Interview with SOMETHING GOOD [2010]

There is definitely more to the Finnish duo, Something Good than eating oranges while playing the trombone with their feet, catching fish with their bare hands, as well as strolling the city in their funky-colored bicycles! Karolus Viitala and Otto Yliperttula are two young producers who believe that genre-classification has gone obsolete, and that what matters the most is putting a smile on people's faces with their music. Their sound at the moment ranges from smooth-sailing beach-inspired harmonies, to funky filtered club anthems, to uplifting soulful saxophone house tracks, and to groovy techno bombs! Aside from which, these guys have been racing Beatport charts and frequenting top-notch events around their hometown. Something Good-- the name says it all.

Hello Karolus and Otto! What’s up?

Yo Migs! It’s summer time here in Finland and wow what a summer it’s been. I can’t remember the last time we’ve had two weeks of almost 30 degrees celcius up here in the north. Lots of work and lots of great parties.. Last weekend we played at Danceteria Loveboat with Heikki L, Mr. A and Orkidea. Good times.

Can you describe to us your sound in three words?

Variable.

Big.

Groovy.

I’ve been dying to ask this question since your debut on Nellie Recordings: First “Solence”, and then “Kaywana”, how did the soulful saxophone frenzy come to be?

One of our good friends, Antti Hynninen, is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) saxophone players in Finland. We recorded the sax for Solence ages back but we were never really happy with the overall sound of Solence until it snapped into its place. Kaywana was something we had a good feeling about all the way from the beginning. We wanted a loose sub bass groove fitted in with Antti’s magic….and that we got. If you love the sax, you gotta love Mr. Hynninen.

Let's talk about tunes. . . can you share with us SG’s current top three tracks?

Something Good – Walking on Cirque (Something Good Bootleg)

Something Good – Marathon (CD-R)

Heikki L. and Lovetone – Airguitar (Spinnin’)

Aside from Finland, where else around the globe do you see a perfect breeding ground for your music?

We’ve been happy to notice that most of our new fans come from countries other than our native Finland. Switzerland, Germany, Greece and Sweden are at least in the top five. If speaking strictly about a breeding ground, England and France are obviously very important areas to gain attention in.

You guys are such an inspiration to quite a lot of fans out there, especially the youth. What message can you guys give to young aspiring producers who look up to Something Good as their inspiration?

1. This is something one of the greatest djs in Finland told us from the very beginning: Take your time. Nothing happens over night, or in a month or in a year. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet, but we’re pushing as hard as we can.

2. Do lots of remixes and promote yourself in all ways you can. Do videos, podcasts and radioshows. Get your name out there. All publicity is good publicity.

3. Don’t create tracks you think you should to follow the current trends…, create tracks you think sound and feel great… Remember, however, that it’s always a plus if the track is something that might really energize and get the dancefloor moving.

4. Do lots of different kinds of tracks…no one wants to listen to an EP with three identical tracks. That’s just boring.

Here's a question that branched out from curiosity: if your guise had not been “Something Good”, what would it be?

..Hard to say. Impossible even. WE ARE SOMETHING GOOD. FULL STOP.

Okay, how about this one: where do you see Something Good three to five years from now?

It’s really hard to say…but of course we wish great things would happen. Having a massive track. Playing a few big parties…maybe even at Ibiza..? It would be great to wake up in the morning and head to the studio…instead of going to work. I think our dream would be pretty much what Mr. Prydz posted a few weeks back: He had a laptop and a mini-keyboard in front of the pool at his villa in Ibiza and the post was “THIS IS MY STUDIO FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS”. It’s a long long way there…but we’re fighters ;) HA!

Would you guys name a track, “Otto & Karolus”?

I don’t think so. Or why not on the other hand. It could be a track we’re I play the flute and Otto plays the trombone with his feet while eating oranges. Every track we have named has gotten the name for a purpose… Every track has a story. If it would fit..then maybe yes?

For the last question, what can we expect from you guys in the near future?

Our new EP was just released. There’s a massive track coming out from us and Finnish producer Tom Fall. We have a huge track in the oven with Lovetone also. A new EP is coming out at the end of August, called MARATHON. The name obviously because we’re gonna be running the Helsinki City Marathon in Mid-August. We have a one week studio in the country side next week….something great is gonna happen there for sure :)

I, Miguel Libre, would like to thank you guys for your time in making this interview possible. Will definitely continue writing about your releases and will surely support you guys until the top! Best regards as always!