“ … I don´t play music I don´t like. Some DJ´s do it for the money, but I do it to support the music I love …”

Hailing from the frozen north, with the highest amount of mobile phones and internet connections per head, where saunas, reindeers and keskikesä rule your life, where in dark days it seems like kind of a logical conclusion to lock yourself away into the studio – these words come from our favourite Finn Jussi-Pekka. Jussi is an artist in the truest sense of the word. And that artist-way of thinking can be experienced, if you ever happen to hear any of his DJ-sets.

But it´s not only the DJ in him. His profiling production face also perfectly underlines his musical character, combining Detroit techno, groovy beats and acid elements, he’s forming his unique cool & crispy Jussi-Pekka sound. Mr Parikka manages the crossover between house and techno like only a very few others do, with a subliminal sureness to receive support from a crossfire of DJs from different electronic niches, including the likes of Hawtin, Bug, Villalobos, Garnier, James Holden, Electric Indigo and Timo Maas.

So far he can look back on an impressive release catalogue including productions for highly respected labels such as Poker Flat , Morris/Audio , Slip´n´Slide, Audiomatique Dessous, and not to forget his very own imprint Frozen North Recordings, which he has kickstarted in 2005 to give himself as well well as other Finnish artists the chance to spread the more and more sought-after Scandinavian beats. Therefore it’s not surprising that this also affected the demand on his remix abilities.

If Tampere will ever be named alongside tone-setting cities such as Chicago, London or Berlin, then it´s for sure Jussi-Pekka who achieved that his hometown became an item in the global underground dance scene.

What have been up to lately and what can we expect from you over the next couple of months?
I just finished building my studio away from home, so I’ve been doing quite a lot of new music… Since my son was born, I had a small (1 year) break in composing… So it’s amazing to be able to produce music in total solitude without anyone disturbing.Next big plans are about my Monoder -alias.

What’s the first record you bought?
I bought about 5 records at the same time for my 18th birthday present. Most of them were crap but one of them is still in the play: Dave Angel – in flight entertainment ep. Great ep in all!

What was your first big breakthrough as an act? What would you rate as the best experience that you’ve had in the music scene so far?
My first big breakthrough must have been the dancing queen ep on poker flat recordings. Although some people may think differently. Best experiences come from the early 90’s when there wasn’t too much (or at all) club culture but Rave and warehouse parties… totally amazing memories with REAL trance music and naïve & open teen-minds.

Which one do you enjoy the most, Djing or producing?
At the moment producing. As mentioned, the 1 year break did quite good for me… Also the previous big one was my first album which was more exhausting than I though.

What’s the key to getting noticed?
Well it really depends if you’re looking for good publicity or just publicity. You can get noticed for a certain point by doing everything. But to be really big, you need luck, budget and good tracks.
When and where was your best gig?
That’s a hard one… Must have been the 2nd time I was playing in Presswerk in Basel. Also a really nice one was in Helsinki’s Rose Garden some years ago.Can’t say about “the best” but those would do the top-3.

Who is your all time musical hero?
I think that’s quite hard to just choose one… Richie Hawtin was one of the “good guys” with his f.u.s.e. And Plastikman -aliases. Richard D. James for sure is one. You know, all the “old big guys” out there including all the jazz-masters.

Worst Gig?
I could say my first public dj-gig ever (in -94, when I didn’t yet even have my own 12”) but that was just beginners bad luck.

What makes a party good & bad?
The audience.

What’s more important. The mix or the next tune?
If the tune is right, it doesn’t mean s**t how you mix.One don’t go to a party to listen how the dj does his/her mixes but what the dj is playing.

What’s the biggest crowd you’ve played to?
About 1,5k in Zürich.

What’s the most ridiculous promotional thing you’ve done?
I’ve always been quite modest in promo… but one of the greatest is promo pic that I took with Kalle-m outside with only our boxers on… and it was about -28′C …

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Honestly, I have no idea. Hopefully still doing music, enjoying the time with the family and friends etc… I’m not expecting too much from life, just the normal simple things.

Where do you go out?
Well, the closest techno/house club that play regularly good music is in Helsinki about 200km away. So mostly I hang around with friends at home or studio.

