WORLD OF RUBBER & BLOOD

CREATIVITY AND CREATION OF YOUR OWN WORLD : RUBBER AND BLOOD

Text by Mikko A

With couple former writings, I have mentioned Finnish TAIDE magazine as once of sources that made me think about particular qualities in noise. It is no surprise, since articles in contemporary art magazine may occasionally cross-over same questions we face in context of sound art. Regardless do the noise makers consider themselves as artists or sound they make as art. It would be very nice, if more of such discussion would exist in milieu of noise. Discussion that would not be theoretical, but something vitally connected to expression itself.

Recent issue of TAIDE (2/2023) included essay that studied the role of creativity and learning. Author had found out that as opposed to spending time in thinking what to paint, more creative starting point would be giving his son large brush and freedom to start something for blank canvas. He would continue work from that. Using his creativity to make something out of things already appearing on canvas. His idea was revolving around symbiosis where learning and teaching is barely one way process. To me it appeared as something you could think what could come out of noise collaboration. Two artists feeding from energy of each other.

Author quotes infamous Finnish theatre figure, director and controversialist Jouko Turkka, who stated that children are not really creative. Child tests and tries whatever because his/hers nature is still sort of biologically and mechanically directed to do so. There is more curiosity, than creativity. He argues creativity is quality of adult human, based on former knowledge and processing that knowledge further – in creative ways.

It is curious to think how we acknowledge and casually talk about idea of creative noise as opposed to cliches and sub-genre copycat noise. Many times if we really try to discuss what is that creativity, we may realize we face surprisingly complex question. It includes, not only semantic level, but also other levels. One being cultural element. It is curious to think, that creativity means different things in different cultures and languages. As an overall impression, we know that creativity is generally considered to be a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. That is not entire truth. Just like Jouko Turkka above mentioned, there is difference are you creative (creative being result of creative persons act) or simply stumbled into something by lucky accident.

“Cross-cultural research centered on Hong Kong found that Westerners view creativity more in terms of the individual attributes of a creative person, such as their aesthetic taste, while Chinese people view creativity more in terms of the social influence of creative people (i.e., what they can contribute to society). Mpofu et al. surveyed 28 African languages and found that 27 had no word which directly translated to ‘creativity’ (the exception being Arabic). The principle of linguistic relativity (i.e., that language can affect thought) suggests that the lack of an equivalent word for ‘creativity’ may affect the views of creativity among speakers of such languages. Creativity has been more thoroughly researched in the northern hemisphere, but here again there are cultural differences, even between countries or groups of countries in close proximity. For example, in Scandinavian countries, creativity is seen as an individual attitude which helps in coping with life’s challenges, while in Germany, creativity is seen more as a process that can be applied to help solve problems.”

Does the cultural difference apply in how creativity is seen in experimental music is something that can’t really be observed. I tend to think there is certain amount of cultural influence even within the sub-/countercultural works that comes from certain time and place.

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Not long ago I was reading critical rant about current state of noise. Writer was in favor of noise by youngsters. Preference to works of those who had really no idea what they were doing, nor consciousness of genre or scene history. This is opposed to the noise artists who create in middle of already established experimental sound culture with its routines and unwritten rules. I know what he means, but I don’t see necessarily glory in cluelessness. It did result number of things, but there was probably also other factors involved.

That child-like situation appears in moment when you first get to know real noise. We all most likely remember the first experience of harsh noise or industrial racket which was experienced with ears of newborn – so to say. We could hear the sound in a new way, without routine and familiarity. It is absolutely different from when it is fee of entire repetition that dominates the adult experience. You believe and learn, and only later on there will be doubt. Genre veterans, the older people, can not hear the new noise tape in 2023 like the teenage youngster with few thousand releases less in their mind may hear it. Neither they hear their own works in that way.

In recent times, discussion in Special Interests forum revolved around current age newbie noise makers who according to some, are kind of missing the point of noise making. It can be legitimate question can we consider the newbie “creative” if they are simply adopting the routines how it is supposed to be done? Perhaps matter of perspective. For maker, in world where everything is new and exciting, “creativity” is almost meaningless notion.

