12. LoopA Gilded Eternity
Loop was very important to us in the late 80s, and early 90s. We were really into British music, bands like Spaceman 3 and Loop. My favourite was a band called Fury Things who nobody knows – there was one EP called Love Sick. But I really liked the arrangements of Loop songs. I remember I was on a bus in the middle of the night from Helsinki to Pori, which takes four hours or so. And I listened to A Gilded Eternity. There were these car lights, and I hoped the moment would never change, never end.
When I studied art, I was on some course where they talked about the French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy. The idea was that it’s the moment before the chorus or a football player scores the goal that is the most important moment. It was the first time someone verbalised why I was into hypnotic and repetitive music. Because I want to get closer and closer and closer, but when the footballer scores the goal, everything is over. That’s why I don’t want to start playing choruses. Loop was the first time I heard that kind of music. It was very inspirational: it was repetitive, and quite simple. I realised I could play that kind of music. I don’t have to be a super musician. We started the band Circle when we heard Loop.
With that more hypnotic music in mind, no choruses?
Yes, absolutely. But quite soon it started to go more epic. I think that art, its main purpose is inspiration – to give inspiration to other people. That’s why I like music. I don’t like music that is already finished. It’s difficult for me to express this in English, but I mean I don’t like a full experience – I like half, because I am the listener. I want to put my own half in and make it complete. I don’t like music where the only thing I hear is, ‘wow, they are amazing, and I can’t ever play like that.’
