Finland - Blind Channel - Dark Side

Promo (front)

6 - 301 pts / 5 - 234 pts in semi 2
The winners of the Finnish UMK 2021 are Blind Channel with the song Dark Side.

The song is written by the band themselves.
Finland's National Final UMK (Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, New Music Contest) was held on Februari 20.
All songs (7) have been released as digital singles, see this UMK YT playlist.

Blind Channel are: Joel Hokka, Niko Vilhelm, Joonas Porko, Olli Matela, Tommi Lalli and Aleksi Kaunisvesi.
The band have so far released three albums: Revolutions (2016), Blood Brothers (2018) and Violent Pop (2020)

The new album, including Dark Side, was released on July 8 2022

Promo (back)

A promo cdsingle was issued by Blind Channels's record label Ranka Kustannus. Initially 110 copies pressed. 8 of these are a "special platinum edition" (They were used for the platunum award for the band)

Comes in a card sleeve (Ranka Kustannus RAN 1702101)

It has Dark Side plus Love Of Mine (from the 2020 album Violent Pop)

A second batch was made for promotion in Rotterdam. This has the band name in yellow instead of white on the label.

Lifestyles Of The Sick And Dangerous

Blind Channel's new album was released on July 8 2022. It includes Dark Side.

CD and LP/CD bundles are orderable here.

You have options:

Gold vinyl + CD set (limited to 300 copies)

White vinyl + CD (limited to 300)

Clear vinyl + CD (limited to 1000)

Black Vinyl + CD

CD (limited digipack)

CD (US edition in jewel case)

2020 singer Aksel Kankaanranta was one of this year's UMK contestants but only finished 5th. 

And very interesting is the participation of the legendary Danny. Here at Eurocovers is a new post about Danny's earlier Eurovision attempts and the collection of Eurovision tunes he covered over the years.

Another familiar voice in the list is Estonienne Laura Põldvere.

The 7 digital singles of UMK 2021

Versions

Dark Side

- digital release 21-1, Rotterdam 2CD, promo cds

Dark Side - karaoke

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)

Charts

Dark Side spent three weeks on the Finnish top 20 and re-entered at #1 after the UMK victory. The last time a Finnish entry was a #1 hit at home was This One. :)

Dark Side was awarded Triple Platinum in Finland in August for 30.000 certified units

Finnish top 20 (IFPI): 5, 10, 13, - 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 6, 8, 8, 7, 13, 8, 6, 1, 3, 3, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 11, 15, 17, 18, -

Netherlands single top 100: 22, 56, -

Sweden top 100 (Topplistan): 28, 51, -

U.K. top 100 (OCC): 66, -

Ireland top 100 (IRMA): 62, -

Norway top 40 (VG lista): 27, -

Germany top 100 (ODC): 51, -

Switzerland top 100: 39, -

Austria top 75: 64, -

Links and sources
YLE UMK pages and Youtube playlist

Blind Channel Website,  Facebook Shop

Lithuania - The Roop - Discoteque

 The Roop has it in the bag(gy trousers)

8 - 220 pts / 4 - 203 in semi 1

The Lithuanian selection has the coolest name, Pabandom iš Naujo which loosely translates as Let's Try Again. Which of course applies very well to 2020 winners The Roop.
Only four nights, which is a low for Lithuania. Two heats (Januari 16 and 23), a semi final (Januari 30) and a final on Februari 6.

The Roop did try again and won. Discoteque is written by the band themselves: Vaidotas Valiukevičius, Robertas Baranauskas, Mantas Banišauskas with Laisvūnas Černovas, Kalle Lindroth and Ilkka Wirtanen.

Discoteque was released as a digital single on January 21. (Warner Music Finland)

Here's the official video

A week later a remix by Andrius Simankovas was released. I missed it initially as it doesn't seem to show up if you search for The Roop in your digital store/streamer. If you search for Andrius Simankovas you'll find it. The remix is gone from the digital stores as of 18-3, but you can still hear it on Soundcloud

On May 14 a new remix was released, The Deepend Remix. It comes in short and extended versions.

Another remix was released on May 28. The Second Level remix is mixed by Daniel Helenius.

The Roop had announced a new album which was to be released last November. The album was postponed and in the meantime the band have signed to Warner and has been working on new material in the Warner studio's in Finland. 

The release of the album was then scheduled for February/March 2021, but I'm pretty sure they won't make that either. (yup)
The vinyl LP advertised on their website has disappeared and we'll have to wait till autumn for any proper release. Autumn 2021, 2022, 2023????

Update: The Roop release their album including On Fire and Discoteque on May 11 2022. CD will follow later and LP even later. Out on Warner. 

You can buy the CD here at The Roop. Vinyl will follow in Autumn. Possibly maybe probably.

The Roop's On Fire was the entry for 2020. The band are trying again with Discoteque which already has a ticket to the final.

The illusive remix

Versions
Discoteque
- digital release 21-1, Rotterdam 2CD
Discoteque - karaoke 
- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)
Discoteque - Second level remix
- digital 28-5
Discoteque - Deepend remix
Discoteque - Deepend remix extended
- Deepen mixes digital 14-5
Discoteque - Andrius Simankovas remix
- digital release 28-1, now withdrawn (18-3)

Charts

Netherlands singles top 100: 49
Sweden top 100 (Topplistan): 39, 82
Ireland top 100 (IRMA): 75
Finland top 20 (IFPI): 19

Links and sources
Here's the Youtube playlist of the first heat (LRT Youtube)

The Roop: Website, Facebook, Shop
2020 On Fire - The Roop at Rotterdam 20/20