Desert Planet (band)
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Desert Planet is a band performing electronic music influenced by 8-bit video games, coin operated games and science fiction movies. Usually these type of music is called bitpop or micromusic. The band comes from Lapland, northern Finland and the members are Jukka Tarkiainen, Jari Mikkola and Antti Hovila.
Desert Planet has been active since 1999. At first it was a solo project by Jukka Tarkiainen. Jari Mikkola joined the group in 2002 after directing a music video for the title song of the first album "Asteroid Hopper". In 2003 Desert Planet released an album "Joystick Pop" through a label called ODOR, a sub-label of the Universal Music Group. In late 2004 the band signed a recording deal with a German label 9pm-records, who have a distribution for their releases in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. At the same time Desert Planet also made a deal with Stupido records in Finland, who take care of record releases in Scandinavia. In December 2005 the band was awarded by the Arts Council of Lapland as "The Artist of the year" award. The award was given because of their innovative music, creative web appearance and do-it-yourself music exporting. In May 2007 Desert Planet released a USB memory stick called "Aska-Osaka Virtual Highway" packed with multimedia and music. The Japan spirited USB-stick music release was the first of a kind in Finland[citation needed].
Desert Planet are creating electronic music in the spirit of 80's video games, but the style is not chiptunes or minimal 8-bit music. It is rather electronic dance music or electro pop with inluences from 80's game consoles and computers like Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga and Commodore 64. Their music videos and live performances are presenting the band with a b-class science fiction aesthetics. The live performance is like a space themed show with pixelled video projections presented by video VJ Antti Hovila.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Music
- Asteroid Hopper (Dese 001, 2001)
- Dune Buggy CDS (Odor, 2002)
- Joystick Pop (Odor, 2003)
- Turbo Tellytunes (Dese 002, 2004)
- Mario Built My Hot Rod (9pm-records/Stupido Records, 2005, released in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Finland.)
- Aska-Osaka Virtual Highway ( Dese 003, 2007, USB flash drive memory stick)
- Moonrocks (9pm-records/Stupido Records, 2008, to be released in Germany, Austria, Switzerland; released in Finland.)
[edit] Music videos
- Asteroid Hopper, 2001
- Lost Galaxians, 2003
- Return of the Ninja Droids, 2005
- Return of the Ninja Droids, LIVE AT GERMAN TOUR 2006, 2006
[edit] Tours in Europe
France 2003
- 17.12.03 France, Amiens, La Lune des Pirates (w/Aavikko)
- 19.12.03 France, Le Havre, Le Couloir (w/Puyo Puyo)
Tour in May 2005
- 29.04.05 Germany, Kassel, K-19
- 30.04.05 Netherlands, Arnhem, Melksalon
- 01.05.05 Germany, Lübeck, Treibsand, 1st of May-Festival
- 02.05.05 Germany, Lüneburg, Asta-Wohnzimmer (w/ Naomi Sample & The Go Go Ghosts)
- 05.05.05 Germany, Fürth, Germany, Kunstkeller o27 (w/ KIOSKI SoundiKone)
- 06.05.05 Germany, Nürnberg, Weinerei
- 07.05.05 Germany, Nürnberg, Live and interview at Radio Z, 9 pm at Tiefton with Andre
- 08.05.05 Germany, Hannover, Bei Chez Heinz (w/ Eläkeläiset)
- 10.05.05 Germany, Bayreuth, Glashaus LIVE VIDEO CLIP
- 11.05.05 Switzerland, Zürich, Helsinki Club
- 12.05.05 Switzerland, Bern, Cafe Cairo w/ KIOSKI SoundiKone
- 13.05.05 Switzerland, Basel, Wagenmeister w/ KIOSKI SoundiKone
Lange Nacht Der Wissenschaften 2005
- 22.10.05 Germany, Fürth, "Lange Nacht Der Wissenschaften" (" The Long Night of Sciences")
- 23.10.05 Germany,, Nürnberg, Weinerei
Tour in December 2005
- 09.12.05 Germany, Stuttgart, Rocker33
- 10.12.05 Germany, Berlin, ENZIAN Bar, (Kreuzberg), Yorckstr. 77
- 14.12.05 Germany, Nürnberg, Weinerei,
- 15.12.05 Germany, Fürth, Raum 4,
- 16.12.05 Germany, Schwerte, Kunterbunt e. V.
Tour in May 2006
- 11.05.06, Germany, Hamburg, Grüner Jäger (w/ Naomi Sample & The Go Go Ghosts)
- 13.05.06, Germany, Lübeck, Treibsand (w/ Räuberhöhle, Toxic lipstick (Australia))
- 14.05.06, Germany, Lüneburg, Asta-Wohnzimmer (w/ A Boy and his Sid )
- 15.05.06, Germany, Nürnberg, Live @ Radio-Z
- 17.05.06, Germany, Frankfurt/M., Germany, Das Bett
- 18.05.06, Germany, Kassel, K-19
- 19.05.06, Germany, Berlin, Bastard Club ( w/ Slagsmalsklubben [sweden + Achtungliebeautomat [berlin/uk])
- 20.05.06, Germany, Leipzig, Popup Musikmesse
Tour in May 2007
- 10.05.07 Switzerland, Helsinki Club
- 11.05.07 Germany, Fürth, Raum 4
- 12.05.07 Germany, Bayreuth, Glashaus
- 15.05.07 Germany, Bamberg, Morphclub
- 16.05.07 Germany, Berlin, Storno 8-bit sessions @ White Trash
- 18.05.07 Germany, Hamburg, Astra-Stube
- 19.05.07 Germany, Lübeck, Treibsand
Polarzoo festival 2007
- 11.12.07 Kesselhaus der Kulturbrauerei, Berlin, Germany, POLARZOO FESTIVAL
Lineup: Last Days of April ( Sweden), Kashimir ( Denmark), Wulfgang ( Iceland), Ida Maria ( Norway) and Desert Planet (Finland)
- 12.12.07 WUK Kulturzentrum, Wien, Austria, POLARZOO FESTIVAL
- 13.12.07 Salzhaus, Winterthur, Switzerland, POLARZOO FESTIVAL
Tour in april/May 2008
- 30.04.08 Germany, Neubrandenburg, Zebra
- 01.05.08 Germany, Lübeck, 1. Mai-FestivalTreibsand Desrt Planet [FIN], Perkalaba [UA], The Chancers [CZ], Puts Marie [CH], Marracash Orchestra, Minne und die Minnis, No Life Lost [HH], Vic Du Monte [USA], Sven Panne [HL], Black Halos [USA], Geigerzaehler [D], La Cumbia Chicharra , The Gangnails [CZ], Jonny Freedom, Les Grosses Papilles [F], Nightingales [FIN]
- 02.05.08 Germany, Berlin, Kaffee Burger (+DJs Lumi + Jorma+ Annikki)
- 03.05.08 Germany, Berlin NOT A LIVE GIG but "a Desert Planet short film and music video presentation" @ Superexhibition OPENING " Whatever gets you through the night " in the Galerie Tristesse. The Exhibiton presented by Fehmi Baumbach and Jim Avignon. Artists: philip grözinger, mia gideon, frau kraushaar, anna, jo zimmermann , ema, katharina sieg, gabi hofmann, jim avignon, fehmi baumbach, juliane heinrich, eleonorMultimedia: Florian Thalhofer, Desert Planet. Music: Schlammpeiziger, Manou, Frau Kraushaar, Neoangin
- 05.05.08 Germany, Fürth, Kioski instore gig
- 06.05.08 Germany, Frankfurt, Das Bett
- 08.05.08 Switzerland, Schaffhausen, TabTap (+ Duchess Says (CAN))
- 09.05.08 Switzerland, Zürich, Helsinki Club
- 10.05.08 Austria, Salzburg, Rockhouse Bar (+ Tomtation (D), Sex Panza (A), Kioski soundikone DJ´s, DJ Precious, DJ Foxie Foxtrott, DJ Ole Hlynur)
