It’s a delightful rarity to have a Finnish pop idol move to New Zealand and re-boot what was once a burgeoning career in his home land.
That’s the back story of NEEKOH, a Finland Pop Idol finalist in 2014, and Falling, his second New Zealand single from the soon to be released EP Dark Light. Falling is a darkly enchanting “cosmic” love song with a big pulsing heart, a grand electronic sweep and oddly entrancing robotic vocal that suggests disassociation but sweeps you up in a whirlwind of emotions.
I love this kind of disparity – robotic, as in going through the motions, and conscious and considerate, as in going through the emotions.
Despite its powerful electronic overlays, Falling is raw to the core. Welcome to our little corner of the world NEEKOH. I think you are going to make quite the impression.
Prior moving to New Zealand in 2016, the Finnish artist NEEKOH, one-name performance moniker of Niko Helenius, released his debut single Bigger Better Stronger Faster in English and Finnish with music videos for both versions at the same time. Both music videos was shot in Los Angeles, US and was directed by Hector Abaunza, who has worked with Grammy nominated artists like James T. Slater.
A divorce from a relationship of 12 years urged NEEKOH to take a break of his celebrity status in Finland to re-create himself. The conclusion of the hiatus was that only way going forward is being brutally honest and personal in his songwriting. Meanwhile, falling in love encouraged him to move to the other side of the world. After moving to NZ, NEEKOH decided to write about the break-up and a new-found love. The upcoming EP Dark Light about love, sex and heartache is set to be released early 2021. He has come a long way musically as well as geographically since Finland's Pop Idol finalist 2014.