Mika Karppinen
Encyclopedia
Mika Kristian Karppinen, better known as Gas Lipstick (born on 8 February 1971), is currently the drummer for the rock
band HIM. He is also the drummer of Finnish deathgrind
band To Separate the Flesh from the Bones
, punk band Ääritila and metal band Bendover. He also was a drum tech for Stratovarius
at one point and was on the Stratovarius DVD for a couple of parts. Rare known fact is that Gas was session drummer for one tour of Finnish band named Tarot (known as project band of Marco Hietala - Nightwish).
Gas's first more known band before he joined HIM was Kyyria, including two band members (keys and bass guitar) from well know Finnish band Amorphis and singer of Suburban Tribe.
In March, 2011 game company SongHi released internet music game with Gas's drum loops.
Mika married his girlfriend Natali in Temppeliaukio church, Helsinki, on 30 August 2008. Mika became a father when his daughter was born on 16 January 2009.
Furthermore, he is an open handed drummer, meaning he plays the hi-hat with his left hand and the snare with his right, opposite to many rock drummers.
Gas can be seen during some of the festival season with 3 bass drums with HIM spelled across or a Heartagram in the middle and Tama logos on the left and right bass drums. However, normally on their headlining tours he will only have one bass drum with a Heartagram on it.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band HIM. He is also the drummer of Finnish deathgrind
Deathgrind
Deathgrind is a musical genre that fuses death metal and grindcore. The genre, along with pornogrind, is related to the goregrind subgenre...
band To Separate the Flesh from the Bones
To Separate the Flesh from the Bones
To Separate the Flesh from the Bones is a grindcore/death metal band from Finland. The band can be considered a side project of three members of Finland's metal and rock scenes: Pasi Koskinen , Mika Karppinen , and Niclas Etelävuori .-Biography:The project began circa 2004 when three active...
, punk band Ääritila and metal band Bendover. He also was a drum tech for Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
at one point and was on the Stratovarius DVD for a couple of parts. Rare known fact is that Gas was session drummer for one tour of Finnish band named Tarot (known as project band of Marco Hietala - Nightwish).
Gas's first more known band before he joined HIM was Kyyria, including two band members (keys and bass guitar) from well know Finnish band Amorphis and singer of Suburban Tribe.
In March, 2011 game company SongHi released internet music game with Gas's drum loops.
Mika married his girlfriend Natali in Temppeliaukio church, Helsinki, on 30 August 2008. Mika became a father when his daughter was born on 16 January 2009.
Drum set
Gas is an endorser of Tama drums, Paiste cymbals, Aquarian drum heads and Vic Firth drum sticks.Furthermore, he is an open handed drummer, meaning he plays the hi-hat with his left hand and the snare with his right, opposite to many rock drummers.
Gas can be seen during some of the festival season with 3 bass drums with HIM spelled across or a Heartagram in the middle and Tama logos on the left and right bass drums. However, normally on their headlining tours he will only have one bass drum with a Heartagram on it.
Former bands
- Valvontakomissio (1990–1994) Vocals, Drums
- Dischange (1991) Drums
- Kyyria (1992–1998) Lyrics, Composition, Drums
- Dementia (1994–1995) Vocals, Lyrics, Guitar