Risto

Risto is an obscure Finnish indie-rock group that is hard to categorize. The band is operated by singer/songwriter/keyboardist Risto Ylihärsilä, whose alter ego, Risto, adventures in the songs. Ylihärsilä has stated that even though there may be definitive similarities between his persona and Risto of his songs, the latter is still a fictional character.

The lyrics mostly deal with Risto's personal life that is strongly enhanced by psychedelic drugs, mental instability (seems to be some kind of paranoid schizophrenia) and weird visions. Although dealing with subjects that are often idolized in music, Risto conveys these experiences with such sincerity, rawness, and humor that the listener cannot withhold sympathy for the poor soul wandering through drug-induced psychoses and seeing visions of squirrels, heaven and the face of God.

Although signed to a small independent label ( Fonal Records), Risto has achieved wide coverage in media and rather big sales with its last album Aurinko aurinko plaa plaa plaa (translated: Sun Sun Blah Blah Blah).