May I ask what is the significance of the name Vladislav Delay?

There's no particular significance, I just came up with it more than 10 years ago and have found it suitable enough to describe my music. It was an accident actually, how the name came up.

How has the city of Berlin shaped your music?

It did probably in positive and negative ways but it's too close, and there's too much emotion to see clearly what really happened. I have been living away from Berlin for one year now, and have realized the influence wasn't all that good; I’m happy to be out of there. The good sides are still a bit difficult for me to see. It shaped me more than it shaped my music, that's for sure.

Being a place with broad and diverse audiences, and known for impromptu parties and great electronic music, does Berlin bring out a different side of you musically?

Actually, I never went to Berlin for music and what it had to offer, but rather, I went for my relationship. But like I said, it didn't affect my music too much; it's well guarded.                                                                      

The album was produced on a "small island on the Baltic" according to your press. How might this have shaped your approach?

Well, the surroundings where I’m currently living are quite special. They actually did influence my process somewhat with the album. The influence was slight, but present. It was inspiring to see nature seriously and to struggle with snow and minus degrees without much light at all.

What has been your experience working with major labels?

Not very good, to put it lightly.

Do you feel that you have shunned the limelight? If so, how so?

I have some issues with popularity and even just having lots of people around me, so it never was possible for me to go the route of popular whatever. I like pop music and all, but to be a face and having to face the entertainment issues and all is not an option for me. I found that out with little try outs as Luomo years ago.

I would imagine that Luomo draws very different crowds than VD does, or at least the crowd interacts in a different way. Is there something more satisfying in making people dance?

Actually, I make music for people to sit down and listen to. Music is more important for me than having a good time or dancing, even though that is important as well. Maybe I'm not that good at giving people what they want and need, so it happens naturally.

Since VD isn't music to dance to (unless I'm mistaken...) does this fact have any bearing on your decision to work with contact mics and create a more organic, live expression of your music?

VD project is totally for me to discover and search for music that doesn't exist in the main, and a very personal search as well. I use and do anything and everything to get where I need to, such as with contact mics. Also, when I perform live I look for ways to go more organic with life-like presentation. Then again, I try to do more or less the same when I play as Luomo making people (somehow) dance.

How has the inclusion of live musicians played out in your live set?

It gives it another dimension and possibility for a real interaction between people. You can't get that with just machines, of course.

I suppose we'll just have to see for ourselves, but I’m wondering if these new tactics (contact mics, live musicians) have helped overcome the frustration/alienation from the body that many electronic musicians feel, and that you seemed to be describing in your Wire interview two years ago. Particularly as a percussionist, I would think that the physicality of beating an instrument, or the act of dancing, would play an important role in your approach towards music. What are your thoughts on this?

I totally agree with you. A more frustrating thing with electronics is the lack of direct anything, even turning a knob on a synth isn't immediate and it needs to be converted etc etc. Having a stick in my hand and hitting what and when and how I feel like gives me more satisfaction than any programming ever could. It’s about expanding though, not choosing one way over another.

Has this new phase for Vladislav Delay altered your other musical personalities in any way? 

Not really, as far as I have so far noticed! There are new plans to do more acoustic stuff than ever with Vladislav Delay Quartet where I play drums, but also there are some new club oriented things that are more rigid than before and so forth. All over the place I guess.

Can we expect more records from Luomo, Uusitalo, and so on?

We will have to see. I’m not working on any Luomo or Unusual record right now. Music won't stop though!

The Silent Ballet would like to thank Sasu Ripatti for the interview. Thanks also go to Joe Sannicandro for his input into question provision.