As musicians, we often spend so much time looking ahead, wondering how to build an impressive CV with new achievements and successes. My own journey as a musician has taken me to many places, and I've reached quite a few milestones along the way.

After thousands of concerts and more than 200 recordings, I consider my album *SpaceTaxi Variations* the most significant achievement of my musical career. Every track is a tribute to the wonderful people who have been part of my life at different times. Whenever I listen to the album, my thoughts return to the moments and people behind its stories, or to those I've had the pleasure of playing these pieces with.

For me, the purpose of this album isn't to showcase my musical abilities or present perfectly polished musical ideas. It's about taking me back to those happy days when Mum and Dad were my safe haven, a source of endless love and security. To the days when summer holidays at Grandma's house in Riihimäki were simply perfect. To the days when my dear friend Edu and I listened to Iron Maiden in the attic of our summer cottage. To the days when my cousin Riku and I earned ourselves the longest grounding of our youth for pissing on the hot stones of a public sauna. To the days when my good friend Samuli and I tried to chat up girls at the Orivesi music camp. To the days when the smell of sweat in a hockey locker room was the greatest scent in the world. And ultimately, to these days, when I have so many wonderful memories to look back on with fondness and longing.

My heartfelt thanks go to my good friend Matti Heinonen and his label, Refrain Records, for giving me the opportunity to capture this time capsule of memories in the form of an album. Matti, I think you were the first person to see the stories behind the notes. THANK YOU!

Tero “Doc-T” Toivonen