Now we know it: Ville Valo’s creativity wells from an exprerienced loss in childhood.

- My first brother was a cross-bred dog called Sami who died when I was six. It caused an enormous longing. It took a year after the dog’s death when I got allergies and asthma, Valo said on Tuesday.

He thought that the melancholy in HIM songs derives from that feeling of longing.

Valo opened up on Tuesday at Helsinki University in a unique event where Finnish export stars of science and art stepped together in front of audience.

Philosopher Pekka Himanen and Valo presented a dialogue lecture in the faculty of behavioural science in Helsinki University titled “A Creative Life”.

Professor Himanen from University of Industrial Arts and Oxford University and the solist of HIM are friends.

- I asked Pekka when he has lectures, I want to come to listen. The next day he called me and said we’re going to have a dialogue lecture. Pretty tough, I’ve never been into a lecture before, told Valo to Iltasanomat after two hours of talking.

It may be that Valo was nervous, even if he is an experienced performer. That didn’t hurt the rate. The memorable lecture was listened by a record audience.

The HIM solist lectured and the philosopher played Ella Fitzgerald and Beethoven recordings – and by himself the beginning riffs of the HIM classic Join Me.

When you hand an art piece over to audience at the same time you give up the exclusive right of interpretation.

- It’s weird to hear that people have used some of our songs as wedding ballads, when youself were really down writing that song, said Valo.

Even with new interpretations, the original meaning can still hold a remarkable meaning to the songwriter.

- Maybe my songs are odes to Sami, a longing for more blissful hounting grounds.

The link can be found here:

http://www.iltasanomat.fi/viihde/uutinen.asp?id=1633657 

Special thanks to shadowdoomed & mhesh for translating.

Transcript for video (http://viihde.mtv3.fi/uutiset/musiikki.shtml/779275?valo_ville):

“Art is very subjective. It’s weird to hear... When I’ve written a song in a sad mood, and people use it as a wedding ballad, and they’re happily married, and they experience the song so differently than myself, it’s a bit weird occasionally. But still, it doesn’t take from me away that feeling of ‘nothingness’, because that is what kills the analytical thinking at the cheese counter of music.”

*People burst laughing*

Topic turns to a subject what are the essentials to conquer the world.

“There are no limits, just like with you [refers to the professor]. You probably didn’t think of doing your career and professorship as quickly as possible, but for the fact that you were so into it. The passion just got you – it’s like a whirlwind where you’re rolling and then you find yourself a place like this.”

“—surprising associations. The freedom of association is the foundation of everything in art. Keep everything open.”

“—If you are afraid of that you won’t be able to produce, let’s say, the emotion that is extremely important for you, in melodies, then it’s better to let it rest for a while. Because otherwise you screw up because you won’t be able to fulfil your own expectations that you have set for yourself. But if you screw up in, let’s say Hesari [I think he means Kallio, the ‘drunken’ area in Helsinki], that doesn’t matter.”

*Audience laughs*

“ – Who am I to talk. All our albums sound the same. We’ve polished the format.”

*And more laugh*

“Try to do this, especially if you have children. Turn off the TV for two weeks and see what it does to your ability to concentrate, and how it affects being awake in general. – Talking about ADHD and everything, the flood of information is so heavy that nobody can concentrate on anything. It also associates with creating art.”

 

Special thanks to mhesh for translating the video.