Sampo Y-K, creative director
Wed, 8th June 2022 ines.carvalho

Reset the City: Helsinki with Sampo Y-K

"Booming, unique, hungry, quality" - this is how Sampo Y-K describes the cultural scene in Helsinki. Curious about the best recommendations to enjoy Finland's capital city? Read the full interview below.

Sampo Yrjö-Koskinen, Creative Director at IKONO, CEO at Liitto & all around hustler - based in Helsinki.

 

Can you describe the cultural scene in Helsinki using 4 words only?

Sampo: Booming, unique, hungry, quality

 

If you could stop time and live forever in a show, which one would it be?

Sampo: Probably something from Fusion Festival, maybe the Viken Arman Live at Fusion 2018. That’s one of the craziest live sets ever recorded on this planet (you can find it from Soundcloud). This particular Fusion was my first as well, the whole festival is a live show full of incomprehensible madness.

 

Which cultural event would you like to create?

Sampo: Something very immersive and all-encompassing artwise, in which the reality and the show are in total relation. The previously mentioned Fusion Festival is a good example of this.

 

Which local artist are you most excited about these days?

Sampo: Sansibar for sure, the guy is all over the place! Also I wanna give a shoutout to all the youngsters working on their own projects, there’s a whole new generation that seems to be feeding each other creativity and self-confidence, thus creating a snowball effect that’s just getting bigger and bigger.

 

What is the place in Helsinki where you always feel inspired?

Sampo: Any auditorium, any museum, any gallery.

 

What are the three artsy things people shouldn’t miss in Helsinki?

Sampo:

1) Have drinks in Harju8 during their Sunday jazz sessions.

2) Go bath in Yrjönkatu 2nd floor. No doubt the absolute best place in Helsinki, especially if you have a hangover. The place has beautiful architecture.

3) Go get some artisan bread from PRIMO located in Lapinlahti on a Sunday morning. Very soothing.

 

If you could switch lives with an artist or creative for a day, who would it be?

Sampo: Impossible question, too many lives to live. But one moment that I’d like to experience is being Sven Vath when he was playing at Love Parade (2000).

 

Harju8 Jazz Sessions

Jazz Session at Harju8

 

Additionally…

 

What would you sing at a Karaoke night?

Sampo: Push It To The Limit

 

What kind of secret society would you like to start?

Sampo: Liitto’s conclave. You can learn more about it from our upcoming movie called Maniamies.

 

In one word, how would you sum up a music festival?

Sampo: Essential

 

What would be the absolute worst name you could give your rock band?

Sampo: PTNKY Big Band

 

What movie would be perfect for a musical?

Sampo: The Raid: Redemption
 

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