We sat down to chat with Anssi Tamminen, brainchild of Dreamspy, about his sound, writing and future plans. Check it out below!

How would you describe your sound?

DreamSpy’s sound could be described quite simply as atmospheric rock. My music tends to create vivid imagery in the listener’s mind—at least that’s what many people have told me over the years. With guitars total absent from the mix, the synthesizers are given room and sonic spectrum to paint entire worlds.

The bass tone can be quite aggressive at times, but the synthesizers soften the overall sound considerably. Using an electric upright bass in this kind of music is also somewhat unusual; it’s an instrument that has been with me for nearly 30 years.

I vary my vocal delivery depending on the song, and I like to weave plenty of reverberant and heavily processed backing vocals into the mix. All in all, I think the songs combine a human, unpolished performance with mechanical elements. A kind of cyborg in its own unique way.

Is it ever daunting being a solo project? I assume you’ve been in bands before, how does it differ doing solo stuff?

Not at all—working solo is actually a lot of fun. 🙂

I have 25 years of experience playing in bands and have seen both the good and the bad sides of it. Even back then, I was the one writing the songs, while the rest of the band arranged and developed their own parts. I also led the band and was responsible for various other aspects of the project.
Now I do everything myself, which is certainly challenging, but also very interesting and rewarding.

You’ve just released your third album through the project. Would you say your sound has evolved much in compared to your debut?

Each album has its own distinct character, even though the basic building blocks have remained largely the same. With the second and third albums, I’ve always tried to introduce something new, mainly in the drum and bass departments. In the end, however, the songs themselves determine and dictate the sound. The three-year gaps between releases undoubtedly play a role as well.

Is there a particular story or theme of the album, or is it more on an individual track basis?

None of the albums have a unifying concept or theme. The lyrics mostly revolve around introspection and exploring the subconscious, though there are other subjects mixed in as well. But, all of the albums share an underlying sense of escapism.

It’s possible that the fourth album will be more cohesive, at least lyrically.

What is the writing process like for you?

I go through the bass riffs I’ve recorded on my phone. The riffs that groove well with the drum parts I’ve programmed make it to the next stage. A bass riff might end up as an intro, the foundation of a verse or chorus, or sometimes simply as inspiration for something else.

If I manage to develop an interesting vocal melody for a rough song idea, I usually end up finishing the track. The synthesizer parts are added last.

I handle the recording, mixing, and mastering myself.

Have you ever managed to play the stuff live? Would a tour be an end goal, if not?

I’ve thought about it and even experimented with it. On YouTube, you can find a “studio live” demo performance on the dreamspy616 channel where I demonstrate the “concept”.
As for live gigs, I’ve had my fill of them in the past. I don’t really feel any compelling need to get back into performing live.

If you could have written one song from history, what would it have been and why?

The world is full of great songs, but I can’t really put any single one on a pedestal like that. I’d rather keep chasing that one truly outstanding song of my own—the one I haven’t written yet! 🙂