The Reflexion and For My Pain frontman on how a “fake” guest spot turned into a permanent gig, why he flew blind to Buenos Aires in 2017, recording with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, and the one piece of advice he’d hand every new artist in 2026: stop worrying about AI and just be real.
Words by Cheryl Mann (@bubbarocksmedia) | May 19, 2026
From Oulu to Argentina: Gothic rock Icon Juha Kylmänen Joins Full Nothing. The legendary voice of Reflexion and For My Pain brings his signature Finnish melancholy to the world stage, fronting Full Nothing. Born in Argentina and built by a worldwide network of collaborators, Full Nothing creates a unique, massive sound—fusing metal’s intensity with orchestral grandeur to bring people together in the dark.
“The music industry is hard. But at the moment, I think that there’s more possibilities than ever. So I don’t want anybody to give up because at the moment, you are in the position that we were not when we were young, there was no Spotify or any kind of channel that we could spread our music other than having the recording deal. And it was, you know, really, really hard back then too. So at the moment, you can start really minimally, you can make your own digital channel to kind of distribute your music. That’s possible today.” Juha Kylmänen
It’s great to catch up again Juha! I hear from Guillermo (Producer and Keys) that your role in Full Nothing grew from a guest spot into a permanent position because the chemistry was just that good. From your side, out of all the projects that reach out to you, what specifically about this band’s music or vision convinced you to go all-in?
Juha – “ It was back in 2015, I think. It was really weird because we put Reflexion on Hiatus for 2010 and then I started a band called Cvalda, which was my solo project. We worked very hard with that one, but we never got to release the album that we made with that band. It was a big setback for me. My feelings at the time were that my band days were over. I don’t want to do this anymore because it’s too hard. I am then getting messages from Guillermo and Guillermo asked me if they could send me some demos and I said that I don’t really do these things. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be rude, but I’m not into these things. But then he just said that, please listen to the demos. And I listened and they were not demos at all. They were amazing productions. And I was like, what is this? I was totally amazed. So, I said, OK, of course, if I want to work in a good studio in Helsinki and with my friend Arttu Peljo. And they said instantly that, of course, yes, just name the dates and the costs. And they made it happen. So at the time we did three songs in the studio and we immediately sent them the tracks. They answered by asking for two more songs. And they said that, OK, we had some other singer that got ill. He can’t sing. So please do two more. And I was OK. And years later they said that it was a lie because they just loved my voice so much that they forgot about the other singer. So that was how it began. And, you know, we matched up really great because, you know, Nikolas and Guillermo are kind hearted, really down to earth people and amazingly talented musicians, too, because they had a big vision. Nikolas had a big vision for Full Nothing. And it was like nothing else that I had ever seen. You know, he had the whole thing in his head and he was prepared to use a lot of resources to make it happen. And it was an amazing journey.”
We’ve discussed before how important it is for a band to be physically together to create. You stood by that principle in 2017 when you flew to Argentina to meet the
guys for the first time. Looking back on that trip, what were the standout moments or highlights for you?
Juha – “Pretty crazy trip because I actually didn’t really know the guys at all. So I jumped into the darkness and I was just like, why not? It’s very far away from Finland. But yes, I jumped in the plane and I didn’t know who would be there or what would happen. Yes, the guys were there. And I think that it instantly kind of clicked with me and Nikolas because we were the same kind of person, we are the same age and, you know, we have the same age children even. Everything was like, OK, you are the twin brother that I know now living in Argentina. So it was a really crazy feeling and an amazing kind of experience to me because they had taken care of everything. I just jumped in the car we travelled around. We went to Nikolas’ home. He has a big house near Buenos Aires. And then we went to the city and we went to every place, it was crazy. And I even met some Reflexion fans in Buenos Aires. So it was amazing. So we actually did lots of work there, too. So it was a pretty, amazing trip.”
As someone who has stayed relevant since the ’90s, what is your best advice for the next generation of artists struggling to find their feet in the modern music business?
Juha – “The music industry is hard. But at the moment, I think that there’s more possibilities than ever. So I don’t want anybody to give up because at the moment, you are in the position
that we were not when we were young, there was no Spotify or any kind of channel that we could spread our music other than having the recording deal. And it was, you know, really, really hard back then too. So at the moment, you can start really minimally, you can make your own digital channel to kind of distribute your music. That’s possible today. And how to kind of be different is just be truthful and be honest. It’s all that I can say, because it’s like nobody cares about A.I. anymore. Or anything artificial, just, be the real you. And of course, you can make the production more professional in time, but you don’t have to be perfect from your first album. It’s like, just do the songs and make it happen in one way or another. That’s what I said to my son, because he was struggling with that too, that’s what we are going to do. Just release the song and start from there. And let’s see what happens. And don’t worry. You have the time. You have all the time.”
When Nicolás and Guillermo visited you in Oulu in 2018, was it during the summer or did they have to survive a true Finnish winter?
