Rubik(2)

A lot has happened to Finnish indie quartet - now, occasionally, a quintet - Rubik after playing their first live show in 2003. Combining near-to-hysterical guitar screeching and atmospheric, almost ambient landscapes with twisted pop melodies you could easily see them threading the path of modern proggish indie and not-so-indie rock with the likes of Radiohead, Elbow, Mew and deus.

But as seen on their now sold out debut EP People Go Missing released in the beginning of 2005 via New Music Community, their music really is strong enough to stand on its own too. Coming out as dream-like but with a nightmare twist there's also certain fragility and accidentiality in it that drones and reshapes; breathes and lets you breathe; embraces not suffocates. All this was noted as well by the audience and the cohorts of critics, who were stunned. For many of them (with the "official" Finnish rock critic Ilkka Mattila in the front row) the EP was one of the most refreshing debut records of the year.

Yet so far, with only one and now out-of-print mini-album in their pocket, Rubik has mostly startled people at their gigs that are, so to speak, outblowing experiences of manic energy yet wrapped in crawling-under-your-skin-like intimacy. Within a year alone they've already played shows with Mogwai, Carpark North, Disco Ensemble and Autechre, toured Finland with current local indie faves Lapko, signed to Fullsteam Records and, above all, finished their debut album Bad Conscience Patrol coming out in the beginning of 2007.