Matthau Mikojan
Elegantly Wasted

12.06.2009

If you hear the name Mikojan in Russia, don’t rush into thinking that people are talking about the famous brand of sausages! It’s high time for you to know that it’s also the stage name of a Finnish musician and the name of his band. Some of you might already know Matthau from another Finnish band called Bloodpit, which he was fronting for a long time. But nothing is forever, and a couple of years ago Matthau quit this combo regardless of fans’ protests. Without taking too much time to be sad about the departure, Mikojan went straight into the studio to record a solo album under a very original title - “Matthau Mikojan”. Shortly after that he put together a new band and in March this year released a second album called “Mania For Life”. Supporting this album, Mikojan and his team went on tour and finally reached Moscow’s Club Relax. This is where we got the opportunity to catch them…

How has rainy Moscow welcomed you this time? Do you have any impressions so far?

Well, you know we haven’t really seen anything, because we just got here this morning and went straight to the hotel and had a few hours of sleep… Then we came here and got something to eat… We couldn’t get to see that much, but maybe tomorrow we’ll do it.

So you are staying here for tomorrow, aren’t you?

Yes, I think we’re gonna leave tomorrow.

Well, I wanted to ask you a few questions about Bloodpit… Though you may be rather tired of the theme.

Oh no, that’s OK.

Then tell us please why you left them and what happened between you and the band?

Well, basically we got bored of doing what we did. We just couldn’t get along any more. We were in the middle of the tour and it all just fucking snapped. Then we were supposed to go to Germany, we had the plan of the tour and everything… But within a month I was back in the studio recording my first solo album. I think both bands are happier now, you know… Now we do what we wanna do.

But Bloodpit was quite big in a way. You were successful here in Europe and you played in the U.S. You had a lot of fans. Wasn’t it somehow painful for you to let go things like that?

Of course it was. And when you have been together for such a long time, it’s very painful to let go. But it had to be done! It really had to be done, because it was the end and I don’t think we will be together anymore anywhere.

Now they have a new singer and I should say that he tends to copy you in some things. And he sings the same songs, though some of them were written by you. What do you think about it?

I don’t think much about it, to be honest. It doesn’t bother me anyway, because I feel that it’s a different band. It’s not the same band anymore, you know.

Don’t you fell like some part of you was left there?

Actually no. No-no-no. (hey, Matthau, are you talking to me?) I’m totally comfortable doing this and going solo.

Do you sometimes sing Bloodpit songs?

I think we’ll do a couple of them tonight. But I’m not sure. We haven’t made the setlist for tonight yet.

(Matthau reveals that he’s sweaty all over. This can be seen anyway. Is he really so nervous?)

As far as I know you have recorded your first album (“Matthau Mikojan”) all by yourself…

Actually, Simo was there, thee drummer of Matthau Mikojan. He played on this record as well. And I played bass and guitars and did vocals myself. But then we had to tour obviously with the album. Teemu came along and we accidentally became a band.

But why have you chosen these very musicians to play with you?

Well, I played a charity concert in Tampere in December 2007. That was the first time I ever met Teemu. He was in the band and I was singing a duet with Pate Mustajärvi from Popeda. I don’t think we said anything to each other…. But my brother (Sir Christus, ex-Negative) went to a bar and got a little drunk. Then he ran into this guy and said “you should be in my brother’s band!” (says it in such a hoarse voice). I got his number and I called him up and we met… One thing led to another and here we are now.

Can you say that you are a different person now, and that a lot of things in your music have changed since you left Bloodpit?

Yes, of course. In Bloodpit we wrote the songs all together, and now it’s only me. I’ve been asking these guys if they had any ideas for songs. I said, “Please, come up and share”. But they don’t have anything so far. (laughs) So it’s only me. And of course it has changed a little bit.

Aren’t the guys a bit offended by the fact that the band has your name, so people think that it’s your solo project?

Well, for example Billy Idol… You know, I can name thousands of artists that are actually “bands”. And it’s not my solo project anymore. Matthau Mikojan is definitely a band.

Can you tell a few things about your new album “Mania For Life”? As far as I know it was released 3 or 4 month ago.

They haven’t released it here in Russia yet. But hopefully they will do it soon. I think this album is a sort of “turning point” for us, because it’s our first “band” album. The first album was clearly a solo album, but “Mania For Life” is a band thing.

Well, if you think that this album is a “turning point”, then maybe you can foresee your development and say something about your next record…

No, I can’t say where we’re gonna go from here. I’ve only written 4 or 5 new songs, you know. But we definitely don’t wanna make another album that sounds like “Mania For Life” or the first album.

So it must be completely different every time, I see. How long does it take you to write a new song?

Well, occasionally, when I write songs it can take 5 minutes or 5 years… (smiles) I have lots of songs that I’ve been working on for years. And sometimes you just pick up a guitar and the tune… a sort of “writes itself”.

And what about the lyrics? Where do they “come from”?

Life itself inspires me to write. I write about my own experiences and whatever I get to see. I see lots of people and every all the people have their own stories… It doesn’t really have to be about my life. I can write about your life if you will… (smiles)

So you like listening to some people’s stories…

Yes, you know, there’s a great story, it’s not about any of my songs, but still… Billy Idol wrote the song “Sweet Sixteen”. It’s about this mid-European guy who used to live like 50 years ago – he passed away. And he fell in love with a girl who was 16. And the guy was 26 at that time. The day before they were supposed to get married the girl disappeared. She gave everything away and the engagement ring too. And the guy spent the rest of his life building up a memorial – The Coral Castle. Actually it really exists in Florida, in the U.S. The guy built it up for his “sweet sixteen”… (This story seems to have impressed Matthau so much that one can find references to it in his own songs, for instance, in “Cruel Mistress” from “Mania For Life– ed.)

