Juha Mäki-Patola is Helsinki, Finland based producer, musician and composer. We engaged in conversations with him, covering topics such as music, composition, experimentation, and life.

Can you share a bit about your journey as a musician and composer, from your early days to how you arrived at your current distinctive sound? How has your musical style evolved over the years, and what factors have played a role in shaping your current sound?

My musical journey has had many periods. The music I make now has been in my life for about 8 years. At some point I just decided to quit everything else and focus only on composing and producing my own music. Before that I played in bands, ran an independent record label, produced music, worked as an recording and mixing engineer.. I’m very happy about these all. It’s so important to get experiences from different sides of making music.

I started to play saxophone and guitar when I was a child and I also had a 4 track tape recorder. I was writing songs and recording these so composing and recording my own music have always been very important for me. Later I started to also play piano and synthesizers and these are instruments which I mostly play and get inspired nowadays. And I think starting to play piano and synthesizers was very decisive in my musical career.

All collaborations with composers, musicians, record labels and filmmakers have been giving lots of inspiration to my own voice.

How does living in Helsinki, Finland, influence your musical compositions? Are there specific cultural or geographical elements that find their way into your work?

Living here up north is definitely affecting my music. We have a very long winter season and polar nights. And then the summer is opposite, there’s light from early morning ‘till late night. So these must have an effect on our mentality. Also nature is very important to me. Getting into woods and lakes is just so relaxing. I live in Helsinki but I also spend lots of time in the countryside, especially during the summer. So I think calmness and peace is something that is transmitted into my music from our nature and culture.

Could you take us through your creative process when composing a new piece of music? What sparks the initial inspiration, and how do you develop it into a complete composition?

I always start to improvise with piano or synthesizer and try to find a good idea . There needs to be some kind of strong emotion or motion that gives a spark for the inspiration. When I find a lead idea which can be a melody, chord progression, motif... I start to record and create a piece. And if the idea is good enough then it finds its form quite easily. Nowadays I spend more time with composition rather than writing several sketches. I'm trying to finish one work and then move to another.

I also have many collaborators with whom I make music. We are sending ideas forth and back. This is very important for me because making music together with composers and musicians brings lots of inspiration.

Your compositions have been praised for being "good for any soul." How do you navigate creating music that resonates with a wide audience while maintaining your artistic vision?

It’s very nice to get this kind of feedback from the press. And it keeps me making music more. I make music I like and it’s wonderful that listeners are enjoying it.

In your creative process, do you often find yourself experimenting with different sounds and textures to achieve the desired atmospheric quality?

Yes, I'm always experimenting with new sounds and when I’ll find a sound or texture that inspires me then it will stay in my sonic palette. There's a few foundational sounds or textures that I'm using almost for all my works. But I'm also searching for new ones all the time and making variations to older ones too. I'm spending a lot of time experimenting with instruments, sounds, textures, effects...

What role does technology play in your music production, and how do you leverage it to achieve the desired sonic landscapes in your compositions?

Technology has a big role in my music making. I have some nice analog synths and pre-amps... And these are important for me to catch the right sounds and moods.  All high quality gear helps me to reach a good workflow and a sonic quality that I’m looking for.

Can you share some challenges you've faced as a composer, and how you've overcome them to continue evolving as an artist?

Thinking of solo releases, it’s always challenging to start a new work after one is finished.  But when I’m doing a collaborative album or EP or film music it’s always easier because there’s at least two people thinking what to do. So I think that searching and finding an idea for the next work can be time-consuming.  But I’m lucky that I have some good collaborators with whom I can share my music on its early stage. That helps me to decide whether to continue working on a piece or just throw it away. So I think that an open dialogue with other artists and record labels is very necessary and helpful for me.

How do you envision the future of your music? Are there new directions or experiments you're eager to explore in your upcoming projects?

I would love to compose and produce more film music. Recently I’ve been working for a few short films and it’s been very interesting to collaborate with directors. I also have some new album productions under the work and it’s always some kind of exploration to work for new music. I think making music is an endless search for new ideas and methods. Recently I’ve been exploring synthesizer sequences and creating pieces around these. I think this will be something for my next solo release.

Finally, from your perspective, what is the meaning of life?

Music has a huge impact in several dimensions for my life and it creates a lot of meaning. It’s hard to imagine life without music and arts. I also have a family, wife and two kids and a dog called Hattu. So there’s lots of meaning too. And of course many small moments such as swimming in a clear fresh lake in the summer time or going out with Hattu on a dense snowy winter day. For me  the meaning of life comes from what I’m doing and it keeps me rooted to life.