When and how was your band created?
UltraNoir started with a classic formula: being frustrated the music around, being frustrated the things around, being frustrated of no-one staying aloud of such frustrations. This happened in early 2000, the current frontline started gathering during the autumn 2003

Where is the name of the band coming from?
UltraNoir was thought as a name for era of 20th century turning into 21st; blind seeking for comfortable numbness whlist it is almost too late to build up another day.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
From pop music Manic Street Preachers, Suicide and Public image ltd are the only interesting ones. Cure, Joy Div. etc. have done fine tunes, ofcourse, but they don’t represent anything that innovative anymore. Aren’t every band in NME into “post-punk” today?

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
The only positive is that no-one is censoring what you’re doing. Negative things are countless list, but let’s say people here are stuck with braindead hairdo-hard rock and Finnish record companies are totally unwilling to try anything brave. Finland is always three years delayed.

How could you define your style of music?
We say post-punk, because it says nothing. You see, playing emotional music with political aspects drives you into a vast gab where you are too punk for pop, too disco to punk, too rock to electro.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
The songs have shortened and grown more bitter. Getting simplier and more straight-forward is leading us more electronical yet more punkish. UltraNoir is growing like a person between ages of 18 and 25.

How do explain these changes?
Maybe too much has happened and sleeping is impossible. The more you move, the more you see and the more you know… it’s about getting more misantrophic yet humanitarian.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
To put it into short form: Inequality and the fascist atmosphere embracing western world. Endless stretching between despair and hope. And beneath the remains there is a broken part called heart.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
The next one we will write. But from the ones already done “No human detected”, it crawled up itself, it really captures a certain sensation almost perfectly. As it best music or words must come, they aren’t built up.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
Live, absolutely. Music has been here always, studios are abomination. Wishing to be able touring endlessly

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
The need to make the song, when you think that song with that context must exist. It’s a moment when you feel yourself somehow needed -no matter it’s probably illusion.

A stupid question but… what is among all the songs you’ve been listening in your life the BEST song?
That is a good question, actually. From all, let’s say “True faith” by New Order, it is passionate enough to make five years old dance and cry (been there, done that)

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
It has put music business into trouble and that is good.

What are your projects?
With Jan we have Kuilu UK, then I’m also as a bassist in Cherry Stained. HS is something like finnish substite for Suicide and Einstürzende neubauten

What “image” do you have of French music?
Positive. We love Daft-Punk, M83, Air.. Oh, and Sons of Saturn! We saw them when we were playing in St.Petersburg last May. French band Bérurier Noir is representing same values as we do, ‘though our ways of expressing them is different. They are great.

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
Would like to say something form Edith Piaf, but have to be honest and say La danseuse de l’Orient by Bérurien Noir