Got a great show for you today! We're going to rock out to Pepe Deluxé, live from the Tavastia Club in Helsinki. We'll also chat with Pepe Deluxé co-founder, Jari Salo.

Before we talk with Jari, let's address the elephant in the living room. Where the hell have I been for the last three months!?!

I wish I could tell you that I was on a tour around the globe, or that I was on a river boat, writing the great American novel, or something equally grandiose to justify my long absence. But I've got nothing–because I did absolutely nothing. And I think I needed it. Or must have needed it.

solipsistic NATION has been growing by leaps and bounds the last year and once I started getting millions of downloads a month I kicked into over gear and took on a lot of ambitious projects for the show.

Thing is, solipsistic NATION was already taking up almost every free moment of my life. Between constantly listening to new music to play on the show, arranging interviews and producing and promoting shows-there simply wasn't much room for anything else. I burnt myself out.

The last few months I've barely listened to music. Instead, I've really been enjoying... quiet. It's given me a chance to do a lot of thinking and reflecting, or not thinking at all. And slowly but surely I've been recharging my batteries, so to speak.

Clearly, I can't go on like I did before. I just can't. In fact, before I crashed and burned I was planning to expand solipsistic NATION to include contributors to the show, to make solipsistic NATION more of an audio magazine. I was already heading in that direction, I just should have had that all in place before biting off more than I could chew.

I'll tell you more over the next few weeks as I make that transition.

It kills me that it took me three months to get this show out because Jari and I must have spent at least six months getting his live set together and arranging our interview. And it's a great interview. Jari's a hell of a nice guy and had so many interesting stories to tell. I hope he'll forgive the wait.

Special thanks goes out to Alan Ranta for making today's show possible.

I mentioned earlier that I'll be having regular contributors on the show. Alan's one of them. Follow him on Twitter @alanranta. While you're there, follow me @solipsistic.

Okay, it's already been three months since my last show. Let's not wait a moment longer.

1. Pepe Deluxé "The Secret Forces In The Mountain"
2. Interview with Jari Salo, co-founder of Pepe Deluxé
3. Pepe Deluxé "My Flaming Thirst (Instrumental)"
4. Pepe Deluxé "Live, Club Tavastia (February 16, 2013)"