Multimediakonsultit

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Interview : Riku from Mutlimediakonsultit

When and how was your band created?
It all started in the year 2001 as a joke. Heikki Kiviluoto (Heikki was later to be the graphic designer of Multimediakonsultit album covers) was amusing himself and others in some bar wondering how cool it would be to form a hard core punk rock band that would sing about things like getting a job, paying taxes, behaving like a good citizen and so on. That band would have been called Multimediakonsultit.

Later that year Mikko Kuusto (now former guitar player of Multimediakonsultit) wrote a poem in which he praised all the wonderful aspects of having a job and working long hours in an office. He sent the poem to a finnish web forum he used to frequent. In an hour or two the poem was sent back to him in an anonymous circular e-mail message. Mikko told the story to Japi and me and we almost immediately decided to form a band called Multimediakonsultit.

Mikko's poem is now a part of the lyrics of the song "Pohjoissiiven pasaati" from our first album "Multimediakonsultit" (2003, Kenolamusic).

Where is the name of the band coming from?
Multimediakonsultti (multimedia consultant) is a profession that is in a way nothing or practically anything. It's a bit sarcastic idea that was brought up by that huge information technology boom in the 90's.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
Many different artists and bands have influenced each of us personally but as a band for example Violent Femmes, especially their first album, was one of the influences when we were searching for the general sound of the band in the very beginning. What others? Velvet Underground, The Beatles, They Might Be Giants, Absoluuttinen nollapiste, Kauko Röyhkä, Vladimir Vysotsky, Cracker, Pixies to mention a few.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
It all depends on how seriously you carry on making music. We all have our day time jobs so the band is more or less a hobby to us. We do take it seriously but it's not a necessity or a burden of any kind for us.

In Finland it is quite hard to live on rock music. Record sales of minor labels are marginal, radio stations play only music of best sellers which means that independent labels can hardly ever get their bands and artists on air.

How could you define your style of music?
Rock.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
Not much. Well, lately we have noticed that some softer elements have penetrated through the hard surface. Some folkish flavour has been added to it.

How do explain these changes?
So far hardly any changes has been made by strictly planning them. It's worked fairly well to let certain things just happen.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
We make songs about things we experience in real life. What it is to love, to hate, to get alienated, to get bored. Songs about pleasure and pain, hopelessness and happiness, joy and misery. Work getting a bigger and bigger part of people's everyday life is also one of the major topics.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
We've enjoyed playing live our strong, up-tempo rock songs like "Gordon koodaa flashia", "(Joku vitun) mainostoimisto", "Isi tulee pian kotiin" or "Pikku Tiina" for example but I don't think we have any mutual favourite.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
It's been months since we've performed live last time. Nothing compares to playing live in front of enthusiastic audience. But on the other hand I do enjoy working in a studio as well.

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
Writing the lyrics.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Not necesserily a stupid question but practically impossible to answer I might say. So I'll pass and instead tell you what is the seventh best song of them all. It's a grand tango "Itämaista rakkautta" (originally "L'amour oriental") made famous in Finland by great Olavi Virta (and later by Helge Kontio Populär).

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
For Multimediakonsultit internet has been the most valuable media to make ourselves known amongst people.

What are your projects?
At the moment we are putting the finishing touches to our third album. First single release "Houtskär" will be out in couple of weeks. We will also begin to plan a video of "Houtskär" in near future.

What "image" do you have of French music?
Edith Piaf is an icon that comes in mind first. In my view hip hop with plenty of national elements is quite popular amongst french youth.

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
Yves Montand's unforgettable "Les feuilles mort" is one of my favourites. Miles Davis has made a superb version of it too.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006