(KevinP brings us another installment in his ongoing series of brief interviews, and today he puts questions to Ontto, the bassist of Finland’s Oranssi Pazuzu, who have a new double-album named Värähtelijä headed our way.)

K:  The first time I listened to Värähtelijä it did not feel nearly as “immediate” when compared to Valonielu.  But after 3-4 full spins of the new album it is much weirder yet more memorable at the same time. 

O:  Yeah, Värähtelijä is a bit more of an introvert album. The idea was to create a  dark and hypnotic fog that you can get lost in, instead of going after instantly catchy riffs. We used lots of polyrhythms on this one, so many times there are two riffs playing simultaneously.  Also, since it’s a double album, I get that it might need a bit more chewing. Didn’t try to make it intentionally weird, though.  Rather I think it’s more “free”.

K:  You and Jun-His started the band in 2007, but you’ve had a stable recording lineup since the first release in 2009.  I find that refreshing since your music is by no means easy to digest.  Normally I think it would be difficult to keep 5 people in that same mindset.

O:  We were friends with the guys already when we started the band, so that helps a lot. The reason why the band sounds like it sounds is that each one of us adds their own thing into the mix. Sometimes that sounds schizophrenic, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing when you’re searching for psychedelic effects. Continue reading »