Pihka Is My Name are a Berlin (Germany) & Oulu (Finland) based electronic duo who combine analogue synthesizers, hypnotic piano patterns and crunchy drum machines. Band members are composer-pianist Henna Helasvuo and producer-sound designer Lasse Turunen.
Pihka Is My Name self-released their debut album ‘Everything Is In Between’ to very positive reviews in March 2021. It was followed by their ‘Dance Forbidden’ EP, which was released via Taiwan-based Mettāsonic label in January 2022. Their second long-player ‘Caller Unknown’ was released in September 2023, and was celebrated with a European Tour with US band Princess Goes.
Pihka Is My Name released their third album ‘Lost In Encryption’ on 1st April this year. Their live performances have impressed viewers with their frantic energy, visuals and dual vocals.
On 15th May this year, Pihka Is My Name performed at The Great Escape Festival and announced a new collaboration with Brighton-based vocalist, musician and songwriter IanGX with a song ‘Too Much Noise’.
IanGX’s biog informs us that “Music is my life and my passion and has taken me around the world performing regularly to large audiences, supporting large bands and artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Paulo Nuntini, Frank Turner, Theory and Ayron Jones – and also having my music featured in films, TV and adverts”.
Our account of that Great Escape performance reads thus:
PIHKA IS MY NAME – Dust 15:40 – 16:00
I next have to suffer the second worst clash of sets across the 4 days, this being seeing radical electronic trio VVV [Trippin’you] from Móstoles (Spain) at Horatios at the end of the pier or witnessing Finnish-German duo Pihka Is My Name doing their thing at Dust. As I head down from Brighthelm where I saw Walt Disco, I really can’t bring myself to pass the door at Dust and I head on in and go downstairs to the BIMM stage in order to see what Berlin/Oulu-based Lasse Turunen and Henna Helasvuo have to offer for their first ever Brighton concert. They are here off of the back of their new LP ‘Lost In Encryption’ which dropped last month. Their setup is two keyboards with electronics, and laptop and dual vocals. We are treated to 7 numbers, these being: ‘Pulsate’, ‘Pulsing Polarities’, ‘Plus Minus’, ‘Reaching For The Out Of Range’, ‘Binaries’, ‘Too Much Noise’ and ‘Exponential Potential’. Their material reminds me of German electronic group Dune of ‘Hardcore Vibes’ and ‘Can’t Stop Raving’ fame. We are informed that they released a single a week ago and that it features Brighton based Ian George, and said person comes bounding onto the stage for the tune. Henna’s long hair gets thrown around during the set and adds to the excitement and Lasse states “Brighton.. the capital of European loveliness”, so let’s hope that they make a swift return to these parts. I heard the word July uttered, but it’s not confirmed. If you’re a fan of EBM and techno then Pihka Is My Name are for you! (Nick Linazasoro)
Pihka Is My Name & IanGX next collaboration single is a double a-side, ‘In A Breath’ / ‘Spiritual’, which will be released on 10th of July.
Pihka Is My Name & IanGX will be performing a select half dozen UK shows next month, courtesy of Gateway Promotions, where they will be calling in at London, Bristol, Chatham, Manchester, Leeds and here in Brighton at the Dust venue at 77 East Street on 15th July. Pihka Is My Name will be playing material from all of their 3 albums as well as some up-and-coming tracks featuring IanGX.
Tickets for these performances are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.
