Architecture in Helsinki were an Australian indie pop band which consisted of Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland. Before its hiatus, the band released five studio albums: Fingers Crossed (2003), In Case We Die (2005), Places Like This (2007), Moment Bends (2011), and Now + 4eva (2014). The band has been inactive since 2018.

History

2000–2003: Formation and Fingers Crossed

Architecture in Helsinki developed from a short-lived high school music experiment in the New South Wales city of Albury, by childhood friends Cameron Bird (lead singer), Jamie Mildren and Sam Perry. By 1999, the trio had moved to the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, where they used the name Architecture in Helsinki for Bird's first collection of self-penned songs. Bird got the new band's name after cutting up a newspaper and re-arranging words. Bird and Cecil also helped produce the second album for The Goon Sax in 2018. In May 2018, the band announced a headline set at Kennedy Art Ball at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth. Bird said that in the current incarnation of the band, there were six members instead of the usual nine. They also announced that they were setting up a space to record new music. Bird said that the band was "not really on a schedule – we're just making, and when we make something that we're proud of, we'll put it out into the world." The band has, however, been completely inactive since this announcement.

Band members

;Final lineup

  • Cameron Bird – lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards (2000–2018)

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| US<br />Heat<br />

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!scope="row"|Fingers Crossed

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  • Released: 9 February 2003
  • Label: Trifekta
  • Formats: LP, CD, download

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| align="center"| —

| align="center"| —

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!scope="row"|In Case We Die

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  • Released: 5 April 2005
  • Label: Tailem Bend
  • Formats: LP, CD, download

| align="center"| 67

| align="center"| 159

| align="center"| —

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!scope="row"|Places Like This

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  • Released: 28 July 2007
  • Label: Tailem Bend
  • Formats: LP, CD, download

| align="center"| 30

| align="center"| 187

| align="center"| 7

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!scope="row"|Moment Bends

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  • Released: 8 April 2011
  • Label: Modular
  • Formats: LP, CD, download

| align="center"| 12

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!scope="row"| Now + 4eva

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  • Released: 28 March 2014
  • Label: Casual Workout
  • Formats: LP, CD, cassette, download

| align="center"| 25

| align="center"| —

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|align="center" colspan="5" style="font-size: 85%"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

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Compilation albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" border="1"

|+ List of compilation albums, with selected details

!scope="col"|Title

!scope="col"|Details

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!scope="row"|We Died, They Remixed

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  • Released: 11 December 2006
  • Label: Tailem Bend <small>(B000JLPO6A)</small>
  • Formats: CD, download (remix album)

|}

Extended plays

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of EPs, with selected details

! Title

! Details

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! scope="row" | Keepsake

|

  • Released: March 2004
  • Label: Trifekta <small>(HORSE038-2)</small>
  • Format: CD
  • Note: Remix EP to celebrate first US tour

|}

Singles

Remixes

{| class="wikitable"

! width="33"|Year

! width="180"|Artist

! width="180"|Track

! Version

! Album name

|-

| 2003

| B(if)tek

| "Hi Fi Kids"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Frequencies Will Move Together

|-

| 2006

| Shout Out Louds

| "Very Loud"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Combines EP

|-

|rowspan="4" | 2007

| Bonde do Rolê

| "Office Boy"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Office Boy EP

|-

| The Bumblebeez

| "Dr Love"

| Architecture in Helsinki's Dr Hookah Mix

| Dr Love EP

|-

| Yacht

| "See a Penny (Pick It Up)"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| I Believe in You. Your Magic Is Real

|-

| 33 Hz

| "Paris, Texas"

| Architecture in Helsinki's Supermelody Remix

| Paris, Texas (Remixes)

|-

| 2008

| Midnight Juggernauts

| "Into the Galaxy"

| Architecture in Helsinki's Choose Your Own Adventure Mix

| Dystopia

|-

| rowspan="3" | 2009

| Metronomy

| "A Thing for Me"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Nights Out

|-

| The Very Best

| "Warm Heart of Africa"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Warm Heart of Africa

|-

| El Guincho

| "Antillas"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Alegranza!

|-

| 2011

| Cut Copy

| "Need You Now"

| Architecture in Helsinki Remix

| Zonoscope

|}

Music videos

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! width="33"|Year

! width="240"|Title

! width="240"|Director(s)

|-

|align="center" rowspan="2"|2003

|"Like a Call"

|Isobel Knowles

|-

|"Kindling"

|Kellie Sutherland

|-

|align="center" rowspan="2"|2005

|"It'5!"

|Isobel Knowles, Ali Dullard

|-

|"Do the Whirlwind" <small>(Australian version)</small>

|Paul Robertson

|-

|align="center" rowspan="2"|2006

|"Do the Whirlwind" <small>(UK version)</small>

|Nima Nourizadeh

|-

|"Wishbone"

|Isobel Knowles

|-

|align="center" rowspan="3"|2007

|"Heart It Races"

|Kris Moyes

|-

|"Hold Music"

|Kim Gehrig

|-

|"Debbie"

|Josh Logue

|-

|align="center" rowspan="2"|2008

|"Like It or Not"

|Josh Logue

|-

|"That Beep"

|Krozm

|-

|align="center" rowspan="3"|2011

|"Contact High"

|Krozm

|-

|"Escapee"

|Marcus Soderlund

|-

|"W.O.W"

|Krozm

|-

|align="center" rowspan="2"|2014

|"Dream a Little Crazy"

|Lucy McRae

|-

|"I Might Survive"

|Andrew Goldsmith

|}

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

!

|-

| 2011

| Moment Bends

| Best Pop Release

|

|

Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The commenced in 2005.

|-

| 2007

|Places Like This

| Australian Music Prize

|

|-

J Awards

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

|-

| 2005

|In Case We Die

| Rowspan="2" | Australian Album of the Year

|

|-

| 2007

|Places Like This

|

References

  • Architecture in Helsinki at Trifekta
  • Architecture in Helsinki at Bar/None
  • Architecture in Helsinki article at Exclaim!, September 2007
  • Interview with Cameron Bird at Erasing Clouds, 2006
  • Interview with Cameron Bird at Soundsxp.com, September 2006
  • live performance review at Pitchfork Media, June 2005
  • Architecture in Helsinki RBMA lecture