Finnish Power Metal band recreates Bomfunk MC’s Freestyler music video, including remote control shenanigans
Finland lacks an internationally known music scene compared to Sweden. Our neighbors have produced hit phenomena since the days of ABBA. We have not.
A specific genre is the exception. Finland is estimated to have more metal bands per capita than any other country. Some of these bands are wildly successful within their genre.
In the age of YouTube, it seems natural for a Finnish metal band to pay homage to a rare Finnish international pop hit. Power metal group Battledragon has done exactly this.
In their latest addition to a collection of tongue in cheek metal cover videos, Battledragon has covered the Bomfunk MC’s 1999 smash hit Freestyler. They redid it in a DIY style that rivals the over-saturated production values of the original.
Battledragon deserves applause for their covers. However, remote control technology has regressed since the days of the original Freestyler video. The sleek remote controllers that came with Sony’s better Walkman players are now a memory.
Nokia might be to blame for this. Regardless, it is a good reason to party like it is 1999.
GIF-Powered Video Rewind
If you have forgotten the original video for the drum ‘n’ bass inspired hiphop hit, here is a refresher.
In the video, a youngster is dragged into an adventure starting at Hakaniemi metro station in Helsinki, near the Kallio district. A shouting man appears to cast a spell on him.
The protagonist plays god with the remote of his Sony Minidisk Walkman. He makes random passers-by breakdance. This was the parlance of the time.
The magic Sony wand is effective. It even gets Finnish people dancing in public.
The spell of Millennial nostalgia and MTV airtime
Freestyler is nostalgia gold for Finnish millennials. They remember exceptions like this and Darude’s Sandstorm as rare moments when Finnish music appeared on MTV. This rule seemed as fixed as the laws of thermodynamics during the Nokia era.
The video features the cheerful orange coloring of the Helsinki Metro. This either neutralizes or boosts the late 90s fashion choices, depending on your taste.
Is it just me or was Freestyler sort of a guilty pleasure? It was for me at least until I started looking up drum covers of the song on Youtube. Pretty fun stuff going on there if you’re into playing crazy electronic music on real drums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7eC6VRPjvk
This fun pop take on drum’n’bass makes me think of another cool song, Santigold’s 2012 hit Disparate Youth. Also quite an adventurous beat to try on a drum kit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYH6TavC1EU
LOL!! Love how he took Ruoholahti train and went from Hakaniemi to Rautatientori
I can see why you’d cover it but you’ll never beat the original. That was a classic!!
Why mess with perfection?! That song never gets old. Brilliant, brilliant tune!!
His vocals gave me cancer. You’d better listen to this one: http://darkbeer.wrzuta.pl/audio/5B1CzLfOFhh/lebenssteuer_-_freestyler