I am a hobbyist musician, and this was originally the only reason I made a website for myself; to distribute my music. In the physical realm I reside in Finland, Europe, and go by the name of Anssi Jääskeläinen. As you already know, I am known as ansgaros everywhere I go on the Internet. That’s right, all lowercase. Because I’m that guy.
So, about the music then. I started playing/composing music when I took up the guitar in 1995. I never did get around to learning to read sheet music though, so I usually go by ear if I have to learn something. In 1997 I was introduced to tracking and with it, the fascinating world of computer-based music. I tracked more or less actively until 2002-2003 or so, when my musical output in general took a nosedive.
I used to use a DAW program called Tracktion 3 with some miscellaneous VST effects and instruments to create music, until in 2009 I finally got tired of Tracktion’s bugs and lack of updates and switched to REAPER. REAPER has served me very well once I got used to it.
All the while I’ve continued with the guitar. After all, guitar is my main instrument. I’ve been in a few bands since 1996-ish, most of which didn’t last two months. The longest-living one of those bands, Antarktis Utopia, was founded in 1997, and was put to death in august 2009. From the ashes of Antarktis Utopia rose a band called Hateflesh. I was with them for about a year until I quit in late 2010, and I haven’t been in any band since then.
When I started consciously listening to music I began with techno and the like (this was early 90s). In mid-nineties I was introduced to punk rock and Metallica (Black album), and other guitar-driven “light” music (Nirvana, Offspring, can’t remember). This was also about the time and reason when and why I picked up the guitar.
From there my taste in music got gradually heavier, though I still listened to some electronic stuff every once in a while as well. Nowadays I’m not restricted by genres (though I don’t think I ever was), I will listen to anything and everything that happens to sound good to me. As I see it, this is the only sensible way. Even so, most of the music I do end up listening to is some kind of metal.