Don Johnson Big Band break boundaries.

Byline:Â Jonathan Mander

Don Johnson Big Band have a habit of making the impossible possible. They call themselves a big band, but are actually only three musicians and one MC, and they conquered the Finnish charts with their unique concoction of jazzy hip-hop and English-language rapping–not the normal mix for local chart success.

Their sophomore album Breaking Daylight (Universal Music Finland) was released on May 9 in Finland and entered the chart at number one, holding on to that spot for three weeks. The album, which has since gone gold, was preceded by the single One MC, One Delay, which entered at number two in the chart back in April.

Radio warmed to One MC, One Delay early on, with public CHR station YLEX and commercial CHR station NRJ Finland leading the way. “There was a lot of pressure form the record company to play it,” says NRJ’s programme director Kari Laakso. “And at first we were not receptive. But then we decided to play it and there were a lot of requests for it. We started in the evenings and then it went on to B rotation.”

The snowball effect saw the single being picked up by CHR station Kiss FM, Hot AC Radio Suomipop, and public Swedish-language CHR station YLE X3M.

“It’s good to see this kind of open-minded attitude from radio, willing to try something outside the mainstream,” says Universal Music Finland marketing director Kimmo Kivisilta. “The song’s strength is the strong hook, combined with the fact that it definitely stands out.”

Band members seem genuinely baffled with what has happened. But Tommy Lindgren, the group’s rapid-delivery MC, sees their sudden rise to glory as indicative of a change in the Finnish music scene. “The pop scene here has become more openminded,” he notes. “And the fact that our album doesn’t fit any mould, and is really diverse, has appealed to many.”

Initially promoting themselves primarily through their live shows, Don Johnson Big Band’s self-released, debut album Support De Microphones was picked up for distribution by Sony Music Finland in spring 2001. The album went on to sell 10,000 copies.

“The first album was a slow-burner,” says Kivisilta. “But a lot music journalists liked it, and were eager to hear new material. After the single hit, word reached the editor-in-chief level, which resulted in some cover stories. That, and some well-timed TV performances and six key shows, also had an impact,”

Breaking Daylight is a diverse album, ranging from melancholy songs like Penguin to the mad, groove-laden, politically-fuelled romp of Jah Jah Blow Job. “It’s really hard to describe the kind of music they play,” says NRJ’s Laakso. “It sort of defies description. It’s a mixture of a lot of styles. But they have a lot of potential. They are unique.”

One MC, One Delay will be sent to radio in Scandinavia in August, with release dates in the regions to follow.

The band has played a string of sold-out gigs across Finland are performing at several European summer festivals.