FinnScene Early - Synthpop: Stressi
A "stylish" futu (as New Romantic/Futurist Pop was called in Finland) band Stressi, hailing from the town of Imatra, were successful at the Finnish Rock Championships, subsequently releasing a couple of singles and one LP on Finnlevy's sublabel Kräk. Stressi started in 1978 as a band trying to play progressive rock, but inspired by Kraftwerk, Devo, Human League, Gary Numan and David Bowie, by the early 80s their style had changed considerably. On their stage shows Stressi wore black overalls (Devo's had been yellow) and their faces had heavy make-up. They even had their own light show and regular stage crew. However, after a promising start Stressi's activities started to fade soon, since it was hard to get gigs and operate the band activities from the small town of Imatra, and by 1983 Stressi had reached its end.
Stressi members Kari "Gabi" Hakanen and Mara Salminen have continued their musical careers as producers. The charmingly corny lyrics for the band were provided by one Jaana Rinne, who later became known for her collaboration with the retro-pop act Clifters and as a journalist for the tabloid City. The cover image for their only album was provided by Markus Heikkerö, also known for his notorious late-1960s underground paintings and the early incarnation of Sleepy Sleepers.
Stressi @ FinnArctic
Stressi: 'Go-Go Mod' video @ YLE Elävä Arkisto
Stressi @ Discogs Thanks to Jarkko Kuivanen for additional info and Mikko Niemelä for scans.
Discography
NOTE: by clicking some images, you can see larger versions of them.
Kräk! KRÄKS-19 (7", 1980)
A1. Tatsia
B1. Rajattu vapaus
Kräk! KRÄKS-27 (7", 1981)
A1. Labyrintti
B1. Deodorant
STRESSI Kräk! KRÄLP-9 (LP, 1981)
A1. Show
A2. Harri
A3. Go-Go *Mod*
A4. Sinä teet minut
A5. Deodorant
B1. Omat karnevaalit
B2. Labyrintti
B3. Diplomi rakkaus
B4. Finaali
B5. Tatsia
Dig It DIGS-134 (7", 1982)
A1. Ma joeur
B1. Cairo
[FinnScene Early - Synthpop] [FinnScene - The Early Years]
