He is such solid and true towards his art. As a real craftsman, he says that he is only doing his work and trying to satisfy himself within. He also thinks that "Convivial" is the best Luomo work he has concluded so far. Inside the new Luomo LP you can find Apparat, Cassy, Robert Owens and many others. He even collaborated on a track with Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters. The album breaks the borders of any form or fashion and just keeps staying under the huge umbrella of Luomo kind of things, mostly music. The best and hottest arctic music you have ever heard.

While living in the middle of the cold ocean, this talented and still young man keeps on digging deep tunes and beats, which will probably be the next future classics in his discography. With every new release he has done, he still continues to be bigger and bigger. You are witnessing Luomo's capabilities, in terms of making pop influenced multidisciplinary electronic music this time. Just a very small portion of what he is in charge. Here is the "Convivial" interview with Luomo.

You have returned to your home country now if i am not wrong. Are you in Helsinki or any other place? How is life there?
I am based in northern Finland, very arctic... Life couldn't be more different from Berlin. We live on an island surrounded by ocean, it's a nature reserve for large part and a remote place with lots of wildness. We wanted to get away from living in a big city, because as much as i love big cities, i don't think they are great places to live permanently, especially with a child (i have a daughter, 2 years). We have airport nearby (40 minutes) so it's easy to travel and we do visit lots of cities, so it's great to come back to nature after travels and balance out. Also for writing music and doing creative work it's really a potential place. The island is really something special, I'm happy that we made the move a reality.

Can you talk about the scene there, especially comparing it with your Berlin experience. How was it actually?
As you can imagine there's no scene non whatsoever. It's also what i wanted, as i'd rather not to be connected to scene 24/7 but only periodically, visiting cities, playing shows, internet etc. I like it here on the island as nobody knows me or cares about what i do, that way it's more sane i think. For me privacy is very important.

Can we say that "Convivial" is kind of a fruit (concluding product) of your Berlin days? How did you decide to come up with an album like this?
I have never thought about it like this but there might be a truth there. Why i came up with this kind of album, i think in the end you can't really help it, at least in my case, but just do what you're supposed to do. But the reasons behind it are definitely my previous albums (i wouldn't try to repeat what i have done already) but also where i wanna ultimately grow as a producer or artist. I felt a need to expand my style and also to restrict myself less within styles and maybe bring more influences from pop or dance world, and a big thing was to open up and work with more people. Which might also come from living in a big communal city like Berlin.

How did you choose the collaborators in the album, by taste or by chance for example? Were they already the people you see in your everyday life or did you especially get in touch with them for this album project, or maybe they heard about it and wanted to collaborate...
Some of the artists i knew well as they were my neighbors or friends (Cassy, Johanna, Apparat), some less near but still people i like and know (Chubbs, Jake) and only one vocalist, Robert Owens, was somebody i never had met before. I wanted to work with Robert as i knew his voice, so i managed to get in touch with him. All the others were combination of nice person and good, suitable voices. I initiated all the vocalist collaborations, asking people to join in, and am glad all of them who i asked said yes.

How was the song writing process? Was it like a back and forth studio session process or in a more creative way?
I had written all the songs before i begun inviting vocalists, and after we had recorded vocals i then produced and finished the songs again alone. All of the songs were made in the same fashion. the process (both alone and with vocalists) was very creative, I'm glad to say.

You also succeeded in still remaining to be inside the borders of Luomo soul and feel in the whole album since there are lots of different kinds of artists and fashions within. Was it a predefined path or a little bit of improvisation?
I wanted to expand and write songs with other people, and work with vocalists i had never worked with before, so with that in mind, i already wanted to reach new directions. But i guess i have strong overview and vision of what Luomo is and how it should sound so it still somehow stays under one roof even with all different singers. There's always lots of improvisation and at least i can't decide beforehand what something will end up like, so it's just going with the flow and seeing what will happen. All that vision and such stuff is more subconscious more than anything, invisible guidance or something like that.

And concludingly what are you expectations from "Convivial" and are you happy with it overall?
I have no expectations from this album really. I have learned to deal with this stuff as it comes and goes. I am not willing to do much for the publicity and whatever it takes to make records sell and become famous, so i accept also that after the album leaves my door anything can happen, usually meaning not much will happen. But ı'm glad i can still bring the music out there for the people who appreciate what i do, so that's what matters. And above all what matters is that i like and stand behind what i make. I'm very happy with "Convivial" in that aspect, and overall as well. I think it's a great album, best i have made as Luomo in my own opinion.

My personal favorite in the album is "Gets Along Fine". I kinda hear an ancient redskin melody there. Remembering me South America.  Also the vocal is quite interesting and delicious there... Do you have a track that you like more than others? Maybe with a special keepsake...
It's difficult to say, i have listened to all of them so much... i really love Jake's track ("If I Can't") and Apparat track ("Love You All"), i guess one of them is my favorite. Jake's track makes me remember the week i spent in NYC with Scissor Sisters guys writing music for their new album and doing this Luomo song with Jake. And i had a great time in NYC with my daughter and girlfriend, so maybe this track wins over others.

Can you talk about how you got the names Luomo. Vladislav Delay and Uusitalo? Whom do they represent different from Sasu Ripatti?
These names are just practical ways to represent to public different kinds of music productions i like to make without making everyone confused. It's sometimes really divided what people like to listen to, like "serious electronic stuff" versus dance or club stuff, and even within the club world whatever vocal house vs minimal, there seems to be a 2 meter thick wall in between... So it's just that i like lots of variety but i need to bring it all out in disguise... Not really, but something like that. I have no personal bigger concept about these names, practical means only. And a hobby i guess as well, it's fun to come up with project titles and artist names i must say. Luomo means organic in Finnish, Uusitalo means "new house" in Finnish, and Vladislav Delay was just a joke that came up years ago in some drug frenzy.

Are you following the scene and current on goings? If yes can you share your favorite producers and labels?
I'm really not following enough to say who's hot and who's not. I have always liked what Carl (Craig) does. But i'm sure there are millions of hot new boys and girls around i have no idea about.

What other stuff do you listen and like (non-electronic)?
I really listen lots of different stuff. Classical, pop, world music, lots of hip hop, even harder stuff like metal, every now and then. It's easier to say what i don't listen (maybe country music or boring pop/rock or some shitty trance music).

Will you have any new / forthcoming projects and also a supporting remix EP for 'Convivial'?
There are lots of new stuff going on, few new albums at least coming out soon. One is a project called Agf/Delay with my girlfriend, we are releasing an album on BPitch in February. Another album is with Moritz von Oswald, also early next year. I'm also beginning some new directions in music making but that will remain to be seen how that will work out, but if so then, there will be more action on the dance floor as well. There might be a remix EP on DFA from Luomo but that is not yet confirmed.

What are your experiences regarding Istanbul and Turkey? Would you like to play here again?
Of course i'd like to play there again! Istanbul (unfortunately the only city i have visited in Turkey) is really a special city, a great mixture between east and west. And very influential city since the times very early on. But you know all that anyway. I find the city beautiful.

Lastly what would you like to say or add up for your Turkish fans?
I truly appreciate the lasting support I have had from you!


Interview: Christopher Çolak
12 October 2008