Interview with Juha Kettunen

April 10th 2007 - by D.M.K.

All images by Juha Kettunen, except where noted.

The Finnish Juha Kettunen is the artist behind ambient project Somnivore, which released the excellent album Clergy of Oneiros earlier this year. Besides this, he is part of the EBM duo Slaves' Mask, and one of the founders of the new Finnish label Anima Arctica. We decided to ask him about the underlying thoughts of Somnivore and in particular of his latest album, and about the history of this project.

D.M.K.: When and how did you start Somnivore?

I started Somnivore at Lapland during winter 2002-2003. I had severe physical, mental, spiritual and social problems back then, and somehow part of my poisons and remedies, lessons and failures, visions and experiences were preserved in the form of music, images and lyrics. The music of Somnivore follows my course of life with some delay, the information must be put to disc via my filters first. So, in Clergy Of Oneiros, you get a glimpse of what I was in late -02 to late -05.

Did you already have musical projects before Somnivore?

I started composing ambientish stuff back in '97, but got nothing really good done, just a couple of mediocre pieces which are now thrown away. Time wasn't right yet. I had a couple of projects after that concerning a few different styles of music, but the only one worth mentioning would be Victor's Symptom in '99 to something like '01 or so. It was an eerie ebm-styled music, highly influenced by GGFH, Massive Attack, Covenant, NIN and so on. We did several tracks, some of which are still worth listening every once in a while. I have continued my ambition towards this kind of music in another band, Slave's Mask.

What are your musical influences?

There is of course a huge list of favourites, and an even bigger list of those I find good. But in general, the music from sources other than readymade records can be as inspiring and interesting as a recorded piece of beautiful art, even more. I try to keep my eyes and ears open in many ways... goes by another sense as well, I think you get my point. Also, when I enjoy the fine musical arts produced in Finnish underground, I usually get big smile on my face, I think that there are many talented and innovative musicians here considering that our country has quite a small amount of people, like Cloama, IC Rex, Circle Of Ouroborus, STROM.ec, Zoät Aon, Tuhat Kuolemaa Sekunnissa just to mention a few... also I have had an honour and pleasure to work and release albums with talented finnish artists like Pimentola, no Xivic and Kivelä.

So, considering influences, there are many. If I should mention a few groups which have had most musical value concerning Clergy Of Oneiros I'd say Coil, Burzum, Death In June, Current 93, Ulver, Coph Nia and Der Blutharsch. The starting track of Clergy Of Oneiros is my oldest one, It was finished over 4 years ago, so things change. Of course with newer compositions some of the important musical influences have changed, yet Coil has been my favourite for years, not the best always and every day, but usually yes. For the upcoming split album "Golden Blood" one might hear the influence of Urfaust, Legendary Pink Dots, Novy Svet and so on.

I have the idea that the world of dreams plays an important role in Somnivore. This is also clear on Clergy of Oneiros (The title refers to the Children of Sleep, a personification of dreams. Also the poem "Dreamland" by Lewis Caroll in the booklet is a clear reference), is this correct? How important are dreams to you? In what way do you incorporate this in your music?

Yes, you are correct, the dreamland plays a big role in my life, thus it plays a big role in the music that I make. Result of this might be seen and heard in various ways, but usually I write a track based on some part of my dream. It can be just a feeling that I got (during the dream, when trying to understand it afterwards etc.), some kind of happening, somekind of prediction, divination, or these things. Stories about nightmares and different kinds of dreams, teachings, unlocking some physical or mental problems... stories about dreaming itself or insomnia... or just stories. I don't chain myself to this topic of dreams, for this project is for breaking chains, not polishing them.

I'm trying to learn more about fine textures of dreams; to tell the differences between telepathy and strong mental links, alterations in linear time that is somehow built to our system, atavistic souvenirs, or just plain subconcious unloading of everyday life and death. This musical project is valuable tool for my development at the moment. It is, again a different thing how people experience my music. I've been told that it has completely no effect at all to somebody, so maybe to that person it's just a waste of time, some say that some song makes them feel bad, or good etc. ...Oh, nice "coincidence", at the moment that I'm answering to this question a good friend of mine, a guy from Tuhat Kuolemaa Sekunnissa is telling me about the dream he had last night after listening to Clergy Of Oneiros. This dream went from sunny and merry to something of violent undertows... My dreams are my dreams, and it goes through my sytem to disc for You. If you have bought the record, you of course use it as you will... If you think that listening to "Allerleirauh" and making love dressed as Robin Goodfellow and Titania would be good idea, or you think that listening to "Lumi ei enää sula iholleni" would be ideal for you to process some memories about your dead grandfather, try. Many people have listened to my music before going to sleep, and then told me about their dreams afterwards, just like Mikko did some minutes ago. This is a big honour for me, although I carry some worry if I manage to make their life more better or worse by releasing music, the first being my intention of course. One of my friends had to leave an art exhibition where my music was playing, a wave of depression somehow bursted out quite rapidly, another friend told me how good and deep he slept without any dreams that he remembered after listening to that same track for the first time. Yes, I do care about people and how my choices affect them, and I dislike nihilism and egoism.

