Põhja Konn (EE) & Saimaa (FI)

With influences from early Estonian Rock sounds of Ruja and In Spe to Genesis, Beardfish and Gentle Giant, this is a band that is well versed in old-school prog rock, and blends these colours together in a new pallet that is fresh, whilst still recognizing its roots.

“Põhja Konn” translates as Northern Frog: a mythological creature derived from the Devil figure in Biblical semantics, which was later transformed into a dragon-like beast in Estonian folklore. The group started in 2009, rehearsing together with occasional performances until early 2011, when the band went on hiatus. Out of the blue in 2015 came an invitation from the Estonian Writers’ Association to produce and release an album, setting classic Estonian 20th Century poetry to rock music in the progressive idiom of this exciting new band.

Saimaa, led by Matti Mikkola, is a special band that, driven by constant chugging, is reaching toward an endless euphoria of sound. This collective of top musicians’ adventures in music are liberated, grandiose, and wonderfully unconstrained. Through platinum albums sung by Pepe Willberg and Pyhimys, a Yle Sports Finland score, and a critically acclaimed cover album, the band has created a super spin on controlled prog, classic rock, funky entertainment, and classical, with the echoes of Finnish schlager.

Drawing unashamedly from the sounds and aesthetics of the 60s and 70s, Saimaa is at its best live, with numerous top musicians immersed in ecstatic interplay and turntablism dominated by exuberant telepathic forces.