ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI

Architecture in Helsinki is a six-piece of like-minded types based in and around Fitzroy, Melbourne. Members Cameron Bird, James Cecil, Isobel Knowles, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry & Kellie Sutherland began colluding musically in the depths of winter 2000.

Spending their first year sporadically rehearsing, swapping instruments and occasionally playing live, the band began recording their album close to two years ago.

The band recorded the album by themselves at a number of location in both the city and the country in such unlikely places as beach houses, abandoned church halls, flash recording studios, hallway stairs and student bedrooms.

The list of instruments played on the album reads like that of a wayward school band: synths, guitars, bass, glockenspiel, drums and percussion, trumpet, tuba, trombone, clarinet, recorder, handclaps, finger clicks, kids voices and crowd shouts.

Reflecting the diverse influences and inspirations of each band member, the tracks embrace live instrumentation and electronic wizardry, delicately threaded together in a fashion that is fresh and inspired in its production and (de)construction.

Across fourteen tracks, 'Fingers Crossed' plays with notions of pop and non-pop. Ideas are plucked out of one genre and placed on top of one another; songs start in one place and end somewhere else entirely.

Somewhere amongst it all, the band have managed to eek out a sound that is unmistakably and entirely their own.

Estimated despatch 14-20 days after ordering.