The Finnish music festival Avanto has become the most interesting Scandinavian festival concentrating on experimental music. This compilation from the 2001 festival is not just about Pan sonic and other Sahko artists, but also Finnish acts such as Circle, Op:l Bastards, and Keuhkot, which are a vital part of the festival. Also, the musical scale is wider on this compilation, which includes conventional noise rock (e.g., Japan's Ruins), progressive rock with electronic influences (e.g., Circle), and of course various purely electronica acts (e.g., Fennesz and Shogun Kunitoki). So there really isn't anything to complain about: All the songs and artists are actually very interesting, and they don't have anything to do with artificial art. Some artists, like the acclaimed Op:l Bastards, should have stuck with their own style, however. With "Copenhagen," the Bastards try to achieve the same experimental feeling as the rest of the songs on the compilation, but fail to do so. But this and some other songs aren't so bad that they ruin the whole album, so Avanto 2001 works as a great compilation of a great festival. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide