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Interview

Ohslo

Skype interview by Laura Bonne

Ohslo are an enigmatic duo, who introduce themselves as Dave Sorry and Nanne Hil. They record slow songs in their bedroom late at night, but that’s about all we’ve gotten to know of them since catching glimpse of debut track ‘Streets’ last fall. In search for some answers to our pressing questions, we handed over our Instagram account and met, as turned out, a pleasant duo.

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We know very little about you. Why did you choose to be anonymous artists?

Dave: At first, we consciously didn’t want to tie our faces too much to our act. As soon as you become a personality, your creative freedom diminishes. While if you can be anyone you want, you also can make all sorts of music that you want. We wanted to build Ohslo from the ground.

How did you guys get to know each other?

…we didn’t want to establish anything, it was more about creating something without purposes or pretenses

Nanne: 5 or 6 years ago, we already played in a few different bands. It’s through there we know each other from. We weren’t friends, yet, but shared a two-way admiration for each other as artists. Now we’re together in Ohslo, and in some other projects too.

What does your life look like next to Ohslo?

D: Next to the musical projects we do, I work at university, where I do psychological research to see how people perceive time.

N: I’m in De Gym’s collective in Groningen. In the past, I studied fine arts, a knowledge I can still use now to devise music videos for Ohslo, together with Dave.

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You took over the Subbacultcha Instagram account for a few days. Tell us something more about those photos?

N: We made these pictures in Dave’s bedroom, which is the realm wherein we create our music. We wanted to share the intimacy of it, the connection we have while making music as a duo.

D: Ohslo wasn’t formed as a serious matter, but rather out of our desire to make music. We’ll start jamming and try to finish a song in one evening.

We’re just being playful

N: But now we both like it so much that we do want to expand it further.

D: In that sense, the project has failed [laughs]. At first, we didn’t want to establish anything, it was more about creating something without purposes or pretenses.

Where do you get the inspiration for Ohslo’s video clips?

N: They also come into being in this bedroom playground, in the evenings. When we’re just trying out some things, crazy ideas pop up. We often involve our friends in this process, or artists we admire in turn. Then it becomes sort of a joint group of people around us as Ohslo who contribute to it.

Can you give an example?

D: The artwork of our EP’s is made by Zachte Man, a good friend of us. He makes amazing virtual 3D worlds on his computer, oh which the EP’s artwork is a snapshot.

Almost everything is made in one take, in one evening.

As you make ‘bedroom r&b for in bedrooms’. What’s your favourite bedroom music?

D: Alice Coltrane. It’s the perfect music to play at night, because in a way, it’s very meditative, repetitive and mainly very human. You can also hear the whole thing was formed in the moment itself, which I admire very much.

N: That is very similar with the way we do things. We try to develop our music out of feeling too. We’re just being playful – pick a beat, start jamming and record it right away. Almost everything is made in one take, in one evening.

Which L.A.N. artists are you looking out for?

Definitely Idiott Smith and Yuko Yuko, they’re friends of ours and we’re really looking forward to play with them. Bea1991 is very cool too. We’re very curious about what’s coming.

Ohslo play at L.A.N. Party at Melkweg on Friday, 23 December.

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