Name: A. Blomqvist
Nationality: Finnish
Occupation: Composer, producer
Current release: A. Blomqvist’s Pohjola will be relesased January 17th 2025 via XXIM.

If you enjoyed this A. Blomqvist interview and would like to know more about his work, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud. 



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

I try to reflect with the music keeping my eyes closed. Try to catch the idea behind the composition or lyrics. Is there a real story to tell?

I must admit I often got annoyed about over produced music especially vocal music.

How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

I mainly use speakers as a work tool and it feels like it gives the ears more time to “recover” and to not get over exposed by music and tired.

And nowadays I of course prefer Dolby Atmos listening instead of stereo. That changes your listening totally.

[Read our Bob Clearmountain interview about mixing in Dolby Atmos]

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

Erik Satie's Gymnopédie by Philippe Entremont is something I could listen forever.



Hania Rani’s sound is also impressive. Other than that I like to listen authentic music with emotions in it like Damien Rice.

[Read our Hania Rani interview]

Do you experience strong emotional responses towards certain sounds? If so, what kind of sounds are these and do you have an explanation about the reasons for these responses?

I do but I don't really have any reasons to share.

I think in piano music every instrument has it own sweet spots that you try to find those as a composer. I had an old piano that G minor especially stood out but with this Ed Seiler I have been using F major and C minor really gives shivers each time I play.

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

I always prefer lakesides. I love the sound of waves and nature. Birds singing is another one.

Also all the pianos that I haven't played always intrigue me to play them. It's always the same. I must hear what they sound like.

What are among your favourite spaces to record and play your music?

I love my own studio. It is made for me and its a perfect spot for my music.

Of course it doesn't feel like that all the time – but whenever I visit a different one, I still miss my own studio.

How important is sound for our overall well-being and in how far do you feel the "acoustic health" of a society or environment is reflective of its overall health?

I think music plays crucial part in health, self-awareness and especially mental health. Our need for it never stops.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

Easily the most moving experience was when my second daughter was born. I remember how I created all kinds of compositions to the rhythm of a heart beat monitor!

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

Avoid inside ear headphones and pods. Try to listen music as a moderate volume as my mother would say. But yes I see these things as super important to talk about.

Also use music to recover and refill. Not overloading your already crowded thoughts or to fill some empty space. Recover with it - don’t use it as a filling.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

Every each of us can learn to play music. I don't see that as any spectacular skill.

But only few of us can live in silence and most importantly, as a composer, to take needed breaks inside pieces and compositions. Let he instrument breathe.

Seth S. Horowitz called hearing the “universal sense” and emphasised that it was more precise and faster than any of our other senses, including vision. How would our world be different if we paid less attention to looks and listened more instead?

I do think the world could be a better place. There are already too many of us who don’t have a clue how to listen others.

The beauty in music is truly TRULY in careful listening. Everyone can skim through it.