TONTTU ( FINNISH BAND INTERVIEW )

TONTTU: Anti-Gnomemartialindustrialneofolkmetal since the 90’s.

As everyone knows TONTTU is the most recognizable name, some would even go as far as saying it to be the household name, in Anti-Gnome Muzik. Many have tried but no one except TONTTU has succeeded to dedicate all their musical output to eradicating gnomes and everything that is connected to those vile cretins and redcappers.

After their highly hated and vastly underrated first album, Nekrognomekon (including their first 3 EPs), they landed on a safe haven with the label Panicmachine. At this point their original line-up had changed dramatically leaving Tonttufindergeneral Hanz-Baal to carry the torch as gnomes kidnapped one of the crew, Petja, and as TONTTU does not negotiate with terrorists: Out with the old, in with the new! The New-Anti-Gnome-Order had been born with Großinquisitor Rudolf Von Deer and later on High Commander Hephzipah.

Years went by and many highly uneasylistening albums (give or take 9 including remake albums and collaborations and what not) later they are at the point where they would like to be (unless their desire would not be in totally smashing the gnomenkind…): Somewhat underground, mostly covered with foil and spreading The (righteous) Anti-Gnome Propaganda throughout the world with numerous highly valued comrades including Freiherr von Gargamel and Marcel P. of Miel Noir (both of whom joined the ranks on the latest album) and naturally P. Emerson Williams who has been very close to the project also making the most documentative gnome-art for TONTTU.

The future will bring The Book revealing everything about gnomes’ schemes +21% and giving those reading it the most horrible insight of the world ruled by gnomes. Future will also show us the direction where TONTTU is heading, there will be more comrades, that much is certain!

Reminder: All of TONTTU’s lyrics (in videos and in albums) has been translated in English, so you will not miss the point if it for some peculiar reason tries to escape you (note: probably reason feels endangered by the presence of gnomes and runs for its life).

       1)    Hello my enigmatic friend from Tonttu. Lol… I would like to know how,why and when did you start to make music?
     

    (Well hello there, Tonttufindergeneral Hanz-Baal greets you with secret hand signs which are yet to be defined, but damn, do they look cool!)

    As for TONTTU the beginning was somewhere during the 95-97: ish… Those were the most troubled times and one cannot really point the exact point when the destiny made me do this. If we use our first release (Kabouter Dämmerung cdr-ep) as the holy sign then I would have to say 96 or so… If we use the first version of “Saunatonttu” then it could well be 95: ish… Does it really matter? No, as nothing but eradicating gnomes is of the essence. But Saunatonttu just came out of nowhere so it could have been just this planet’s cry for help which we heard. And if one is heartless enough not to answer that kind of calling, well, let us say I am not one of those gnome-liberals to do so!

        2)   Your music is very peculiar, I particularly liked, is a nice blend between folk, industrial and metal… I would like that you explain this blend for us…

  

     

 Anything and everything what delights and inspires to hunt down those soul munching beard faced vessels of doom and destruction. Naturally anything goes as long as the ideology of the song is Anti-Gnomen in the end. Thinking outside of those boxes gnomes manufacture and make us accept through mind manipulation.

“What sounds good at the moment” is the way to go and naturally those being involved bring their own vision joining in… Let us say we do proper inquisition before anyone is let even close to our dear project, no stone unturned or gnome unburned, as they say everywhere in the world.

         3)   Tells us What are some of the major influences on Tonttu?

   

   Ach, there always is the starting points and influences do change when one evolves (well unless one is possessed / infected by and / or sympathizing gnomes, then only devolution reigns supreme). But I think there are certain corner stones that will stick.

First of all I must say Laibach, they are always evolving and their sounds truly make one think of pyre of gnomes! I think liking Laibach seems to be the glue in TONTTU, well that is the sign of a very good taste in my books!

King Diamond / Mercyful Fate: Telling stories theatrically using different characters, what is there not to like? I find extreme pleasure in imitating gnomes’ screeching voices! Obviously horror influences are strong in our stuff for some peculiar reason as what are gnomes except for pure horror come in the putrid and stenchy flesh.

Isengard / Storm (some Darkthrone albums): Aren’t they the masters of folkish forest metal or not? I think they are! Their vision is an inspiration indeed!

Of course there are numerous other influences like NON’s exquisite song “Total War”, Blood Axis, gotta even say Two Witches as some of their stuff had a vast impact to our music as we started. One which I must especially mention is Keuhkot, Finnish Avant-Garde orchestra from Finland… They do (he does…) not leave any boxes unburned!

Of course there are also many industrial groups that has given us some ideas namely Ministry etc, but I think I will leave it to this. Any good band making good, original music will do…  

       4)   Do you have plans to play in some festivals,gigs,tours in other countries or in other continents?

     

   NO! That will cover this question. TONTTU is a project (The Project!) and we will use our time efficiently only making new Anti-Gnome Muzik when the time is ripe.

Well, the main reason naturally is that we must keep our covers unscathed as gnomes really would like to identify us and use it against us.

We have been asked but we have always declined nothing personal in that for those who have been courageous enough to ask us (highly appreciated, though.)

         5)    When will you release a new album?

       

  Toughie! Well, preparations are in progress for the 9: th chapter but nothing has been decided yet. As the last album, Riimuja ja Tonttuja (and WWGS3, with our dear friends FAHL, for that matter) was kinda stylish and monolithic we must destroy that to rebuild something different! There will be more comrades included so time tables will be a bit tricky yet manageable, me thinketh. Let us see how this goes.

