Congrats Krakow. Seeing that you deal in rarities... if you happen to run across a Circle Noiduttu cassette hold it for me! Should I send an email?

Please do email liam. I am setting up lists for rarities wanted.

'Zopalki' 2xLP reissue is out, on black and aqua blue vinyl.

Erkki Kurenniemi & Circle's 'Rakkaus Tulessa' LP has been repressed.

If any Circle-loving ILX-ers in the UK (or maybe even Europe) would be interested in being part of a group buy of Hydra Head's new glow-in-the-dark skull Circle t-shirt, in order to mitigate the ferocious postal costs from the USA, then please drop me an email via www.nwofhm.com...

http://www.bluecollardistro.com/hydrahead/images/hhi-ss-123-full.jpg

I'm now in communication with Hydra Head to bulk order these t-shirts, so if anyone in the UK or Europe is interested, then please get in touch asap. Thanks.

NWOFHM! road trip for me next week...

I'm flying to Amsterdam on Tuesday, then heading to Antwerp, Belgium to see Circle with Pharaoh Overlord in support at Muziekcentrum TRIX on Wednesday night and on to Tilburg, Netherlands for Circle with Harvey Milk at Incubated 18 on Thursday night!

Excited!

I had an amazing time in Antwerp and Tilburg - the gigs were incredible; I've barely been happier than when letting it all go during the Incubated 18 set.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7212/7171813439_9e04580745_z.jpg
Circle @ Incubated 18 at Paradox in Tilburg by Crimson Glow Photography, on Flickr.

In other news, the 2004 Circle album 'Forest', originally released on CD by Ektro and No Quarter, is getting its first LP release. It will be appearing on black vinyl in an edition of 500 copies on Full Contact at the end of June...

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/circle_forest_lp_cover.jpg

Forest vinyl is a dream come true... play loud!

Jealous you got to those gigs, I too totally wig out when I see Circle live. Someone put what seems to be the full Incubated Circle set on youtube and I totally ripped the audio and have been listening to it recently. Good stuff!

oh and it's super cool to hear them rip through one of the Myllari songs live!!

You should email me liam still!

Sometimes I get discouraged about how hard it is to find stuff by these guys without paying tons for shipping. But then I get to go somewhere like Waterloo, in Austin, and get to come home with copies of Serpent, Rautatie, and Raunio. You guys, this band. Fuck. I mean, this fucking band.

anyone else hear hisko detria? it's not like there's a lack of circle material out there but this scratched the same itch nicely for me:
http://hiskodetria.bandcamp.com/

Yeah, I got their CDr through a couple of months back. I've only had a chance for a couple of listens, but it's good stuff. I second that it's worth checking out.

Amazing looking show at Dunajam 2012 on the sun-kissed beaches of Sardinia earlier this month... definitely worth checking out the last video of the playlist...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78DRUjtDOxE&list=PL221D8B6799719340&index=1&feature=plpp_video

anyone else hear hisko detria? it's not like there's a lack of circle material out there but this scratched the same itch nicely for me:
http://hiskodetria.bandcamp.com/

Yeah, there was some talk about that in another thread, can't remember whether it was the 2012 spacerock one or the bandcamp one, but I love it.

Dunajam youtube vids rule! Jussi's costume... Fuck. The end was beautiful. Much belated email sent, Krakow, thanks and sorry!

Circle 'Forest' LP on Full Contact is out now! My copies arrived today for those in the UK...

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/circle_forest_lp_cover.jpg

This album was originally released in 2004 on CD by Ektro and No Quarter. This is its first appearance on vinyl. Black vinyl, 500 copies.

Got your email liam, thanks! Hoping to have a chance to reply this weekend...

Delighted I found this forum.

Welcome!

Gosh, sorry liam, I'm still WAY behind.

I went to the store looking for Forest (didn't find it) but I did find a used copy of the Saturnus Reality dvd, for which I paid a modest $7. I don't really know what to expect other than 98 min of Circle.

Don't worry Krakow, no rush! Unless you find a copy of Noiduttu that is ha!

Saturnus Reality is indeed 98 minutes of Circle... goofing off in a cabin in the woods!

Big Circle fan but to paraphrase Woody Allen: "If I had to live my life again, I'd do everything the same, except that I wouldn't see Saturnus Reality."

Oh no!

B-b-but it's the Finnegans Wake of Finnish rock docs

Call the Cops and loves laboured breathing... both of those are great quotes! Can I use them on NWOFHM! to 'advertise' Saturnus Reality, please?

I'm about to watch this in 15 min increments, pausing for frequent status checks as to whether or not I'm regretting it.

