Modem

Modem’s lush synthesizer textures, treated guitar lines, and high-energy electronic beats align seamlessly with the retro-futurist vibe that currently dominates pop’s efforts to recapture the spirit of the 1980s. What sets the act apart is its choice to perform exclusively in Finnish.

The Helsinki-based project unites vocalist and keyboardist Tytti Roto with multi-instrumentalist Ville Valavuo, both longtime participants in the city’s underground community. Roto previously fronted and played in the alt-rock and power-pop groups Plastic Tones, Tamara Luonto, and Ghost World, while Valavuo contributed to the metal and punk bands Speedtrap, Foreseen, and Kohti Tuhoa. Drawing on that independent ethos, the pair issued their first singles, “Elokuvia” and “Luxuria,” themselves in 2022. Their 2024 debut album, Megalomania, addresses power dynamics, social disparity, and broader questions of existence—subjects that would resonate with many of their 1980s predecessors. Modem has since brought the material to audiences through club dates across Europe and appearances at domestic festivals.