Fun

Tell us the history of your band. It is interesting to know whether you had any musical experience before Fun?

Riku: I basically just practised a lot and took some lessons on my own time before Fun because I basically didn't know anyone to play with.
Teemu: My father tought me the basics of guitar when i was 10, so itб s all his fault. I havenб t had any other musical training. I played in one band before this for 8 years and then I have a few other things going on too.

Why have you decided to play such music (I speak about music which I've heard on "EP"), as I know, it is rather rare direction in punk-scene.

Riku: It's not like we ever gave a thought on which kind of music we are going to play. I put an ad on a paper where I mentioned some bands I really like (I think there was bands like Shellac, Mogwai, The Ex, Sonic Youth, etc ..) and found Teemu. Then we just decided to play together and this kind of music came out.
Teemu: For me it is just natural thing cause I loved, and still love the music of Nirvana. And through their music i got to find out about all these other bands that feel also really close to.

How adequately is your music percieved in Finland? I was confused with circulation of your vinil (300 copies) - to what this restriction is connected?

Riku: Well, the EP was the first thing we ever released, so we didn't have any idea how it will be received and there is no point pressing a thousand copies only to end up gathering dust at your house. Luckily people did buy them and that pressing is now gone. Szklarska Poreba LP is out on 1000 copies, so I think they'll be sold out around 2059.

What else besides music are you engaged?

Riku: Work, pool, alcohol, crack, being a computer-nerd.
Teemu: work, problems, alcohol, polish language, sleeping late.

You know, looking from here (from Russia) on the Finnish stage, an impression of the raging boiler is created - the records of plenty of groups of all directions reach even here... What you can tell about a condition of your stage?

Riku: If I understood you question, you mean Finnish stage in underground music, right? Well, the situation in underground-music (not only in punk) is really good in my opinion. There are a lot of good and active bands and very dedicated people. Some underground bands have even got some mainstream attention, which, in my opinion is quite healthy for the scene, because it can bring some new blood to the underground.

Did you have concerts in other countries (and in Russia?)? If yes, tell us a little about them.

Riku: We've done three tours in Europe and we have played in about ten different countries. The gigs have sometime been very different, so it's really hard to say anything about playing abroad in general. One thing that comes to mind is that the smaller the city is, the better the gigs usually are. I mean, if people live in a bigger city, there's good bands playing there every day and they don't bother to come and check out a finnish band they have never heard of. Anyway, touring is the best part about playing in the band. We played once in St. Petersburg which was our first visit outside Finland and it was really amazing. We ended our set two songs before the end of the setlist, because some guy at the audience was telling Teemu to "please, play one more song". We thought he said "you have time for only one song" and ended our set two songs before the end. We're not that smart.

In Russia there is a steady stereotype concerning Finland: the silent quiet country, hockey, skiing, wonderful polygraphy... But if the Finn feel a smell of alcohol he'll necessarily get totally drunk and brawls as the drunk sailor... (a couple of months ago on our TV there was the reporting that in Finland excises on alcohol have lowered. They have shown the exulting drunk crowds, delight and happiness... Just in case I shall notice - I am not a SxE!). What do you think about it?

Teemu: At first I thought it was a mistake to lower the prices of liquor, and I still think it wouldб ve been better to lower the prices of beer and wine instead of strong spirits, cause vodka is the drink that makes you act really really stupid (although it s hell lot of fun). But finland has been morally so stricly controlled place that alcohol has been always a bigger deal for everyone than it wouldб ve been if it had not been banned with such a loud voice. We are making a big deal out of to drink/not to drink and i think that once we get passed that sort of thinking, alcohol will probably lose it s interest of forbidden fruit .. I think. goddamit what bullshit i just wrote. should probably get into politics. I m so tired of this conversation of alcohol, they still talk about it in tv all the time. Bla bla bla. I want my alcohol. And I d rather have it cheap than expensive. Donб t you russian people have a word for us finns.. something like a tree climber or tree cutter?
Riku: Yeah, drinking is cool.

What is your attitude to SxE? What do you think about anarchism?

