Modem is a Helsinki-based synth pop duo formed by Tytti Roto and Ville Valavuo in 2020. Having paid their dues in the Finnish punk and indie underground (in bands such as Tamara Luonto, Plastic Tones, Kissa, Foreseen and Kohti Tuhoa), the duo set out to create electronic pop music and channel their love for the synthetic sounds of the 1980s.

The band’s debut album Megalomania analyzes the ambivalent values of the western world. Their danceable synth pop creates a backdrop for lyrical themes such as animal rights, socio-economic inequality, self help culture, the brutal history of European colonialism and its legacy in the modern age.

Following the DIY ethos of the punk scene, the band has been very self-sufficient in recording, mixing and artwork, and released everything through their own label Modem Age Records. So far the band has put out two 12” singles - Elokuvia (2022) and Luxuria (2022) before releasing a full length in April 2024. In the past couple years Modem have been touring actively in the Finnish club scene, played some of Finland’s biggest festivals such as Flow Festival, Sideways and Ruisrock, and toured briefly in Central Europe and Scandinavia.

Clear Channel is a Washington, DC-based duo featuring Awad Bilal (Too Free) and Mary Jane Regalado (Downtown Boys, Gauche). They are an eclectic mix of artists and activists fusing funky post-punk with humor, bouncy bass lines, and celebratory rhythms. Described as “making party music on the brink of psychic annihilation” by the Washington Post, Clear Channel is distinctly DC and glowing.

Sickle Cell