In a positive sense, some may be free of the baggage of being influenced by idea of how noise is supposed to be. Sometimes, being influenced by long history of genre and realization how much is already out there can be baggage. Intentional replication of for example iconic Mother Savage Noise Productions red-zone crunchy harsh noise or crackling noise walls of The Rita may be aim to capture that same feeling that first made them excited. Knowing what and how its done, and doing it again.

Is doing so just replication? In some cases maybe yes. It can be also that creativity in sense of building upon something formerly done may become important – and possible – only after we are not just shooting in blind. No more testing things first time in your life, but actually processing the knowledge further. Finding out how something was done, and pushing it further from that. Meaning that creativity is not lucky accident, but vision.

This may be situation what is often the creating confusion. We value child like accidents as creativity, although they barely are so. Such moments may have been creativity in form of making noise with what you got. Simply working with other tools than the rest will cause it being different. We can absolutely appreciate results that were born out of cluelessness and randomness. Mere difference itself may be worth of praise. Perhaps it is the creativity when you consciously take those as elements of randomness and uncommon technology into sound crafting to give sound more unexpected qualities to work with.

Formerly mentioned writing in TAIDE magazine quotes Nietzsche and concludes that we have merely brief moment of time to show why we were born for this moment. Creativity would be the courage that is response for ourselves. To represent the Nietzschean pursuits of fearlessly self expressing, self-fulfilling: Being creative being, who by every step creates new expression.

I have dealt with the question of personality in noise in length (see Special Interests magazine issue 14). Creativity certainly overlaps with it. We can consider creativity to be processing former knowledge further and adding your personal angle to it. The western idea to consider creativity in terms of the individual attributes of a creative person, their aesthetic taste. That tends to be noise that appeals to me the most.

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It may not be absolutely creative way to take route of writing again about things I have often written about. However, writing for website where I pay the bills, I guess I feel entitled to write about whatever happens to come out. I felt tempted to writing something after listening to Vihanmiehet second album that came out recently on CD.

We know Markkula as Bizarre Uproar who is one of the undisputedly most important Finnish noise acts. We know Läjä Äijälä as key figure of Terveet Kädet, legendary hardcore punk band, but also as pioneer in experimental sound.

While listening Vihanmiehet album for the first time, I was slightly surprised by direction they had taken. At the same time, there is a lot what could be said to be result of logical progression. Shift of direction we have heard from their other recordings. Like clarity and almost high fidelity touch of later Bizarre Uproar works. That as opposed to brutal lo-fi amplifier noise of debut Vihanmiehet album that also dominated works of Bizarre Uproar at that time. Beats found from experimental works of Läjä Äijälä recent output, is now more clearly present also in Vihanmiehet. These two somewhat old men who created this project, Markkula & Äijälä managed to top themselves. Push things forward, while keeping identity and personality of their sound.

They clearly know what they have done before. They also know plenty of what has been done in history of genre. It feels as if they would somehow feed out of each others energy to make something different from their solo efforts. Album is step up from debut collaboration and while firmly sticking on “basic elements” we hear from their other works, the fusion here manages to form album that doesn’t sound like copy of anything particular.

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I have seen discussion where people question how come leading figure of globally worshipped hardcore band has teamed up with dubious and notorious noise artist? Many can make enlightened guess why Bizarre Uproar stirs negative emotions in contemporary hardcore punk scene. Regardless of that, it is curious to think how their collaboration would be seen unexpected or strange. In my eyes it seems as if that would be something almost… destined to happen? Almost like thing that could or should have happened already decade ago or more!

Läjä Äijälä is one of the most known underground music figures in Finland. Regardless of the fame and recognition, many things he has been doing remains low profile or unacknowledged. Buried deep into underground dust as well as forgotten over the years. His role as noise marker has gained more attention within last decade. Not so much within noise scene, though. Almost all his releases are published by labels profiled into something else than noise.

Man is responsible of one of earliest industrial leaning releases in Finland. Aavikon Kone Ja Moottori debut 7″ came out already back in 1979, when entire history of industrial music was still… not history! Basically something bubbling under, largely unknown in Finland. For many years, this was almost mythical release. It wasn’t until 1995 “The Golden Greats Of IKBAL” CD reissue and decade later “Passions Of Läjä Äijälä” CD made these materials heard by wider public. Reissued multiple times after that.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U05QekJsz5s

I could estimate that none of Finnish noise artists who were rising in the 90’s were influenced by Aavikon Kone Ja Moottori, but many people were inspired by Läjä Äijälä’s approach in art and creation in general.

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My early personal exposure for his work was not consciously perceived. As a youngster, I was reading whatever comics I could find. I was never really the superhero fan, but something else. As soon as I found some of the 80’s Finnish independent comic magazines like Kannus or Sarjari, these magazines made impact on me. Both magazines frequently included comics of Läjä Äijälä since around mid 80’s. Many people could find these magazines accidentally from local library, even if distribution was otherwise very limited. They were found from same shelves as mainstream publications people knew about. For me, as a kid in small town, those magazines offered true revelation that you could just… do it yourself. Being exposed to “self made comics” was certainly my gateway to other DIY culture.

In case of Läjä’s work, at first I had no idea how it related to music. I was merely drawn into appreciation of dark brush strokes of black ink and crude usage of halftone transparencies. His stories would be almost abstract, apocalyptic, fetishistic… More like visual presentation of atmosphere. It would be often quite irrelevant what the dialogue is. Perhaps irrelevant is there a plot or story that you should clearly understand. There simply was situation, atmosphere and aesthetic impact. Many times large black surfaces and strong lines depicted gas masks, leather, rubber, sex, death and darkness. Never in overly grotesque way. Always suggestive or bizarre. Right from the beginning till today, he had style you recognized instantly without looking list of artists from beginning of comic book. Through his comics I got to know his aesthetics, themes he revolves in, that would later repeat again in his music.

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As soon as one gets to know Finnish underground music, you could notnot-know Terveet Kädet. I had gotten some of the good stuff via tape trading. Soon I bought pile of the 7″s from local store that was focused on selling almost exclusively bootleg horror films, porn vhs tapes and homebrew ingredients.

In context of once flourishing ’82 hardcore punk scene, Terveet Kädet was many things. It existed before the rest, as first hardcore band in Finland. It was also anomaly in that genre itself. Musically, vocally, thematically and visually kind of thing of its own thing. It was the band that survived when entire form of expression had pretty much vanished. Already by late 80’s most of the formerly celebrated hardcore bands had stopped or changed their style. By 2023, nobody else from pioneers remains but Terveet Kädet.

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At first, like with comics, I doubt that I even realized how unique the approach or lyrics of Terveet Kädet was. There was very little to compare with, and therefore it all sort of made sense. Buying Terveet Kädet 7″s from same place, where I went to rent Bushido, Gummi Klinik or Slave Sex VHS! Why not? Had been reading sci-fi magazine filled with splatter movie reviews and Läjä’s drawings… Terveet Kädet felt like it is what hardcore is supposed to be!

It may be sort of zeitgeist of the time in Finnish Underground. At least in some areas certain spirit was there. Late 80’s, early 90’s, a lot of people roughly my age were captured within spirit where all things of underground creativity was bleeding together. It didn’t really matter if you were into comics, gore films, sci-fi, bizarre rubber fetishism and s/m, metal music, hardcore punk, vhs trading… or noise. It all came along pretty nicely. You’d buy latest sci-fi fandom magazine and there was illustrations by Läjä. You’d discover odd rubber fetish magazine and find out Terveet Kädet pulled out graphics for their 7″ from very same magazine you had bought. You’d get horror movie fanzine related little s/m zine just to discover photo series done by Läjä. And so forth. People I was in touch with, often had at least one foot in this realm of darker weirdness.

