Heikki Vaht, previously known as DJ Flipperi and currently mostly playing music under the moniker Cool DJ Pinball, is a prominent figure in both Finnish and Estonian music scenes. He has run a well-recognized and respected label, Top Billin, and, more recently, Skorpioni, which Vaht closed down this June.
Heikki is recognized for his versatile DJing style that spans across house, techno, hip-hop, and club music, known for his ability to read the crowd and create energetic sets. He has played a significant role in promoting new talent and fostering the electronic music culture in Estonia and beyond. This music man is also known for his style, mixing classical pieces with street-style basics.
What’s in store for Vaht after Skorpioni? Silver Mikiver went to his Helsinki studio to find out.
“We arrive at the sent location and wait for Heikki in front of the Harley-Davidson workshop. We receive a call and, in a few moments, see him around the corner. After a proper handshake, we are invited to enter the building (imagine something industrial-looking from the late 1980s), where Heikki has been operating his label and other ventures.
His office is filled to the brim with vinyls, hundreds, if not thousands, of them. There are dried flowers on the table that are from the closing party of Skorpioni. Smiling ironically, Vaht tells us a story about ordering a marble plaque for the label and getting 30% off from the deal – the stone guy understood. Heikki chooses a disc to listen to, and we start with the interview and the shoot.
How did you find music, and what made it stick?
Follow your heart, nah, I mean… Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you may miss it.
Your latest label was named Skorpioni, and you even have a framed scorpion on the wall of your office. Why did you choose this name?
All these knick-knacks started finding their way around our office afterwards, but in the beginning, we found ourselves facing the everlasting challenge of finding a good name that hasn't already been taken. It was around October, and the Skorpioni one was the only one available on IG. That's all the mystics there is to it.
You have worked with a proper mixture of artists over the years. What qualities make an artist stand out?
Originators, without a doubt. Those who dare to go outside their comfort zone, those who push the boundaries.
In what ways have your musical tastes and personal values shifted as you’ve grown?
In every possible way imaginable. I think these things are supposed to shift and move around as long as you grow. I get bored pretty easily, and that has taught me to keep on moving. It's such an endless pool to dive in as long as you have the time and energy. Hope I'm able to afford it, being in the change, as long as I can.
Let's talk about sailing. How did it start, and what keeps you going back to sea?
I'm afraid of open water, and beating that fear definitely plays a part. Then I could talk about the way of life, etc, but honestly, it's just fun. Very few things can take my mind away from unnecessary stuff like sailing does.
What are the differences between Tallinn and Helsinki, and what could we learn from one another?
I've seen this thing going in waves, back and forth. Tallinn had a lot to prove at the beginning of the millennium, and then it just ran out of gas, while Helsinki has picked up the pace as younger generations learned how to work together and help each other. Generations tend to be completely different from their predecessors, and act in the opposite way, so let's see what will come next.