Autumn 2003

Interviewer: Wolos
Answers by: A. Tolonen / Nest
Date: 16.9.2003

(You’ve certainly done many conventional interviews, so let’s not do another same conventional interview ;-) , but I give you some cues from A-Z and you can write to each one really ANYTHING that comes to your mind…THANK you very much for taking the time!!)
Greetings mon! This looks interesting, I'll waste no time and get right to it. -A.T.

AGALLOCH
Excellent marriage of metal and acoustic athmospheres. Monolithic mountains, titan forests and wooden lodges galore when you pass through the thick grey mist. In addition to making wonderful music, consists of fine people. -A.T.

ALCOHOL
Not my cup of tea. I don't use (or abuse) it, and don't see much point in it at all, but I have nothing against others using it - I just hope it doesn't go out of proportion. Alcohols seems to be a big part of Finnish culture, meaning that a very large portion of the population here drink quite a lot. I'm still trying to figure out who drink more, the Irish or the Finnish people. -A.T.

A. TOLONEN
Hmmm... Now why does this seem so familiar? It be my name - short for Aslak Tolonen. Boring isn't it? I know, I should really use something like "Maniac Necrosquirrel from the Crevice"... But seriously, it be just me. I play the kantele and handle all kinds of stuff in Nest. Can't really give you any definite list, because I'm always coming up with new weird ideas. -A.T.

CARS
Polluting and noisy contraptions. I do see their importance in modern everyday life, but I prefer to use a bicycle whenever I can. I only use a car when it is absolutely necessary, like hauling lots of stuff around. It's also interesting to think what will happen when the world runs out of oil... -A.T.

CORVUS RECORDS
They have my deepest respect. Everything they have done has been good, and the people behind the label are simply great. I can't praise them enough, so I'll stop here to avoid sounding completely ridiculous. -A.T.

DEATH
The greatest transition. I'm quite eager to see what's behind the threshold, but I don't really think about it that much. It will come, that's inevitable. I will welcome it when the time is nigh, but until then... -A.T.

FINLAND
The homesoil, the haven, the place of solace... It has a deep-rooted place in my heart. I love all things natural and here there are lots. I also love the nordic surroundings, but I'm well avare of the vicious circle of growing up here also sparking my affection towards this land. I'm quite sure most people feel the same about their coutry. -A.T.

INTERNET
A nice way to reach people and distribute one's stuff - musical, visual, text, etc. Some of it's aspects can be a bit too addictive, though. And on another note, it vividly brings to my mind an image of a wormhole ridden Earth. -A.T.

ISAFJORD
Good execution of traditional and modern metal noir. It was fun working with the guys on the split. I wish them many good times in the future too. -A.T.

KANTELE
The traditional stringed vessel of emotions in the Finnish culture. Generally the instrument of a solitary person accompanied by only a small group of listeners. You can consider yourself extremely lucky if you can listen to a kantele-player playing just for himself, and preferably in a remote cabin, part of woods, etc. in the evening when the only light is the fire of a campfire, fireplace, candles, or similar. The kantele is basicly a horizontal harp with 5 to 36 strings (72 on the double stringed ones). I would describe its sonic qualities as enchanting. Sadly, it was almost forgotten until some 50 years ago, when certain individuals brought it back to the knowledge of the general public. It's still quite hard to find good instruments to be used for recording and playing live, but things are looking up nowadays. -A.T.

KAJNO JESNO SOLNTZE
Excellent frail yet strong athmospheres. As a big fan of all flutes, pipes, and similar instruments, I'm very taken by their concoctions. Can't wait to hear their new stuff. -A.T.

MUSIC
A stark outlet for one's feelings, and creativity in general. The possibility to influence others in a good sence as well as bad. Requires loads of effort but gives back in tenfold. ...and diversity is one of the most important of keys. Better to have multitudes of bands you never hear about than to have only a few that don't excite you in any way. -A.T.

NEOFOLK
Very good to see this kind of stuff being done. Especially the interest in tradition and natural facets is like a breath of fresh air in this modernized world. I can't really insert Nest into this category, but there are similarities. -A.T.

NEST
A vessel, an outlet, for some ideas I've noticed I had stuffed in the old dusty-attic-of-a-brain. A thing reminiscent of a home, the place where it feels good to dwell - where you feel you belong. The aim is to have fun, to explore aural riches, to convey feelings, to conjure vistas, to bring enjoyment, maybe even to inspire... -A.T.

NEXT NEST ALBUM
Still quite shrouded in wisps of smoke. Nothing is set in stone, but there will be more ambience and more varied synthetic elements. To balance the scale there will also be more natural instruments, like hand played Lapland drums. You can also expect the sound quality to see an improvement. A very special note is that T. Saxell has joined Nest to offer his bass talents in addition to the vocals he has been doing before. -A.T.

RELIGION
Good and bad (misused) facets. Mostly the good intentions have been laid to waste by humans. -A.T.

SOL INVICTUS
As I haven't heard anything by this group, I can't say much about it. The moniker does bring forth an image of a grandiose sun. Silly me. -A.T.

"WOODSMOKE"
Companions gather around the campfire to spend the night, and exchange stories of days past. Their stories are many and varied, and there's always at least some yarns that sparks the interest of each companion. They share food and drink, and enjoy the evening in solace. The scent of the campfire reaches me. It beckons me, and I must answer. Fare thee well. -A.T.