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One of the guys who was hugely inspired by this specific spirit, was Markkula of Bizarre Uproar. He has made it very clear how Terveet Kädet was one of the key influences for him. Most obvious is making Terveet Kädet noise cover songs where band is directly credited as source of inspiration. That is just tip of the iceberg. Works of Markkula includes plenty of homages to culture what influenced him to become what he is.

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Already as early as 1993, Bizarre Uproar did homage towards TK. One of the ultra rare, pretty much disappeared Bizarre Uproar tape “Hewhore” had artwork tribute to Terveet Kädet. Tape consists 1993 S/hewhore plus 1995 and 1997 sessions. For packaging, he tried to recreated idea of Ääretön Joulu cover art. 1982 7″ of Terveet Kädet has front cover depicting men tied up, upside down, with burning candle showed up his ass. Songs such as Pissaa Ja Paskaa (Piss and Shit), Musta Jumala (Black God), Haistelijat (Sniffers), and more can be certainly viewed as strong influence. That stuff is about to be lyrical direction and expression style of Bizarre Uproar when he started to use more vocals.

Unable to really reproduce being hung upside down, he did commit into photo session with burning candle up his ass. Original photograph was included in first 10 copies. Cover indicates there should exists 50 in total, but it’s been estimated that barely the 10 exists. Now 30 years later most likely not even that many. This one in my possession seen in photo is probably only known copy actually existing. Not even artists has owned one for decades. Many items being so unknown or limited has made it harder to notice abundance of similarities.

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Bizarre Uproar early live shows were unmaked, yet proceeding into visually impressive performances, certain era of his live approach the looks was fully inspired by aesthetics of Läjä Äijälä’s appearance on live pictures of his band Death Trip. Bizarre Uproar would soon take his rubber outlook, performance action and video art way further, but many remember the classic Bizarre Uproar live pictures where his looks are identical to Death Trip.

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I find it curious that in current age where everything is seemingly online, difficulty of finding Terveet Kädet lyrics is shocking. Trying internet search for lyrics of Terveet Kädet seems futile. Equally hard is the translations for them. Of course you can find lyrics from the covers of original releases and some old reissues. Even later anthology CD’s didn’t include lyrics. I do not remember seeing articles in English talking about what this internationally celebrated hardcore band actually sung about? Many people may have been simply captured by sheer noisy energy of Terveet Kädet. Those may not recognise that for many of the Finns lyrics were absolutely crucial element of Terveet Kädet.

Some selected examples could be:

KUMIA JA VERTA

Olen kaapissa
Kumia ja verta
Niin kuumana
Niin kuumana

RUBBER AND BLOOD

I am in closet
Rubber and blood
So hot
So hot

ONGELMA

Lähelläsi
Pistooli ohimollani
Vain käsky
Ja olen kuollut

PROBLEM

Close to you
Gun on my forehead
Only command
And I am dead

HAISTELIJAT

…kiimaiset
Pillunhaistelijat
Joita vainoaa
Tuska ihmisistä

SNIFFERS

…horny
Cuntsniffers
Who are haunted
By pain of humans

PISSAA JA PASKAA

Aina kun rakastun
Suutelet persettäni
Nielet kuseni
Pissaa ja paskaa!

PISS AND SHIT

Always when I fall in love
You will kiss my anus
Swallow my piss
Piss and shit!

SOTILAAT JOTKA MARSSII

Murskaa luut
Kiiltävät saappaat
Sotilaat, jotka marssii

SOLDIERS WHO MARCH

Crushing bones
Shiny boots
Soldiers who march

Quick translations by yours truly do not make justice for spirit and strength of the original Finnish lyrics. They are simply made that anyone reading this will see how the horny cunt sniffing, rubber clad, anus kissing, shiny boot fetishizing, bone crushing soldiers found in realms of Terveet Kädet lyrics have direct and strong similarity compared to works of Bizarre Uproar.

I am not talking only about thematic qualities of Bizarre Uproar. This also applies to the lyrical structure. Focusing on repeating couple lines of text in attempt to present maximum impact.