Is a DJ a star today? Or does he have to be more than just a DJ?
In general the idea that everybody wants to be a dj is quite absurd… hey let’s produce music to become famous dj’s!!! right…The “superstar dj” thing is on the other hand really ludicrous: Think if an architect would get a collection of other architect’s plans, show them to a class full of other architect’s and get paid for that? Sounds at least really weird.
On the other hand, some people are good and/or famous dj’s and other people are willing to pay for the party… so in that way it makes sense. Just a matter how you think about it…

What do you think about dj mag’s top100 poll?
I don’t watch miss world either, so not interested at all.

Do you think the club scene is a closed shop with regard to new DJs getting heard?
Well yes and no… I mean, you can always start your own night somewhere and go on from there. But if you want to get a slot in a well known club as a newbie…

Is there a different reaction in clubs from different countries across the globe?
Quite a big one actually… I remember seeing dj Sasha playing for 10.000 people in Istanbul. After the “screaming and jumping” break-down people just stand still and chatted (just like before the break). Thing like this couldn’t ever happen in – say – Finland. Different countries have their own culture and own way in expressing feelings, so naturally that is noticeable also in the clubs.

Do you have a favourite place or somewhere where you get the best reaction?
Number one to play again would be Presswerk in Basel Switzerland. I’ve played there 4 or 5 times already and every time is just amazing. Though the audience has changed during the years, but I guess that’s normal for a club with such a long history.

Do you sample, use old records, listen to them, or how does your producing process go?
Usually I just start working with nothing and the tracks end up somewhere… I do have a certain feeling where to direct the composing process but that doesn’t always mean anything. Sometimes a track started as house ends up somewhere between ambient and vice versa. Sometimes I do use samples but in a way you can’t really get the original idea – so I don’t steal idea…

What was the party that affected you a lot?
The first Koneisto -festivals held in Turku quite some years ago. Still have a warm memory toward the whole name, though the festival is dead…

Which is more appealing to you while djing - to dig out a relatively old track, or play the newest release?
If a track is good, it doesn’t matter if it’s new or old. The fastfood culture is also in music nowadays and a MASSIVE HOT-TIP HIT is played for 5 months and then forgotten…And the feeling that you’re a bad dj if you don’t play at least 4 tracks from a certain mp3-store’s top-10 chart is always there. But the moment when you put the old Studio1 from mid-90’s and people go berserk is mind-blowing – in the end it’s just about the music, not the charts and hype.For sure there are sometimes the “hip” audience that expect just the latest new, but they are just suckers who aren’t there for the music but for the “cool and hip show-off”.

What is the most interesting comment you have heard about your music?
Well all opinions are interesting. Usually the comments are just short opinions like “love it” or “crap”… But the most interesting is when a dj plays a track you though was deep to a heavy dance set. People hear tracks differently .

Is it the technique that is important? Or the selection or the looks or the moves?
A dj is a performer, whether we like it or not. For me a dj who plays good music well and doesn’t show off that much is “the thing”. For sure you can enjoy the music and show it. But in a modest way.

Is there something that you don’t like about this scene or things that pissed you off along the way?
At the moment the feeling that it’s “either or”. Whether you are famous or you are nothing. The whole fastfood -culture and the fact that quite a lot of people are just plain suckers that don’t have any idea what they are doing or why they should do it.Actually there are quite plenty of things that piss me off but that’s my problem

What’s the single most exciting thing about dance music at the moment in your opinion?
The thing that boring almost art-minimal is dying and music has more groove, funk and melodies again.

What inspires you?
Everything that’s going on around me when I compose.

Are you afraid of piracy?
Piracy if affecting a lot to the whole concept of “selling music”. So everybody need to find a new way to deal with that.
Personally i’m not afraid but don’t like the idea of stealing either.

If you could have anyone remix any of your tracks, who would it be and why?
Either Matthew Dear or Herbert just for his amazing remix skills.

Which dj would you most like to punch and why?
Should I put the list in alphabetical order…? But seriously, i’m a peace loving hippie – I don’t want to punch anybody.

What is the magic hangover cure?
Don’t stop drinking.

If you ever walk around the house in pants and slippers and what do you listen to?
Probably the answer would be “piiri pieni pyörii”. Find it out.

