Rutsa Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell you about the band?
Esu: Rutsa is a three man orchestra with various backgrounds and the band itself has been around half a year. We players had not been in any kind of contact before Jusa sent me a message "yo I heard you play drums. Can you pull off a blastbeat?" I've been playing in various pop/rock/progressive/folk/jazz/younameit for over a decade but never in real punk or sludge band. Our goal is to achieve raw and dark sound not forgetting the groove underneath! Rutsa salutes hobos all over the globe!

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the ep?

Esu: the sound is murderous fuzz with a twist of eradication.

Jaro: Like a bad trip on shrooms you found from the nuclear fallout.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics the band explores with the music?

Jusa: Decadence, oppressive experiences and difficulties to cope with daily routines... I also try to write about social problems, pollution, corruption and money worship 
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Rutsa'?

Jusa: We were playing cards and listening to music as usual and Jaro just threw the name. It's laconic and surly as our songs and it's easy to remember for Finnish people at least. Rutsa is shortened form or a dialect word "sukurutsa" which means incest... So it's also very capable for hinterland sludge band and for our black sense of humor!

5.What are some of the best shows the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Esu: There's a trio bashing their instruments in a cloud of beer fumes with some blood from the drummers knuckle..

Jusa: We have done only one gig so far but there's coming more soon!
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Esu: At the point were about to play in a bunch of bars mostly in Eastern Finland. Lets see how gigging turns out in the future. Surely not taking out the goat skulls we've planned, or decapitating audience during the performance.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Jusa: We have trusted in D.I.Y attitude but we are not going to oppose if someone wants to, for example, publish our tape.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and grindcore?

Esu: It's hard to tell. Punk-rockers and black metal fans also like to get a buzz of it.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Esu: I guess sludge will get slower and grind goes faster. Ha!

Jusa: ...And noise parts will get noisier! Let's go one record at a time and see what happens.

Jaro: More primitive sounds. Snarling 'n stumbling to the transcendental mayhem.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Esu: For me Black Sabbath and Type o Negative has been the main influence over the years and I still like to listen to them regularly. At the moment the records I've been listening to consists mostly of Eläkeläiset, Kingston Wall, Death and Jethro Tull. I'd say all the music you listen to affects your playing and the sense of sound. When I met Jusa and Jaro my taste for punk rock and grindcore awoke.

Jusa: As Esu said, all the music you listen affects your playing. I have been listening to all classic stoner, sludge, HC, grind and crust stuff. There is a lot of variation but bands like Eyehategod, Entombed, Weedeater and Rotten Sound are quite regular. At the moment I've been listening to softer artists like Tom Waits, Tuomari Nurmio and Jukka Nousiainen(They are quite famous in Finland).

Jaro: Pure punk,rock,southern,sludge, grind and death metal has always been the thing. But i've also have found everything whit little blues or country going on really interesting since i was a kid. Also little bit of psychedelia turns me on. Bands like Pantera, Hank 3, Napalm Death, Dropdead, The Doors, and Ufomammut are my long term favorites.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

 Esu: I'm an old school gamer and I like to waste my free time playing Nintendo. Also I'd like to become the little hippie I've always felt inside me... Or is it a tumor? I work with kids and youngsters and I try to balance between the roles of community educator in work and a total nutcase in free time. Can you say your interest in life is balance? For me important topics are nature and environmental friendly lifestyle with the closest people around you.

Jusa: Having a good time with friends, games, TV series, drawing, eating, drinking, trying to survive... Basic stuff.

Jaro: I try to live subdued lifestyle. I spend most of my time drawing, hanging out with friends and making music. Every once in a while I might enjoy a bottle of cheap wine or two.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Esu: Thanks for the interview! We hope to get some more music done in this year!

Jaro: This sure was fun. Thanks!

Jusa: Thanks and cheers!