Ok, let’s talk about your fans. You seem to be very attentive to them. On your website you have this “ask Matthau” thing, where all the fans can write whatever they want to you and get your answer. Do you get any interesting questions or is it like a tiresome process of writing the same things over and over again?

 No-no, I’m not tired of it at all! But I’d like to have Teemu and Simo answering those questions as well. To underline the fact that we are a band, you know. (smiles) But I never get bored of that. Whatever I can do for the fans, I will do it.

The biggest part of your fan-base is girls, and they take you as a “prince charming” and “elder brother” the same time. So they ask you very personal questions and sometimes ask for your advice… Isn’t it difficult for you to play this role?

Well, not that much… It’s just a part of my job. (laughs) It’s not a big deal for me.

But don’t you sometimes want to see other people at your concerts… You know, more guys, less girls in their teens…

I think back in Finland more guys have started to show up on concerts… Which is great, because the more the merrier, you know. I think the guys are following the girls to the shows. If the girls are there, the guys wanna be there as well.

And lots of your female fans ask you about your brother. He seems to be much more popular than you…

Yes, he definitely is. He’d been on tabloids for so long before I even came into the picture, you know. Of course he’s more popular than I.

But don’t you fell like these girls are interested in you only because they are interested in your brother?

I don’t really care. It’s totally okay. You can ask me about my brother. And I will answer.

Well, how is he doing?

He’s doing fine. He’s got a new project called (long pause) SnoWhite. I’ve seen one show, they’re great.

But why did he leave Negative? You definitely know it and nobody else really does.

I really don’t know. We haven’t discussed it. To be honest, I don’t know. (looks at me with his cunning eyes). We don’t talk about music, you know. We talk about… He’s got an eight year old daughter, so we talk about bringing up the girl and raising her and stuff like that. So basically we don’t talk about music that much, but of course sometimes we do.

Well, I see… Can you say if you have any important common features in your characters and any great differences?

It’s hard for me to say, because I’m too close… (smiles)

So, you and your brother are guitar players and your father was a guitarist (Arvo Mikkonen used to play in Popeda – ed.)… Do you think that your future children should play this instrument too?

Well, who knows… But I’m definitely not gonna push them to play guitar. It’s really up to them what they wanna do. Besides I don’t have kids, but if I had… I think they would be some sort of artists at some level.

And why have you personally chosen to play guitar?

It was easy to pick up a guitar when I was growing up, because we always had tens of guitars lying there at home. Other kids went out playing football and I would grab a guitar and fool around with it… And then go and play football!

But Christus was the first who started playing guitar, wasn’t he?

I think he was, because he’s 4 years older than me. I think he started playing at 7 or 8 years old and I started playing when I was about 9 or 10. It was an accident, because at first thought of myself as a singer. And I couldn’t play guitar at all! But I wanted to play along with my singing, so I picked up a guitar and learned how to play.

Do you remember when you wrote your first song and what it was about?

It was called “Fuck The World”! (shows his middle finger to the invisible enemy somewhere in the air) I remember I wrote it in 1994. I couldn’t speak any English back then obviously – I was 12 years old. I just wanted to write a song “Fuck The World” and say “fuck you” to everyone. A teenage rebellion, you know.

You say that your English was so bad… So why didn’t you write anything in Finnish?

It’s very difficult to write in Finnish. (smiles) It sounds different… I really appreciate good Finnish writers, but I couldn’t do it by myself. For me it’s much easier to write in English somehow… I even write my diary in English as well. I’ve been doing it for 10 years at least.

I also wanted to ask you about your image. You used to look like Jack Sparrow…

Yes, for a while. You know, when I was in America, people would go like: “Johnny Depp!” (smiles) I crossed the street and turned around – “no, it’s not him”. (tries to show the disappointment of those people)

But now you look completely different. What influences your image?

It’s very simple – I get bored very easily. I promise you, 6 month from now I’ll look totally different.

Do you have any hand-made clothes?

Yes I do. Actually, there was a time when I used to buy clothes from flea market, and if for example a pair of pants was too big I would fix them up and make them fit me with the sewing machine. I taught myself how to do it. But I don’t get to do it anymore that much.

It’s not the first time you share the stage with Blanko. Why do you take them with you? Are you friends?

Yes, they definitely are our friends. I met the guys for the first time I guess 6 month ago. We played our first “share gig”… (pause, laughs) I really don’t know why we are playing so much together! It’s not up to me anyway. Our booking agent tells us: “Go there, and they will support you, (pause) be careful”.

Then do you have any places you want to go but your agent doesn’t let you to do it?

For a long time Russia was one of them. And I’m so happy to be here now. I hope to play a good show here… But actually I don’t know… It doesn’t really matter where we play!

And what do you like about Russia?

Russia? Girls.

That’s quite common… Don’t you have anything more to say?

I think Russia is a controversial country, because there’s a lot of beauty here and there’s a lot of ugliness. The same thing in Finland… I’ve always been very comfortable being in Russia. I love this country. I’d love to tour more here, but we only had a chance to play in St. Petersburg and Moscow. So I haven’t seen anything but big cities and a little bit of suburbs.

Would you like to share your plans with your fans?

Well, I can say only about what we’re gonna do this year… We’re definitely gonna make another album and tour in Finland, Germany and hopefully Russia.

Matthau Mikojan on the Internet: http://www.matthaumikojan.com

Special thanks to Natalia Gerasina for arranging this interview

Ksenia Artamonova
May 22, 2009
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