Was there a moment when you knew you wanted to make music your life?
To put it otherway: I never had the (serious) thought that I wouldn’t do music ever again.

What is the biggest amount of drugs you’ve ever been offered
Well I’m quite a sober guy, so the answer is just “if you want something” …I don’t go around asking for tons of shit and don’t expect people to come offer me loads of…

How do you handle obsessive groupies? (The hot ones)
I just tell them i’m married and don’t have any plans to ruin that.

Then how do you handle obsessive groupies? (The ugly ones)
The same way as the more attractive ones. The looks of a person don’t (or at least shouldn’t) affect how they are treated.

And then how do you handle obsessive groupies? (The guys)
Usually they are talking at the club and I just answer something rude in finnish And usually they understand that I don’t speak the language.

What’s your best tip for getting money out of dodgy promoters?
Money first – then the job.You can always call to your russian cousins if you happen to be in too much trouble

Which is your personal favourite track that you’ve produced & why?
At the moment that would be “rise and shine” on the upcoming monoder -biz…the fact that it’s slow, deep and driving at the same time is doing the thing for me.

What do you think about this whole minimal craze and do you support that?
Well, the craze can mean two things: there’s a lot of good stuff coming out OR there’s a lot of stuff coming out… With this minimal thing a lot of cool funky and a bit funny tracks have been done! But also a LOT of semi-ok nothing original crap which is really the music you get when you press the “compose a minimal track” -button on your sequencer.

What’s your all time favourite tune?
The hardest question of all time after “the meaning of life, the universe and everything”. I can’t really even figure out my favorite music genre! So how could I name a single track?

What are the top five most listened to tracks/songs on your iPod?
Ha! I don’t own an i-player ;) But I don’t really listen to single tracks that much, more to a radio station or mixes and albums… Like old stuff from King Crimson is great, deepmix.ru, basso radio from Helsinki has it’s good programs and of course the Paska lista on Radio Helsinki. Not to left mentioned the Frozen North Sauna Sessions featuring your hosts Roberto Rodriguez and Jussi-Pekka Parikka

If you had to do something different what do you think you would end up doing?
Probably something to do with marketing of arts or such.

If there is one rule in life to live by, what is it?
Life is like a dick – when it’s hard, fuck it. It’s quite immature and rude BUT is somewhat true: if everything goes wrong, you just need to coop with it. Tao -stuff in the end.

What destroys music?
Stealing, stupid people and stupid music being marketed.

What keeps it alive?
Just the opposite. Paying for what’s not yours, wise people that know what they are doing and music that has something to give to the audience.

What’s the perfect holiday for you?
Sleep long, enjoy a summer day (or a nice winter day in the snow) with the family, later in the evening go for a good dinner with my wife and in the morning notice that we got paid for all that

How would you want to die?
Sleep away with the kids/grand children around when i’m 80+and in good mental health.

Do you believe a good life is attainable? Or is it something that is out of our control?
There are things that you can do and change and something that you can’t. If you have a bad thing that you CAN change – change it! If it’s something you can’t change – just accept that it’s there.

What attracts you most?
Best kicks I seem to get from music at the moment.

If you had only six months to live, what would you do first?
Probably tell everybody close to me about it. And deal with the negative emotions. Then have a lot of fun.

What are you most proud of in your life?
I once told my wife what are “the things” in man’s life: getting married, getting kids and buying the first 303.

Who do you admire most?
I can’t put people into “best of” order. All people are unique and important in their own way.

Most Memorable Past?
My son’s birth was something that will stick for the rest of my life…

Biggest turnoff?
Selfish people that don’t just care or are too stupid to realize what’s important.

If you could have one super human power what would you choose?
Flying.

Can you cook? If so – what?
Yes, but I don’t do it too often. Usually something with pasta, but dead animals are quite good if you do it correctly (bio naturally!)

What was your last thought?
“how would I cook that?”

When was the last time you got so drunk you threw up?
About 5 years ago.

What is your favourite TV show?
Heroes or House.

If you were trying to seduce someone, what three songs would you put on a tape?
Aphex twin – ventolin
miles davis – my funny valentine
something of my own to show off how artistic and creative I am

If you were an animal in the wild, what would you be?
Sloth.

Define yourself in 3 words
Nice, decent, happyish.