Name: Tomas Hallonsten

Nationality: Swedish
Occupation: Composer, keyboarder, trumpet player
Current release: Tomas Hallonsten's Monolog, executive-produced by Alex Zethson, is out January 27th 2023 via Thanatosis.

[Read our Alex Zethson interview]

If you enjoyed this interview with Tomas Hallonsten and would like to find out more about his music, visit him on Instagram. For the thoughts of one of his collaborators, read our Johan Berthling interview.



For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

After deciding what frame to work in, I usually just start somewhere - a nice sound that sets off an idea to see where the road leads.

The elements of improvisation and surprise are important. Therefore I don't want to have a "ready-made symphony" in my head from the start.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

No, the process is more: "Okay ... Let's see what malfunctioning old instrument can we find to work with today?"

When the red light is on I like to keep the imperfections and wrong notes, they add something as well.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Not really. Coffee and nicotine is all.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

A nice set of chords with some kind of melody is always a nice way to start. But more often it's just a sound that I dig and want to develop.

On the track “Dusseldorf-Douala”, the song practically came out complete just from one take with the synth, the marvelously realistic Moog Concertmate MG-1.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

No formula. Things usually have a way of coming together.

If they don't, I move on.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I'm all about following the rainbow, hoping to find a pot of old synths.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

I love alternate roads. When they appear, I embrace them, they are vital.

Often I start playing the piano and an idea comes out in a certain way. Then I move the idea around in different electronic settings, and suddenly it's clear how it should sound.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

To forget time, space and yourself is the ultimate state of mind.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

When i'm mentally exhausted, then I know it's time to wrap it up.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

I don't like to let it lie. Better to just get it out as soon as possible.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

I do a lot of mixing during the recording process. But it's nice to leave the final mix/master-touch to someone else.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

No, I'm usually just happy to let it go and be free to move on to another project.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Exactly, creativity is everything, it's in every aspect of life.

For me, working with instrumental music gives a sense of freedom. No words, just music. Also, life isn't perfect, and so the music reflects that!