Suistamon Sähkö

Putting Suistamon Sähkö into words is no easy task – and honestly, it doesn’t quite make sense to try. They exist in a world of their own: a wild, breathing blend of techno and folk traditions, where sharp electronic rhythms collide with echoes of old-style melodies, Karelian vocal styles and a strong sense of doing things entirely on their own terms. Suistamon Sähkö doesn’t ease you into it, it goes straight in.

Made up of Anne-Mari Kivimäki, Antti Puumalainen, Reetta-Kaisa Iles and Tuomas Juntunen, the group has been described as a kind of self-generating force of traditional Finnish folk music. You get it the second they step on stage and kick things into full gear: a Suistamon Sähkö show is all about immediate energy and pure performance joy, without ever tipping into mindless chaos.

On Saturday at Ilosaarirock, Suistamon Sähkö will switch on something you won’t be able to turn off. All the way to a full short circuit, dear festival crowd!