16 April 2017

Mika Vainio RIP

Image result

Mika and Ilpo of Pan Sonic (or Pansonic before the Japanese corporation threatened to sue and they had to effect a name-change) came to Singapore 16 years ago. My friends and I took up the challenge which they posed and posted in the The Wire magazine about a world tour to little-travelled-to places around the world, which we guessed then Singapore, qualified.

So the whole hassle of emailing and finalising the logistic side of things like lodging and venue and marketing and what have you started once they gave us the ok about 10 weeks before the actual gig date at a dodgy little second floor venue called Insomnia in Bugis.

Stoic and often just in his own zone, Mika came across as deep in thought or introverted or maybe just trying to get over his jet lag after flying hours from Europe to Asia. But I remember a conversation outside the gig venue after they had checked it out before the gig the next day. We were just talking about the usual music geek talk when Ilpo, his partner in Pan Sonic, and the tour manager more so, were yakking away. However his eyes lit up when we mentioned Keiji Haino. He became more animated and he and Ilpo showed keen interest to meet him and possibly collaborate with Haino-san in the near future. The outcome was released a few years later by Blast First Records. 

He is still a unique artiste, solo or with Ilpo or with other collaborators during his life or after. RIP.

No comments: