From Finland’s finest
Doom Metal label Firebox comes a new release that pushes boundaries
in this matter. JÄÄPORTIT, a solo project
by Tuomas M. Mäkelä has nothing to do with the metal
genre at all. The band’s sophomore Uumenissa
blends atmospherically electronic music with dark ambient and
creates mesmerizing soundscapes. While listening to Uumenissa
I was deeply touched and now I just want to learn more about the
creative mind and his work behind …
Dajana: Hi Tuomas. You
have read the review I have written, that is consistent with all
the other ones I read so far as regards content. Did you expect
such an overwhelming response? How does it feel and does it have
any use for your future?
Tuomas: Hello Dajana. Your positive review came as surprise
to me and of course it’s nice to know that someone likes
and understands my music. The sure thing is that my label Firebox
Records is concentrated to metal music and they seems to have
mostly contacts with metal music media. As my music is so far
away from metal as it could be, I was expecting only few lousy
reviews written by narrow-minded metalheads, who avoids everything
what sounds even a little bit electronic. Luckily there has been
other kind of response also, like your review. I’m trying
to deal with the feedback about my music with neutral feelings
and try to keep reviews out of my mind, because they are just
opinions of other people and has nothing to do with myself.
Dajana: It seems it did
turn out successfully to land a two-album deal with Firebox. But
how the hell did you attract the attention of a doom label? And
how is it working with them and their support for a band like
JÄÄPORTIT?
Tuomas: Actually I’m not so sure how I got their
attention, because they took contact to me when I wasn’t
even that active with my music project at the time. Although it
might have some affect that I had few MP3’s of my early
releases floating in the internet and I got quite good response
with Kauan Koskematon cassette album
released back in 1999. After we signed the contract I started
making music more seriously. As a label they are doing their job
as well as they can and I can’t think anything negative
about them. Current situation seems to be that they are splitting
the label in few sub-labels and JÄÄPORTIT
has been considered as so called underground band in their category
which is fine to me.
Dajana: Workings on Uumenissa
has taken around 5 years, buying all these equipment that was
needed and getting used to it. You got everything you wanted?
You are satisfied with what you can realize now musical wise?
Tuomas: No I didn’t got even near everything I
wanted. Currently I only have the most important stuff what I
need to create music in my modest home studio but I don’t
have enough equipment to play live. I’m trying to collect
money to buy new equipment, because I’m always searching
for new sounds but the fact is that poor artists like me won’t
ever have enough money to buy everything what I want. But who
knows, maybe after few decades I might have my own grand piano,
soundproof place where I can play it and equipment good enough
to record it.
Dajana: Being compared
with such musicians as Jean Michelle Jarre, Vangelis and Tangerine
Dreams, who are known for their dreamy but sort of cheerful music,
your sound has a very dark and cold edge. Was this contrast intended?
Tuomas: Yes, on some level it was. Maybe it’s because
I have some sort of roots in making music with dark and melancholic
atmosphere and I rarely listen to anything that cheerful. And
maybe I’m not always that cheerful guy either.
Dajana: Your info sheet
says: you are solitary student of the occult art of music. Whereon
are you referring to in matter of the occult art?
Tuomas: It was meant to be kind of an anecdote to (metal)
people so that they wouldn’t think my music as any kind
of religious new age-bullshit. On the other hand it refers to
the process how I have been learning to compose, create and realize
music. As I don’t have real education in music, I’m
casting my own spells to realize it the way I want to.
Dajana: You said, you
get your inspirations from the life you are living. What does
it mean exactly? You get inspired by all these small things that
happen every day around you? Special moments? I remember a scene
in the American Beauty movie, where the guy from the next door
films a paper sheet running with the wind for minutes, banal but
a wonderfully silent moment though …
Tuomas: I’ve always been like a silent observer
of life and sometimes those little details of life are the most
interesting things. Your idea of the movie you mentioned is quite
close to the point what I mean. I get my inspiration to write
music from memories of the past and from the present time and
state of mind and also visions of the future. Though the visual
art, movies and literature gives ideas too.
Dajana: Your music has
a big “chill out” factor, taming everybody’s
mind. I wonder if you have found your inner balance, your inner
peace to create such a music that is having this effect to your
listeners. Is there a need of having found the inner self creating
such a music? If yes, do you have a special philosophy how to
reach this level? And if not, what makes you doing this chill
out music? Self therapy?
Tuomas: When it comes to creating art, it’s important
to know who you really are, without thinking about what anyone
else claims you to be. That way you can create something that
comes genuinely from yourself. I’m searching for my inner
peace all the time. There’s moments when it can be reached
and moments when it is lost and hidden somewhere deeper inside.
Chill out music is what I do, because it works as self therapy
to myself and tames my mind as well.
Dajana: How does songwriting
happen? Is there first an idea, somewhat of a concept or let you
just flow your mind (and fingers over the keys)?
Tuomas: I’m using varying techniques to create
songs. I might began by tweaking up some sounds, lay my fingers
over the keys and play something that happens to come out of my
mind. If it sounds good enough, I might record a little part of
it and then start to create other sounds around it. Then I might
add some bass lines or rhythm instruments along, whatever makes
it sound good. Sometimes music is born just by improvised playing.
Dajana: What to expect
from future releases? Do you have plans and ideas to change your
style or to let flow in other and different influences? If yes,
what kind of? What can you tell about the planned split CD?
Tuomas: Yet the future is open and unseen but definitely
I’ll keep on doing more experiments with the music. During
the autumn should be out a compilation album entitled as Sonic
Visions Of Middle-Earth from Foreshadow label which
contains one 15 minute long JÄÄPORTIT
track. The planned split CD with Swedish dark ambient project
Mortesium is still under work but hopefully it will be out some
day, if we manage to find someone interested to release it.
Dajana: With whom musicians
and artist you would like to work together one day, if you ever
get the chance?
Tuomas: It would be quite interesting to work with Richard
D. James (Aphex
Twin – Cal) but maybe it would be
more useful to work with some Finnish musicians, who knows about
producing electronic music more than I do.
Dajana: You listen to
all kind of music, but what has had a bigger impact on you lately
(artist, album)? Is there an artist/musician you specially adore?
Tuomas: No, I really don’t adore anyone. Let’s
see, lately I’ve been playing a bit of Biosphere, Steve
Roach, Robert Rich, Chopin, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd and Ulver around
my player but also several others. All the time I’m trying
to discover more and more any kind of good music to listen to.
Some shortcuts:
Dajana: What was the most
impressing natural phenomenon you ever experienced?
Tuomas: Northern lights, eclipse of the moon and thunderstorms.
Dajana: What magic have
northern lights?
Tuomas: Aurora borealis, also known as northern lights,
has this very mysterious feeling. It’s one of the nature’s
own hallucinations, like a rainbow but much more magnificent because
it appears on the night sky and it is moving and changing element.
So it’s like watching a movie and sometimes northern lights
might even have a sound.
Dajana: What’s the
most unusual ”thing” you ever have done?
Tuomas: This is a tricky one because it depends on what
is considered as unusual and what is not.
Dajana: How to bring the
beauty of Finland closer to me in one sentence?/ What should a
foreign have experienced in any case in Finland?
Tuomas: The beauty of Finland comes from beautiful nature,
clean surroundings, strong cultural values, and the equal opportunities
given to everyone. In Finland foreign should experience sauna,
freezing winter and the midnight sun in the summer.
Dajana: Is there a place
you would like to go to if there is any possibility that offers
a promising source of inspirations?
Tuomas: Best way to find source of inspiration could
be traveling around the northern parts of Finland, or Norway,
in the winter.
Dajana:
Ok, now I’m really running out of questions. Thank you very
much for spending time for all these detailed answers and I just
hope to hear of you again in the near future with some new music.
Cheers!
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