Vompatti (Jan 2012)

Although not an added artist to the Prog Archives (or Metal Music Archives),  I'm sure I speak for more than just myself that one of the most intriguing aspects of this site and forum are the enigmatic thoughts and escapades of resident spambot/web caricature/fuzzy marsupial Vompatti. Hoping to get a better insight into the mind of Vomps, I sent some questions to him, and he has been kind enough to bestow his thoughts and feelings upon me, his number one fan. [Stern Smile]

Introduce yourself!

I'm Vompatti. My friends call me Vomps. Other people call me Vom, and some other people don't call me at all.

How did you find Prog Archives, q.m.

It was a dark and stormy night. I was googling "King Crimson" in order to find information on the discography of this band whose name I was at that time repeatedly encountering on a particular page on the internet I had a habit of visiting. Little did I was about to begin a journey to an exciting new world, the world of progressive rock!

Your drawing of a Wombat has become somewhat iconic. What inspired you to don this fuzzy creature as your avatar, q.m.

Ever since high school I have been intrigued by this curious animal, to the extent that when I finally decided to make up my mind and join the ProgArchives forum (the first internet forum I ever joined) the wombat was a natural choice for a username/avatar -combo. I think it reflects my personality in many ways, and the minimalistic style is something that very much pleases me. I greatly admire artists who can express a lot with a limited amount of lines. Take, for example, those Japanese Zen paintings. I've been told I'm the opposite of zen, which, I have to admit, is not far from the truth. But I do love Alan Watts (in a non-erotic way).

You are a very enigmatic and mysterious person, Vomps. [stern smile] Will PA ever see the true face or known the true name of Vompatti, q.m. If not, why not, q.m.

Some of PA has already seen it, in a context not worth repeating here. In other words, in this time and age only the initiated may know, but later, when the time is right, all shall be brought into light. I suppose that my delayed but eventually inevitable rise to publicity as a novelist will make it both unnecessary and impossible for me to conceal my official name any longer.

Vompatti is known as quite the renaissance wombat, known for his visual art, ambient music, and even poetry. What is your creative method, q.m.

With music I try to be snappy. Due to the nature of my music -- I use a fair amount of repetition and a lot of radically slowed down tempos -- I don't need a whole lot of recorded material per piece. In the composition and mixing phase I simply follow my intuition and throw everything together. The end result is partly random, partly planned. If I really took the minimalism and impulsivity to the extreme, I'd probably be able to complete a decent piece in less than its final running time -- although I probably wouldn't be comfortable with settling for a decent piece. I'm not, however, ashamed to admit that one of my albums, including the artwork, was finished in a single day.
With writing it's completely different. I write very slowly, in short snippets. That's why I prefer writing short things. If I write anything longer, even a story of ten (10) pages or so, it's likely that I end up destroying it before it's finished. I should always give copies of the unfinished work to someone who won't delete it in a sudden burst of criticism and despair. I've been thinking of doing that with my novel. It would be so convenient to have a close female friend for this purpose . . . but alas!

As a reviewer, you have done only four (4) reviews for one (1) band, CMX. What persuaded you to do these reviews, and can PA ever expect any more from you, q.m.

CMX is one of the two (2) bands (the other one is The Smiths) that ever since my adolescence have had a special place in my heart. I wrote those reviews because I think CMX, although not strictly a prog band (and certainly not a prog metal(?!) band), deserve at least some attention in the prog community despite the unfortunate language barrier. And, as one of the few Finnish members on PA, I considered it my responsibility to do those reviews. I will eventually review their other albums as well. If I continue at this pace it might turn out to be a lifelong project.

You have a truly unique way of speaking and thinking Vomps, a dialect and personal culture that fuses elements of 21st century internet vernacular, 20th century existential philosophy, and Dadaist art, in my humble opinion. [stern smile] How did you come up with now legendary figures of speech such as quims (q.m) and the ever enduring catchphrase "omg k", q.m.

Frankly this whole language thing has been blown out of proportion. The particular examples you mention are not Dadaist (their use is much too precise for that) and the implied relation to existentialism leaves me completely baffled. Language is a medium of communication, but speaking (or writing, which is but a substitute for speaking) is also a creative act. I use language, the way I use it, to express myself, that is, to bring myself into existence.

What prog bands do you like, Vomps, q.m.

King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Yes. That's about it. Oh, and Rush. Those are all the prog bands there are, right?

Last year, you started a Facebook account. How has this altered your internet experience, q.m.

Mainly it gave me a welcome replacement for Tinychat and Skype and one more place to saturate with carefully selected internet quotes.

Do you know any good websites online for meeting grils, q.m.

I do know one, but like a fisherman I shall not reveal my locations.

Do you like David Lynch films, q.m

I like Eraserhead and Blue Velvet. Particularly Eraserhead, it's one of those films that truly reflect my inner self like a mirror. There's good stuff going on in all of his movies, but as a whole those two are the most gratifying. I'm somewhat disappointed with his recent fascination on digital cinematography, but I respect him for following his vision and look forward to his next work, whatever it may be.

Do you like Battlestar Galactica, q.m.

I suppose you mean the new series? I've only seen a few episodes. Seemed too militaristic for my tastes, and I can't say I cared for any of the characters. That said, if I happened to come by the DVD boxset for a low price, I'd probably give it a shot.

Lastly, do you like cheeseburgers, q.m.

It's been a while since I had a good cheeseburger. I tend to get flat and spongy ones. But as long as the taste is decent and there are no maggots on the steak, I'm not complaining. One often encounters pretty girls at burger joints. Who knows how they remain so thin.

Any last words to address PA and MMA, q.m.

If you're reading this, I'm already dead.

Why don't you love me, Vommy, q.m.

There are many off-putting things about you that I can't quite pinpoint. In addition I've heard some nasty rumours about you, and I'm not just talking about sexual perversions.

Are u durnk, q.m.

I'm financially unable to get drunk. Not that it would particularly appeal to me anyway. I prefer keeping my conscience sharp so I can do sharp things with it.

Vomp's PA Profile may be found here.