Two years can be a long time for a band. The last time Rubik performed in Ilosaarirock, the group left a promising yet a bit immature feeling. Almost as if the quintet wasn’t sure if they should lean more on well-crafted melodies or twisting beats. This time around the group had grown into an octet and conquered the stage with their confidence and sheer power.Rubik has the ability to insert as much content into a song as many groups insert into whole albums. In their latest album, Dada Bandits, the group has found a proper balance between being melodic and being chaotic. The dynamics of the group are well-developed, as Artturi Taira, the vocalist of the group, acts as if he’s receiving electroshock treatment, yet the performance maintains a compact and concentrated form. The new songs grow in a natural way, while breaking the traditional formalities of song structure at t he same time. Never before has a Finnish group been as close to the hottest Canadian indie artists - nor surpassed them.

The intensive drive of the orchestra leaned heavily on new material, as expected. Despite of this, the definite high points of the gig were experienced with the old classics. The mood in the third stage invited both the artists and the audience to find new perspectives to music, and when the time of encore came, the group asked whether people would like to listen to heavy metal or pop. The results of the shouting contest were unclear, but that was past the point anyhow.

Them bastards, they’ve grown up great.

Text: Hannu Linkola

Translation: Juha Ekholm