In the latest part of our Q&A series "What's cooking," we meet with the 'accordion trance' innovator Antti Paalanen, set to perform at this year's Womex in Tampere.

Describe your music with three adjectives.

Antti Paalanen: "Powerful, hypnotic, emotional"

What is ”accordion trance”, and how was it born?

AP: "It’s very hard to describe it, so I asked AI, which summed it up quite well: 'Accordion trance' is the term Antti Paalanen uses to describe his unique musical style. It refers to a blend of the acoustic accordion’s raw, earthy power with the hypnotic repetition and layered textures typical of electronic trance music. Instead of relying on synthesizers or drum machines, Paalanen pushes the accordion far beyond its traditional folk role—using extended techniques, heavy rhythms, and minimalist patterns to create an immersive, pulsating sound world that feels both ancient and futuristic.

But in my own words, when I make music, it’s just music that comes out naturally. When I was a teenager in the 90s, I listened to a lot of heavy metal, like AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Dio, Ozzy.. but the music that came out on the radio was 90s techno. So I think my music is based on this heavy metal attitude, heavy beats, and repetitive riffs, and the same elements are the basis of techno music. And of course, one element is traditional accordion music. The old dances, like polkas, have the same kind of repetitive structure. In performances, I think live music is the best way to get into a trance, and that my basic purpose when I get to the stage is to get myself and the audience in a trance-like state of mind."

What kind of shoes are best for stomping the floor?

AP: "High heels with a hard sole are best to get a precise sound out of the stomp box, but if it’s an acoustic wooden floor, then the best option is woolen socks."

If your music were an animal, what kind of animal would it be?

AP: "A bear."

What music genre do you think needs more accordion?

AP: "Heavy Metal! My biggest dream is to get to play in a heavy metal festival, like Tuska, or Hellfest."

When was the last time you danced, and what song was playing?

AP: "It was in the Kaustinen Folk Music festival this July, and the song was an old waltz called Kesän tullessa (when summer comes) written by Konsta Jylhä.”

What Finnish song would you recommend to all people in the world?

AP: "It would be a song called Rakovalkealla (by the campfire), presented by Tapio Rautavaara and written by Reino Helismaa. My all-time favourite version of this song is an instrumental version recorded by Maria Kalaniemi & Timo Alakotila."

Name a musician that you would like to sing or play on your record. And why?

AP: "It would be awesome to work in a studio with a DJ like Martin Garrix or David Guetta. Just to see how they produce music, and maybe play some riffs for them and see how they could sample some accordion to their productions. Or record my own song and get a bad-ass DJ to produce it."

What is your favorite way to waste your time?

AP: "Collecting berries, my favourite berry is the cloudberry, known in Finnish as lakka or hilla, is a perennial herb that grows in bogs."

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?

AP: "A therapist."