Juha – “No, actually, they did not come in summer. And that was the biggest mistake that they made. Yeah. We were actually mixing the second album in Stockholm. And I think that it was November or something, the worst case scenario. And in Stockholm, it was like four degrees Celsius. And it was really cold. And then we actually came from Stockholm to Helsinki in a boat in the sea. And it was a nightmare. And when we got to Helsinki, it started to snow. And, you know, it was, yeah, they were cold as hell. But anyway, in Oulu, it was also, you know, really, really cold and stuff. But the one thing that I introduced to Nicholas was the Finnish sauna. So I took him to the sauna at my home. And he absolutely loved it. And actually, years later he built a new home in Argentina, and he has a sauna there.”
Out of all the songs that you sing with Full Nothing, are there a few that would have you quite excited about performing live one day?
Juha – “Yeah, I think that Claim Forgotten is one of the greatest songs this band has. And it’s like, the style is, you know, the most like me. I was really, really deeply involved in the first
albums. And, of course, the new ones are really great because they’re a little bit different style, a little bit more modern. And it would be so amazing. We have discussed this about a million times. It would be so amazing to take this band live because with the big orchestra, with a big band, with all the musicians, lots of singers, and it would be epic. It would be something else. I’m gonna be really mad if one day that doesn’t happen, you know, just a few shows maybe. But because this band needs to be epic and big and the biggest ever seen. So it has to be a great stage and kind of mystical, because it’s all about that. And we have to do it big. But we did the studio live videos and we actually played there live. So it was recorded and it was a totally live performance in any case. So it was great. It was a kind of small production, which was only the band and one backing singer then. It was amazing. It worked like a dream. So I just want it to happen and be really big. And I don’t actually care what the songs are, because they are all great.”
During the pandemic, the band stayed busy with guests like Tom Englund and Rory Rodriguez, and you even returned to Argentina in 2021 to record acoustic versions. One standout is ‘Away’ featuring Miriam Renvåg—it’s a personal favourite for me. Was it a challenge to strip that particular song down to an acoustic arrangement?
Juha – “I actually think that it works the most as an acoustic version, because it was meant to be like that. It was amazing. And that’s one of my favourites, too. And it has a story because when we were searching for the female vocalist, I said, guys, maybe we should ask Miriam to come to sing the backing vocals. She is the one who sang on the For My Pain first album. So we contacted her and she actually came to Oulu because she’s from Norway and lives near Oslo. We hadn’t seen each other in 14 years. And then we were at my studio and we actually made some video parts there for the music video. And it was really amazing to see her again and work with her again. And we did some parts, of course, from the video in nearby Oulu on the frozen sea, it was crazy. The place was amazing. And it was really, really freezing. But anyway, it came up really great. And yeah, I love the song. And it’s a kind of good example of how light you can make a song and still be really strong.”
In 2023, you guys travelled to Europe to record with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra elevating the vision and layers to the songs, where do you go from here? Can you share any plans for 2026?
Juha – “Yeah. Yeah, actually, we went to Bratislava to actually do the symphony orchestra parts. And it was an experience, you sit down in the studio and it was like a big concert hall and we sat down in the hall and when you see the orchestra playing your song live, you know, it’s something that you can’t even describe. It’s outstanding. And I was, I have to admit that I was crying, you know, more than one time because it was like a dream. So it really does tell something about the quality that Nikolas wants to make these albums. But anyway, like at the moment, yes, we are doing some acoustic versions, reimagined. And let’s see how it comes up. We have some surprises coming and some great vocalists coming too. So they are just under construction at the moment. And so it’s great. I think that in the previous interview that we did. I mentioned I would only focus 100% on one band and not have multiple bands, but at this moment I find myself doing three bands all together. So everything that I say is full of shit (both laugh) but no, I mean like at the moment we got the For My Pain album ready and we are doing live shows. And we are doing some Reflexion and it’s not going to be an album, but we are doing something. And with Full Nothing we’ve been working all the time slowly, but still working all the time. The band is, you know, doing stuff all
the time. And I think that we will make this acoustic thing now. And I’m pretty sure that we will do something else, too, in the future. And I hope but nothing sure yet.”
Full Nothing is proof that music can bridge continents and connect us as people. It’s a massive achievement in human collaboration. Looking back on this international journey, what are you personally most proud of?
Juha – “Well, actually, I’m not sure. Of course, I’m proud about the music because it’s something different to what I have ever done in my life. It’s always been a little bit different. It’s quirky and it’s kind of something else. And it has, you know, parts that totally rely on my singing.. So it’s of course, an honour to be involved with this kind of band. But the most important thing that this band has given me is experiences, you know, it’s something else. I will never get anything like this ever again in my life. So the experiences that I’ve had with these guys, it’s totally amazing. So I hope that it will continue. And I know somehow that it will.”
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