But next chapter in TONTTU-story will be the book to make every other book obsolete and worthy of burning, it will be released through Panicmachine and will include amazing artwork by P. Emerson Williams and highly descriptive text by Thomas Jude Barclay Morrison with yours truly. The text is ready and Emerson is preparing the artwork as we speak, braise yourselves!

       6)    What your point of view about underground music nowadays? And What your opinion about new bands? Are there creativity and innovation? BTW: You are very creative,your band is very different that I have listen…

     

Well thank you, we must have achieved one of our goals, then! Naturally our only goal in the long run is to eradicate every gnome on this wretched planet ruled by them!

There are loads of good stuff, even those innovative ones, so all those yearning for goode olde days should shut up and try to open their mind or then again it is always an option to listen to those classic albums, nothing wrong with that (just saying that there is no use whining about things that are taking place whether we like em or not and/or bash bands that are trying their best and beat the odds to get a listen or two). No, the world is not the same as it once was neither the music as a whole is and will never be. Gnomes have made it pretty damn hard for musicians to make it financially (we do not care, as we are doing this purely out of desire to follow our hearts’ calling to persecute and destroy gnomenkind) but that does not change the fact that there is loads of great music up for grabs and hey, you may even pay for it when you face the luring “Pay what you want”-option…. Even buying the physical version if you get totally wild!

I would like to give a highest of fives to those who came up with the idea of Bandcamp, must be one of the greatest inventions to keep up and coming new music available in one location and great platform all around.

One of the sadder parts of digitalization is that ideas spread like wildfire and suddenly you see gazillion bands doing exactly the same thing leaving one feel a bit sad and empty… One genre that comes in mind, even though I love some of the more original ones like 777 Babalon, is Dark Ambient… But hey, same applies to this; you do not have to listen to anything you do not like! Pick the cherries that delight you and try to support them with likes/shares/buying and be happy for those who have good time doing music, even though you might not like it… Someone else just might.
As for the bands: Lucky enough to have stumbled (and even collaborated with) on many great new and innovative bands through our little project, listen to our dear friends Miel Noir for example, astonishing! Listen and you shall find!

As for the zines etc: I feel for you, guys, must be quite a headache to try to find those acts worthy of noticing and I sure understand why you are covering mostly those bands already having some kinda reputation… One has only so much time in his/hers hands and it is a rare bunch who gains by doing that precious work you do. Keep it up!

Hhahahah, we are making it easier for zines as they must be repulsed seeing our agenda, if they get through that then there is the problem of deciding whether we belong to their box to begin with! That being said thank you for your time and effort for those giving us the chance namely Kaaoszine, Intravenous Magazine (THANK YOU!!!), Tuonela Magazine and others that did not make it to the list this time… Most delinquent and inappropriate handshake to Steven G. from Brutal Resonance, you are one of the reasons we continued after Nekrognomekon, hahhaahha…. Happy? Hopefully you will not get beaten up for this…. Of course hope you do, if you wish that to be the case… I am liberal also in that way.

As for that horrid thing that those bigger record (media) companies are doing… Not even the lowest of fives for them… Syndicated playlists and pushing horrible social media celebrities etc is the most gnomified thing that the music industry has ever faced. Shame on you and make gnomes eat your spleens! Probably they won’t, as gnomes must enjoy every second stations playing those same hits over and over again.

I used to love radio but they sure are making it hard nowadays.

It is quite hard to define underground nowadays, I think. If it is everything that does not get any kind of recognition in mainstream the underground is one of the biggest entities to ever roam this gnomified existence, hehehehe.

Listen to Podcasts etc and you will find absolutely amazing music played by bands you may have never heard of. I would like to recommend Eterna Oscuridad Radio and Victor & co first and foremost for including us in their shows and showcasing plethora of amazing bands to those who are listening to those brilliant casts. Big Hand also for those I did not mention here for playing TONTTU and our collaborators!

      

      7)      I did this question in another interview with many  from other countries too,however is very interesting to know what do you know about Brazil? Please without carnival and football. Hahahahahaha…

    

Well first things that comes to mind is the huge size of it and also the most beautiful nature (until gnomes destroy it for quick cash…) There also may be a bit of a problem with gnomes running rampant in the streets as inequality is quite an issue it also increases the chances for gnomes getting more influence in everyday events, if I have understood it right.

Loads of resources=Loads of things to loot and ravage, sorry to say.

Have met a few people (thank you, social media) from there and always been happily surprised, what are the odds?

One thing that comes in mind when facing gnomish entities is naturally Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (when you do not have your trusted flamethrower with you, that is…) Many famous fighters in UFC etc from your country.

Quite the large musical scene (you name it!) in so many genres and the most oddish liking of Finnish punk-bands, LOL.

Sepultura! I like those older albums with Cavaleras.

To sum it up: Loads of good things but sad to say also those usual problems that we all are facing in the modern world: Gnomes that is!

     DECADENCE: Very good answer,I´m brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and there is a punk band in Finland called FORÇA MACABRA that sing their music in Brazilian Portuguese. hahahahahaha....

        8)   Tonttu you are free to say what you want.

     

 How nice of you! Words to live by:
Support those you like, do not waste your time / energy on those not worth it and always try to stay Anti-Gnomen! If everyone exclusively hated gnomes and nothing else but them this world would be a quite much better place.

Thank you for this chance to spread The Righteous Gnospel and pleasure meeting you.

TFG out.

    Contacts:

   https://www.facebook.com/TONTTUofficial/

   

    https://www.youtube.com/user/Tonttufindergeneral

    

    https://soundcloud.com/tonttufindergeneral-hanz-baal 

   https://twitter.com/TONTTUofficial 

   https://digital.panicmachine.com/ 

   https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104013063133181033518