The Rasmus
| The Rasmus | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Helsinki, Finland |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1994 – Present |
| Label(s) | Playground Music DRT Entertainment |
| Associated acts | Hay and Stone Killer Kwan |
| Website | www.therasmus.com |
| Members | |
| Lauri Ylönen Pauli Rantasalmi Aki Hakala Eero Heinonen |
|
| Former members | |
| Janne Heiskanen | |
The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band that formed in 1994 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school.[1] The original band members were Lauri Ylönen (lead singer/songwriter), Eero Heinonen (bass), Pauli Rantasalmi (guitar) and Janne Heiskanen (drums). Heiskanen quit the band in 1998 and was soon replaced by Aki Hakala.
Before releasing their fourth studio album Into (2001), they were simply known as Rasmus, but changed their name to The Rasmus in order to avoid being confused with a Swedish DJ of the same name. They gained international fame with their 2003 album Dead Letters, accompanied with the single "In the Shadows" which reached number 1 in several countries.
The band is one of Finland's most successful with more than 3.5 million sold albums worldwide, eight gold awards and five platinum awards.[2] They have released six studio albums, one compilation album and 21 singles. Some of the band's most famous songs are the singles "Liquid", "F-F-F-Falling", "In the Shadows", "First Day of My Life", "Funeral Song" , "No Fear" and "Sail Away". The band has recently released another album, titled Black Roses which will go on sale on 26 September. Notably, production help from Desmond Child and the first single "Livin' in a World Without You" will headline the album.
Contents |
Music videos
- For a complete list of the band's music videos, see The Rasmus discography.
The Rasmus have released a total of sixteen music videos (including three different versions of "In the Shadows"). Niklas Fronda & Fredrik Löfberg of Baranga Film have directed three of the band's videos, all from the Dead Letters album. Dead Letters is the album with most music videos: seven videos have been released from that album, including three versions of "In the Shadows". The first video they ever made was the one to Funky Jam, 1996.
Band members
Line-ups
| (1994-1998) | |
|---|---|
| (1998-present) |
|
Lauri Ylönen
He is the lead singer and was born Lauri Johannes Ylönen in Helsinki on April 23, 1979. His parents names are Matti and Liisa Ylönen and he has an older sister called Hanna, who was the muse of the song "P.S.", a song about Lauri's love/hate relationship with his sister. Lauri is the main song writer and has also worked on various collaborations with fellow Finns Apocalyptica and Ville Valo from the band HIM. He has also worked in the production of music for fellow Dynasty members Killer and Kwan, together with bandmate Pauli. In 2007 Lauri and other Dynasty members opened their own recording label, Dynasty Recordings. Lauri has 7 nick names; Lintu, Lare, Birdy, Jumsala, Pauri (with Pauli), Baby Face and Lauki (with Aki). Lauri's image is well known for having crow feathers in his hair and has been wearing them since just before their fifth album Dead Letters was released. He was on MTV for the first time in July 2005.
Pauli Rantasalmi
Pauli is the guitarist and was born in Helsinki, Finland on May 1, 1979. He helped design the "dynasty" logo on two of his guitars. He co-owns the record label Dynasty Recordings with Lauri Ylönen, who is the singer in the band. Together they have also produced one of the Finnish band Killer's album before they split. Pauli's first child (a baby girl) was born August 13, 2008, in Singapore.
Aki Hakala
His full name is Aki Markus Hakala. He is the drummer and was born in Espoo, Finland, on October 28, 1979. He joined the band in 1999, after the former drummer, Janne Heiskanen, left the band to "find himself." Aki originally sold band merchandise at their shows and joined the band after jamming with Pauli. He says that the only thing he was ever good at was drumming, and he "sucked at everything else," although he has done some acting in the past in Siamin tytöt (a Finnish drama series) and can play the guitar. Before joining The Rasmus, he was a drummer for Killer and Kwan, (he was replaced by Risto). In 2006, Aki decided to finally have LASIK eye surgery, and ceased wearing his trademark black glasses. Early 2007, he stopped dying his hair black, opting instead for platinum blond. In July 2007, he and his girlfriend welcomed their first child, though there isn't any official confirmation of the relationship, or who she is.
Eero Heinonen
He is the bassist and was born Eero Aleksi Heinonen in Helsinki, Finland, on November 27, 1979. Eero is a follower of Sahaja Yoga and is a quiet and well-balanced person, but also well-known for playing tricks on bandmates and others. He is currently the only member of the band who is married and he is also a father of two young daughters, 2 and 4. After playing in Korpi Ensemble for many years he now has a new side project (since 2004) called Hay and Stone, where he is bass player and lead singer. Eero also plays the violin.
Discography
- Further information: The Rasmus discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Peep | Warner Music Finland |
| 1997 | Playboys | Warner Music Finland |
| 1998 | Hell of a Tester | Warner Music Finland |
| 2001 | Into | Playground Music Scandinavia |
| 2003 | Dead Letters | Playground Music Scandinavia |
| 2005 | Hide from the Sun | Playground Music Scandinavia |
| 2008 | Black Roses[3] | Playground Music Scandinavia| |
Tours
| Years | Tour | Countries | Cities | Concerts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05 | Dead Letters Tour | 29 | 107 | 296 |
| 2005-06 | Hide from the Sun Tour | 36 | 110 | 249 |
Dynasty
The Rasmus were part of a brotherhood of Finnish bands known as "Dynasty", along with the hip-hop band Kwan and the now-separated modern rock band Killer. Dynasty also have a studio in Helsinki, where they recruit new Finnish talent. Several members of Dynasty have tattoos with the Dynasty text; one can be found on Pauli's left and Lauri's right arm. Pauli and Eero also have instruments and gear bearing the Dynasty logo. Pauli has helped with the production of Kwan, winning an EMMA for Producer of the Year in 2001.
See also
- Timeline of alternative rock
Sources
References
- ↑ Main source of the band's history: Åsa Werner and Mia Lindqvist, The Rasmus history at www.therasmus.se
- ↑ The Rasmus.com - Official band biography Retrieved on 2005-09-18
- ↑ "Black Roses" with Desmond Child
External links
- The Rasmus.com - Official band website
- Playground Music Scandinavia
- The Rasmus at MySpace
- The Rasmus at Allmusic
- The Rasmus - International band forum
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||