Not regretting it at all so far, a few thoughts because why not:

-- love the electric orange baby bottle eye
-- Christmas tree discussion was typical for Finnish people in general or no?
-- love the sun through the trees, lots of pretty things to look at
-- shiny and dull in all the right places

* caveat, i love things that are extremely banal, including but not limited to frederick wiseman movies, dry history books with excruciating details about normal life during different eras, found items and sentimental crap that winds up in thrift stores, shit like that

it has been worth my $7 already. can't imagine the rest being a full out assault on my sensibilities.

A wee clip from Circle's performance at Jättömaa 2012 this weekend just gone...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR-LUCJHEdA

xp

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/juicyfrt/finneganswakeoffinnishrockdocs.jpg

I rather like SR myself although it took a bit to grow on me. It's worth a second and perhaps even a third look IMO. If nothing else the soundtrack, especially towards the end when it all gets dreamy and nostalgic, is very nice indeed.

I finnish friend who turned me on to Circle told me never to watch either Saturnus Reality or Man With a Video Camera... I wondered if that was just his personal taste but reading the above I can perhaps see why!! Not sure I'd like to have any insight into the band whatsoever, so as to be able to take the music at face value and not have anything else colour that. Also it's a help that I havn't a notion about any of the lyrics, my finnish friend again told me they are, for the most part, total nonsense!! (He did translate Laake for one time we were listening to Rautatie and it actually did give me a further appreciation of that song, the picture of a spilt bottle of pills on the youtube vid for the song is quite apt!)

How do people feel about Manner??? Only got it last week and I've literally listened to nothing else this week except it and Lunar Jetman (which is also phenomenal, didn't expect much since I hated Out of the Darkness)

I think New Fantasy will become a "Circle classic"(a la Nopeuskuningas), such a fantastically written track. I was unsure after Infektio if Circle would return to that perfect NWOFHM/psychedilic mix on Rautatie, and so delighted they are still evolving it!

Frug, you're prob right, it's better to get to know them through the music, the mystery is half the fun! But once you do Saturnus Reality is an interesting insight into how they operate and how much playful humor and joy actually goes into this seemingly very serious and heavy music. I too like not knowing the words, it's why I mostly listen to foreign stuff in general in fact. Then they can be about anything!

Haven't heard Manner yet because I don't have a record player! Fuck! I borrow one from a friend to rip things every now and then but I wait until they pile up. I like the songs from the live disc Serpent and the stuff floating around youtube so I'm sure the album proper rules.

Yeah, I haven't heard Manner yet either. I managed to snag one of the last copies at my local shop, but my record player is in storage right now (much of the music stuff had to go when we converted our second bedroom into a nursery).

Circle followers may be interested that Janne Westerlund (Circle and Pharaoh Overlord guitarist and singer and leader of his own band Plain Ride) has a debut solo album 'Oran' coming out on CD on the label 9pm Records in September.

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/jannewesterlund_oran_cd_cover.jpg

There are a couple of tracks available on his soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/jannewesterlund

Cool, all the Plain Rides are kinda samey but this lullaby stuff is a nice change. It makes me really wonder what a 2012 Chainsmoker album would be like.

Quick search of youtube turns up JW doing a Forest song! Cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blmPoQjBGAM

Thanks liam, I'd not seen that before.

In Circle news...

'Hissi' and 'Fraten' get the reissue treatment on Ektro! Remastered CD versions are due 7th September. These are the third and fourth albums, from 1996 and 1997 respectively, originally issued by Metamorphos (and Captain Trip).

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/circle_hissi_cd_cover.jpg

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/circle_fraten_cd_cover.jpg

Man I love Lunar Jetman; I still haven't heard much from these guys, but this might be my favorite thing they've done

They've got a new split with Grails coming at the end of October, which I'm anticipating greatly!

They being Pharaoh Overlord, as per Lunar Jetman, I mean.

Awesome news Krakow!

I'm really looking forward to the Kuusumun Profeetta, too. Although this one seems completely different, their last album from 4-5 years ago called Lyhtykuja is easily one of the best albums in the whole Circle axis. That cd is highly recommended to anyone who is a Mika Ratto fan and likes the idea of minor key and mysterious synthesizer prog. It's kinda like an operatic take on the band Goblin.

Can't find any Lyhtykuja videos from the album proper but here's a live version of the best song on it (which doesn't quite do the tune justice, but...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YzfTVAW-30&

The new Quietus mix opens with Pharaoh Overload and may (or may not) be relevant to this thread's interests:

Quietus Mix 71: Hexvessel Present Current Affairs Of The Finnish Psychedelic Underground

(the rest isn't Circle-related to the best of my knowledge, though there is a lot I don't know about such things, but I check the Quietus's weekly mixes every week and thought I'd take the opportunity to plug one)