Could you tell us some more about the title "Clergy of Oneiros"? Who are the clergy?

Dreamers.

On this album there are some songs that have appeared on earlier releases. Why did you choose to rerecord them?

They are on their right places on this album.

I was wondering about "Those graves under the bay of Bothnia". As the bay of Bothnia is a part of the sea around Finland, is the song based on a specific event in history?

It is based on many of my experiences on seaside villages on that area, especially outskirts of Kuivaniemi and the area around this village. I have been visiting those areas frequently starting from my childhood to these days. It is a collage of some of my dreams and experiences from those places. Or maybe more like a simple semi-abstract painting rather than collage!

I think your music has a strongly ritualistic character, is this intentional? How important is spirituality to you?

Spirituality has grown into my life in a way that I can't even make any differences in spirituality and everyday life, because to me there are no differences. About the intention of the ritualistic aspects, they are not intentional in itself, but of course my rituals have affected also my life, thus the music too. I try to reduce the amount of thinking and trying, forcing my mind to some direction when making music, this freedom of pushing myself happens usually automatically these days. By minimizing the effect of this forcing, pushing, and this stuff I try to do the alchemy of "part of my spirit put to flesh" as pure as possible. I've heard several records where I can somehow feel the false play, so to speak. I mean this inner prison of making music with some kind of false image blurred by your ego on your head, and the music that comes out is a careful lie spiced with the fascination to be like other people who made that same music already. By this I mean that influences should help you to find your way, not to make you copy the masters' or teachers' art just to pretend that you also shine in their shadows.

On your debut album "1818-1991" dates and places play an important part. Are these songs related to events in history and if so: in what way? Have you visited these places?

They are related to historical events that happened in those places in those years, I've been to few of these places in flesh that I remember clearly... other visits and their nature are still blurry to me. Some of them are just stories and visions.

On your website pictures and short stories / poems feature prominently. To what degree are they essential to your project?

They are important, but nothing is essential to this project, I take what I feel is right and put it how I feel it's right. If I someday feel that music is not the way of the project Somnivore anymore, I change it to what feels right, whether it is making a video, planning a garden, or writing a book. Or just quit.

You also have an area on your website reserved for film. What are you planning to do with it?

A 10-minute music video was almost ready already, but it got destroyed. I'm planning a new music video, but it's not very high on my priority list at the moment.

Which literary and visual influences are important to you?

Everything that I've read or seen has had some kind of effect on me, and it would be short-sighted just to f.ex. make a list of favourite movies or books, when it can be that one fairytale read in childhood had more effect to me than these movies that I can clearly remember now. Or, I wouldn't even like those movies if that fairytale hadn't been read (by me or to me). I really can't give any specific answers to this. It's somehow good to know that I don't know for sure. Now, a few moments looking to my previous words, it's maybe quite obvious that fairytales, poems and this stuff might really be the thing for making Somnivore, more important than those Sartres, Batailles, Wittgensteins and this kind of stuff that I have devoured. They have given me really much for sure, but I think the most important influences are those of childhood, they so greatly affect the influences of adult age also.

You have collaborated with two other artists (No Xivic and Kivelä). How did this come into being? Can we expect more collaborations in the future?

Both of these albums were based on mutual respect to others' art and person. Both of these men are good friends of mine, and somehow the process of these collaborations just started and finished. I've just finished a split album with Circle Of Ouroborus, the album will be released during spring-summer of 2007.

Can you tell us something about your other project, Slaves' Mask? How and when did this project start and is there a particular concept behind it?

Slave's Mask is a hybrid of ebm, industrial, ambient and black metal, and because there is another person involved, the field where we work is our common ground, in other words Slave's Mask is placed where our persons and visions meet. Again, we didn't plan the style or concept beforehand. About concepts and the other stuff I'd like to tell more in some other place and preferrably with mr. SG.7, he's half of the band anyway.

I was wondering about the Anima Arctica label: is it yours? And if so: for what purpose did you start it and what can we expect from the label in the future?

Anima Arctica is my, and my friends record label. It's meant to be a new source of esoteric music, and a new channel mainly for Finnish artists. You can check the upcoming releases list from our website...

Do you perform live with Somnivore?

Not at the moment. In the future, probably yes. I have something planned already but at the moment the time isn't right for this.

What are your plans for the future?

I'm going to have a cigarette and prepare some good quality green tea before going to sleep.

Thank you very much for taking time to answer our questions. Do you have any final words of wisdom?

Thank you for interviewing me. I don't think that I should give any direct "words of wisdom" to anybody, but if my art somehow helps somebody to find more wisdom on their own, my work has not been in vain.

Related articles:

• review: Somnivore - Clergy of Oneiros (8/10)
• review: Tuhat Kuolemaa Sekunnissa (7,5/10)
• review: We who with music beguile your pilgrimage to the unknown (7/10)
• interview: Mikko Pöyhönen (Tuhat Kuolemaa Sekunnissa)