Neljä Ruusua
It's happening now – the mystic year 2011 the young Ilkka Alanko sang about on the Neljä Ruusua album Haloo, released back in 1992. It was the band's true break-through album: it combined their interest in new technology and, on the other hand, the nearly obstinate will to play rock'n'roll. The result was something that had never been seen in Finnish rock music before. 2011 may not have become a giant hit, but several other tracks from Haloo became a part of the nation's collective memory.
The history of Neljä Ruusua is filled with experiments. Ilkka Alanko, Kode Koistinen, Lade Laakkonen and Kämy Kämäräinen have stuck their necks out with symphony orchestras, a remix album, in English as 4R, touring small bars around the country, not to mention performing in front of thousands and thousands of people at festivals. They've sold gold and platinum, played hundreds of gigs, produced hit song after another and, as a whole, built a career most Finnish pop groups can only dream of. Their constant need to re-invent themselves can only be admired – and it's probably also the reason behind the group's long lifespan and popularity. The hundreds of thousands albums sold speak for themselves.
Neljä Ruusua salutes the 40-year-old Ilosaarirock Festival by regathering for the festival. Doing this, they also end the break they've been on for several years. This, if anything, is a cause for celebration for the fans that have followed the band all along their twenty-year career. It's certain that this will be a gig to remember. We get to witness one of the greatest foursomes in the history of Finnish music doing what they do best: playing damn good pop music.
