voices #40
◦ “voices” is the place where we ask, artists reply and you read.
here we got:
H-M O
answering some questions. We have already observed her drone / ambient / new age work here.
[1. IDEA]
■ The A. O.: Can you tell us how the track “Misty Lake” came to light?
► H-M O: I live in northern Finland and spend a lot of time in nature – one beautiful morning in August I woke up in the wee hours to a sudden urge to go outside and enjoy the first rays of the sun. As I stepped outside, I was enticed by this sweet mist to a nearby lake. And there I could do nothing but stare at the water, breathe in the balmy air and record the soundscape all around me. So, the whole track is built on and around one single field recording from that morning. All I tried to do was to capture the feeling of staring at the lake at sunrise, by emphasizing the natural soundscape with soft and smooth and meditative electronic elements. My aim was to keep it calming yet quietly suspenseful, as that morning, or the whole natural world actually, felt and often feels to me. It was an almost transcendental experience, as if a whole huge lake was evaporating into thin air…and condensing back into a single drop on a blade of grass.I also took many black and white photos on my film camera of that lake on that very morning, which then ended up forming the cover art for Misty Lake as well as the music video (for which the link is this: ▼)
[2. CREATION]
■ The A. O.: How do you usually approach composition? Do you start with a concept, a sound, a state of mind or what else? How do you generally proceed from the initial seed to the complete work?
► H-M O: I usually go about it as with Misty Lake – I see or hear or remember something that evokes a certain emotion or a state of mind within me, and then I start building a structure of sounds to try and hold that feeling, to give it some sort of an aural form. I also often capture field recordings in nature, which then guide me onwards, asking for electronic sounds to accentuate, bolster or moderate them.
[3. FEEDBACK]
■ The A. O.: What do you hope listeners feel or experience when engaging with your music?
► H-M O: I simply hope they could find and connect (and maybe even communicate) with a part of themselves, a thought, a memory, a feeling, no matter how tiny, and let it flow through. I hope they could enjoy the act of listening, of being alive, and feel grateful for being able to do that. It’s huge, I know, but that is my wish.
[4. IDENTITY]
■ The A. O.: In a world saturated with digital music content, how do you try to keep your sound distinct and personally meaningful?
► H-M O: I am an artist who loves to surprise herself by combining elements that, when brought together, create something completely unexpected. I call it ‘a divine coincidence’ when two or more seemingly separate things complement each other in a way that they form a whole new entity larger and more complex than its parts (usually I recognize this happening by having chills up and down my spine). Because I started making music from a place of childlike curiosity and a desire to play, I think my sound is quite free and expressive in essence. I also strive for honesty when it comes to how I feel when creating music which I hope translates into tunes and lyrics. I also use field recordings in most of my songs and improvise in my singing which I believe creates quite an organic and unique vibe.
What also helps me, is that I don’t really care about what people think of my music. Don’t get me wrong, I care about the listeners deeply as human beings on the heart level, but to hear people’s opinions, as in, if they like/don’t like my music, doesn’t really make any difference to how I feel about it myself or how I continue making it. I’m simply too curious about the mystery of creation and too enlivened by the honor of being able to share my music to care too much about antagonistic ears.
[5. INFLUENCES]
■ The A. O.: Mention 3 albums that you consider relevant to your musical path and why.
► H-M O: (not answered, ed.)
[6. REGARDS]
■ The A. O.: Leave us with a quote you love.
► H-M O: “You’re a ghost, driving a meat-coated skeleton made from stardust, riding a rock, hurtling through space.” (Fear Nothing).