• Image: Heikki Kaski. From the left: Frans Saraste, Kristian Äijö and Vesa Hoikka

    Five Finnish bands in total are playing at Brighton’s TGE festival. Helsinki based Redder is playing their first UK gig at famously intimate Komedia Studio Bar in Brighton 15 May.

    “We are excited,” musician Frans Saraste says and introduces his band members: “In addition to Kride, Vesa and me, there’s Juho who plays the drums. Which means drums, guitar, synth, clarinet and visuals this time.”

    Delicately dark and experimental, Redder is also renowned for their imaginative visual presence on stage: VJ Kristian Äijö, an aspiring architect as Saraste, travels to Brighton, too.

    Redder members, identifying themselves as friends of architecture, coffee and philosophy, bring up storytelling as an equally essential ingredient in making music – along with the experimental nature of their haunting soundscapes.

    “Conceptuality and experimenting with the new have been part of what we do since the beginning, and it has since furthermore strengthened and brightened,” says Saraste.

    He likes to write songs, where a slightly eccentric main character finds a voice.

    “If I should encapsulate this, I’d say our songs are usually framed with the voice of some interesting or strange character I want to investigate that moment.”

    The Great Escape (TGE) is a new music festival that showcases emerging artists from all over the world. Over 400 up and coming bands play in 35 Brighton venues May 14 – 16.

    In addition to Redder, the four other bands from Finland are rap artist Noah Kin, five-man rock collective mr. Peter Hayden, Steve ‘n’ Seagulls who just released their new album Farm Machine, and indie band Freeweights.

    Redder performs at Komedia Studio Bar Friday 15 at 7.45 – 8.15. More information about the festival tickets here.

    Listen to Redder here.