This minimalism of expression is combined to sort of …maximalism? Minimalism in sense of focusing into very limited amount of pure ideas, strong words and couple repeated simple riffs… just like there are couple noise loops, couple sounds, couple lines of text, but the maximalism in spirit of: utmost excess. 

Expression where is presented an amount of something far more than would be necessary. Be it amount of sleaze, amount of fetishistic violence, amount of repetitive quality that greatly surpasses the need of “making the point”. Surpassing desirable level that would be satisfying. Just offering more.

Excessive eroticism that goes beyond all things traditionally considered erotic. Gasmasks, rubber gear, human excrements …and this tends to go beyond the level that is generally accepted. Notable is the fetishistic approach to violence of soldiers or self destructive submissive drive of one holding gun pointed at your head, waiting for command. Notable it is in depictions of power and hierarchy.

When Bizarre Uproar took these influences, it took turn to even more violent, to even more filthy. Even more fetishistic. Compressing excess into minimalist expression, that may be manifested merely in two words. In need of reaching level of more than necessary, in world created by Bizarre Uproar, certainly the blunt scream of white power, hail satan or sieg hail will do it! In its simplicity, it barely carries political message. It carries message of erotic power play. Ultimate domination fantasy. Ultimate depiction of excessive power.

One curious element with both artist is that they are not only sadistic brutes. Not at all. As a person, warm and easy-going men. Also as an artists many times their works can be seen in ways that reach even self humiliation and exhibitionism. In case of Bizarre Uproar this is most obvious. More often you see artist in submissive or self humiliating role. Usually under female domination. Those who are traumatized by testosterone stench of fist and cock -type of content, have probably not had guts to dive deeper into his discography. You would find abundance of submission and self-humiliation in unusually high level compared to traditions of industrial noise and power electronics.

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The more you go through how these two artists work, you can see how their creativity functioned.

Äijälä being one of the absolutely clear individualistic creators. His old industrial works barely seemed to replicate what had been done musically or lyrically in realms of industrial. You can name drop other old names, like Cabaret Voltaire or such, but I have seen him mention early influenced being contemporary art music of Stockhausen. Likewise, he never appeared to follow that much the politics or social issues that dominated hardcore punk. His comics could not be linked to many kindred spirited artists in Finland. All things he does, simply belong the realm what he liked outside of the “genres” too. Despite seeing what was being done in genre of music or artistic expression, the choice of doing something what was his. His own interests and his own desires. Doing that even in times where the topics would likely not to be celebrated and appreciated very widely. Perhaps merely tolerated outside the fringe areas. He would keep doing it again in times when it would appear to contain risk of being outcasted from the circle jerk of good guys music scene.

Bizarre Uproar, grew from short lived late 80’s hardcore punk project that became noisecore band Aunt Mary. Aunt Mary soon mutated into Bizarre Uproar in early 1992. Despite seemingly fitting into lineage of industrial-noise, I doubt that was at all what he was thinking those early stages. As far as I know, Markkula knew very little of international noise at that time. He grew out of fast thrash, hardcore, grind, noisecore and such things. Not from traditional industrial music.

It look and sounds how it did simply due his personality. Taking all things he was personally into, that was found from other music styles and underground culture and putting it out in form of blunt noise known as Bizarre Uproar. The early works are youthful sparks of energy. Harsh Noise emerging almost from vacuum where any noisy sound would be new. Nothing to really compare it to and unable to set in context of genre history. That stuff is great. It has special meaning for me personally. However, the Bizarre Uproar what most know, is the era of return starting after couple quiet years.

This change gives us pretty good display how material was actually becoming creative, and continued to be so years to come.

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If early years was about man injecting the limited know-how and personal interests into expression, in 2000’s, it would be hugely different. Project would not be based on limitations. There would be enough of knowledge to know what is out there. There would be enough technical know how about how to do stuff one wants to do. People to ask advice, plus place and gear to record. Creativity and furious passion to spend hours and hours in rehearsal place, actually rehearsing and playing noise. Committing into visual aspects that would push all former ideas into something formerly unseen. Though this all, gaining ability push the own work into level and style one desired to hear and experience.