Riku: I really have respect for people who can be straight edge, but it's not for me. The idea of an anarchist society is wonderful and I know that there are lots of people especially involved with underground-scenes who could make it work. The problem is with the 99% of the other folks, especially the rich. I just can't see a way of turning them into anarchism without contradicting the ideas of the anarchism itself.
Teemu: SxE - I have never been into scenes, so if i would stop drinking, smoking weed and having casual sex (in other words, all the fun), i still wouldnб t draw an x to my hand. Seriously speaking, my hat is off to anyone who can handle life sober. We ve got a seriously fucked up place here. Anachism - On the tours we ve been in a lot of squats and they seem to work really well with no organized control. But it just might be that punks are a bit more peace loving, honest people compared to many others so they can pull it off.

How much are you in politics? What is your political credo?

Teemu: To breathe and not to prevent others from breathing.
Riku: I try to read a lot and follow the news as much as possible, but I need to use the clichИ that the more I read the less I seem to know. I have opinions on things, but I don't think that things are so simple that I could say that I have any certain political credo. I think Teemu defined it quite well.

In the modern mad political world Finland looks like an island of safety. How safely and quiet do you feel?

Teemu: It s true that we are quite safe here compared to many other countries. Food is chewed ready for us - at least some of us. On the other hand people are so used to the fact that someone else will decide and take care of things that they don t seem to care for other people in real, every-day life. Fucking zombies.. I feel like shouting out loud in busses. Sorry, kind of went sidetracked on that answer. But still, it s good to enjoy the peace here as long as it lasts.
Riku: Finland is maybe one of the safest places in the world I think. I feel safe now being at home, but for how long this will last, I don't know.

What is your sight on a modern political situation?

Teemu: I don t understand enough of things to say anything intelligent, but I can say I m really fucking scared when I watch the news. It might be that when you re a kid, thing don t seem so threatening cause you don t understand them, but I still under the impression that things are getting crazier and crazier all the time.
Riku: The world is in pretty crazy state right now. People are getting more and more afraud and the politicans are feeding that fright even more for their own (usually financial) benefits. I just hope that people would start to think more on their own and not accepting everything they're been told as absolute truths.

What do you think, whether simple people can change something (in the best way!!!)? What would you want to change in this world?

Teemu: I think the best way is to try not to be mean and selfish. (to the extend that it s possible). I also would like to have the balls to start screaming and kicking (well, not people) on the streets and busses if i feel like it. They just have places where they put the ones who scream..
Riku: I think that you can, it would be pretty horrible to think that you couldn't. Why even think about it? When I'm for example recycling my tin-cans I know it can't be bad either. It maybe doesn't prevent the world from drowning in shit, but I'm doing my part the best I can.

Changing the topic... Steve Albini was a producer of Pixies and Nirvana, Melt Banana and Zeni Geva... One consider him to be versatile, other - omnivorous. What do you think about the phenomenon of Albini as the producer? In general, tell us about your "authorities".

I like the idea of albini to record the band as it is, with no studio gimmics. Just quality. He has a healthy way of seeing the thing. It would be great to have him record something for us some day. But he s a musician and a recording engineer, so no authority there.. when i was a bit younger, charles bukowski was a big figure for me, but thank god when you get older you realize we are all just a bunch of shitheads and we all have our heroes. Bukowski used to have admiration towards Dostojevski, Celine and Hamsun. then again there are people like bon scott and david yow who are gods and can t do nothing wrong. well.. at least bon scott, obviously.

As for me, for myself I share very precisely Albini's work in Big Black, Rapemen and Shellac - for me they are completely different, but unequivocally magnificent, the periods of his creativity. What do you think about it?

Teemu: All of these are good bands, yes.
Riku: Rokin'!

Can you recommend something from the Finnish stage?

Teemu: mariska, a cool hip-hop-chick. Riku: Deep Turtle (although they just split up), Hero Dishonest, the Heartburns, Valse Triste, Echo is Your Love .. There's a few. But there a tons more.

If you want, you can add something from yourself.

Teemu: She was an iron manger...
Riku: Smoking crack makes you cool.

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