Unlike more pretentious artists, he would not be shy giving nods to things that had fueled him energy. When saying nod of appreciation, I do not mean shallow copycat behavior. I don’t mean cheap imitations. Merging your former personal history that shaped your own tastes and character, combine it with experiences and passions to make something that is new, but also connected to past.

While I do not reject anyone being fanatical noisehead, there are certainly plenty of examples how it may lead into making self-referential noise. Sometimes, especially contemporary noise, may appear almost as simulacra. Noise becoming imitation of what we think is noise. Represent copy of idea of noise, but lacks the substance and qualities of the original.

Material like such as Bizarre Uproar or various noisier works of Läjä Äijälä as well as Vihanmiehet, in my view belong into milieu of old fashioned noise. These guys are not replicating image of noise, but working purely on their own interests and creative impulses and that becomes noise.  It is not fanboy imitating their heroes, quite opposite. More like recognizing some sort of kindred spirit and using that to push things into new direction instead of copy of the former.

Two characters have been working on such state of mind, in slightly similar surrounding and reference points, that in country as small as Finland, it would be nearly impossible that their paths would not cross at some point!

In recent interview at Inferno magazine, Läjä Äijälä talked about Terveet Kädet and his various experimental sound projects. Besides sound, he talked about the ideas he had for movies. One being idea for splatter film that happens only in bathroom. Film lasting one hour would consist nothing else but one guy beating the other guy into bloody pulp. That’s that. Many know the stories about his old film, where he would stand in small closet, fetish gear, masks and all, and do nothing. I have vague recollections seeing some of the old pictures that were related, but couldn’t locate which zine and when it would have been published.

The Leo Bugariloves, weird electronic music project with Läjä Äijälä doing vocals, has made bunch of absurd and bizarre music videos that used to circulate in Finnish underground already in VHS era.

These “ideas” Läjä Äijälä talks about in Inferno interview, has kind of striking similarity to method of Bizarre Uproar. The films of Bizarre Uproar are often simple and effective. Very limited amount of things happen in the video art. Usually something bizarre and grotesque. Most of all unexpected. Despite graphic elements, rarely to be considered typical pornography.

One similarity is that despite ongoing changes and development, Läjä appears to recycle his core ideas, decade after decade, like the true passions. It is less about attempting to reinvent yourself totally for sake of offering audience something new and fresh entertainment. No. It doesn’t seem to be about that. It seems to be more about knowing what you like, what you crave for, what really gets you going. When knowing that all, then fully commit to deal with it. It is not even rehashing cliches, when the power of the substance never diminished and keeps asking you to take another angle. The honesty of living and creating primarily for yourself, as the art has certainly changed yourself. Become integral part of who you are. Art dominated the life so to say. By having such a strong impact on creator himself, it is easy to expect it can have profound effect to number of spectators. 

60+ year old man still gets excited about idea of film, that has no plot, only mood. Only action, only excessive violence, almost fetishistic level that abandon all practical usage of violence – we can certainly guess that this expression comes from the heart and that art has truly transformed him.

Likewise, Bizarre Uproar is notorious for shamelessly circling around core ideas. Even around core words. Veri. Rotta. Nyrkki. Ali-ihminen. Liha. Viha. Kiima. Vihameditaatio. Lihavasara. Musta Rotta. Himosta Rottiin. Verikiima. Liha-Evakeliumi. Kusi Paska Veri. Verilippu. Rautaputki.. At some point this usage of very specific words is almost like language of its own. When foreigner sees releases Verilippu, Kusi Paska Veri, Verikiima, Vihameditaatio.. and then Viha & Kiima… It may make them think how few words you got in Finnish language when same handful appear over and over again!?

Now in new Vihanmiehet album, first song called Liha. Who knows how many times concept of flesh appears in his works. I can estimate that we have to hold the calculation, since more might be coming!

It is just that the realm of Bizarre Uproar is like the world of Läjä: Build out of personal passions where art and life is in kind of coexistence. Not about intent to display others all things new. Not even possibly to really estimate did art create the man, or did man create the art?

It is curious, that one of the early meeting points of these fellows happened when Läjä drew the excellent cover art for Bizarre Uproar’s Sikiöasento album. Already before Bizarre Uproar, Markkula made some issues of ‘zine called Sikiö. Consisting demented collages and xeroxed cut up junk and various interviews with noisecore, grind bands. Long before cut up xerox art magazines was a “thing”. Most likely his influences may have been something such as Dekadenz catalogue.

Sikiö translating as fetus, Sikiöasento being fetal position. Cover was conceptually envisioned by Markkula, technically made real by Läjä Äijälä. It is like merging or connecting several worlds of Finnish dark and wild underground culture in positive sense. Just like it happened with Lily The Flesh, where Bizarre Uproar work does homage to primitive s/m art that older Finnish UG S/M sleaze culture had produced. It became completely new form of expression, but deeply rooted into personal history and things formerly happening in Finnish underground.

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Due explicitness of Bizarre Uproars expression, some people like to see this any cooperation with him as political. Claim there is some sort of endorsement or sign of approval. Many of people of my generation, people who I talk to, wonders what the hell they are talking about? We have honest appreciation of art of Läjä. Have had decade after decade. Grew up up with many of his visionary efforts. All noise people he has worked with certainly allow him to be what he is, and appreciate what he has done. They do not use it as game of scene politics. Just like anyone else, with Bizarre Uproar, there is clear cross-over of interests, spirit and passion and likemindedness. Sometimes even methods of working and results may cross over. It would be somewhat retarded to try turn it into as if artists would be somehow responsible to anything else than level of co-operation they choose to do.

In formerly mentioned INFERNO magazine interview, Läjä mentions that already decades ago situation was the same. Some people did not think Terveet Kädet was “real hardcore”, since it did not follow the unwritten rulebook of hardcore. Also some of labels that had released their music do not have entirely clean reputation. He mentioned just wanting to do what he does. This spirit of being who you are, not taking commands from outside radiates from all things he did. Made material stand out in genre. Even comic books he put out, are something unlike anything published in Finland at the time. Or ever since!

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This similar attitude may be found in Bizarre Uproar. Being one of the names that define Finnish noise, some say in good, some say in bad, his work remains rejuvenating and creative. It is the rebel spirit of doing what one wants, how one want, regardless how media, scene tourists, genre historians or whoever feels like it.

This had lead Bizarre Uproar to be way more than just a noise project who plays copycat noise with noise gear for noise crow dressed in noise apparel. Instead, it bleeds into general consciousness of Finnish underground culture. Shows with Black Metal, noisecore, noise, power electronics, hardcore punk, RAC, and whatever bands he felt liked to play. He could see the qualities that unifies things regardless of different backgrounds or musical approaches. He did art books, co-operated with visual artists. If he felt like it, he would be featured in bigger media, but also very confident in utmost isolation, working under the radar.

One quality both Markkula and Läjä seems to have, is they do not appear to attempt to imitate idea, but be IT. Just like in case of Terveet Kädet, it was not imitation of hardcore, but real deal hardcore. BU being noise and even almost as if living noise lifestyle, without intent to replicate old noise makers idea.

I acknowledge, this text certainly may appear to be almost like fan loveletter to artists. Perhaps. It is just that in spirit, I do owe great deal. Not only spirit these fellows have, but also some others represent and made Finland very inspiring place to live and create. Specific spirit of people who refuse to be tamed and just go on to create world of their own.

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Dekaloogi – Dekadenz catalogue images thanks to: Jukka Siikala.
Other scans & photos from archives of Mikko A.
Couple 7″s/cd covers taken from discogs.

Further reading & links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terveet_Kädet

Läjä Äijälä

Jukka Siikala website, including collaborations art with Bizarre Uproar. Oksu video with soundtrack and starring Bizarre Uproar: https://www.siikala.com/othermedias

Bizarre Uproar vinyl and CD releases available from: nhfastore (finland)