10 Questions with: Naboklage
The idea was to create THE soundtrack of outlaw radical alien cowboys visiting us and how we would interact with them. Starting out about a year ago I had a very clear idea of what every track was called, and how it would sound. However, over time my vision changed, the seasons changed and the type of music I was interested in making changed. So, as a result the project changed. Many times. At some point I just had to say stop and finish it.
One of our beloved crew members, Naboklage, recently dropped his first album on the label called Xenosonic. The album is a blend of all the different genres that goes down on the dance floor in Oslo, packed in a theatrical display of diversity set at the intersection of humans, technology and the extraterrestrial. The concept album utilizes the human voice, synthesizers and audio range data from space to craft eerie soundscapes, brazen tones and banging rhythms.
Naboklage - Xenosonic Album
Tracklist
1. They Arrived In Interstellar Drip
2. Marsian Desert Caravan
3. Intergalactic Choir
4. Mischievous Elves
5. UFO Shaped Candy
6. Ovomorph Slumber
7. Warp Speed Driveby Shooting
8. You Wouldn’t Download A Spaceship
Listen to the release here.
1. Tell us about your journey towards electronic music and becoming “Naboklage”
Naboklage (Translates to noise complaint) embodies not giving a fuck and just doing whatever I want artistically. Before Naboklage I was pretty flexible as a DJ and tried to fit into all kinds of parties and lineups, which was very frustrating. I think it was a protest to all the people trying to steer me one way or another to make me fit whatever vision or idea they had. So, basically I changed my name to Naboklage and became an uncompromising, but authentic little shit. I pretty much immediately started getting more gigs and recognition for the thing I want to do. Naboklage is about my taste and my vision, which is sometimes too loud, too fast, too weird, too hard, too sad, too cheesy, too underground, or too different. But that’s ok you don’t have to come if you don’t like it. You are free to go see any DJ you want, or even better, become a DJ and play exactly what you want! That’s kind of the point of Naboklage.
Also I had some issues with noise complaints from neighbours which heavily inspired the name. They were probably just jealous that they weren’t invited.
2. Which other themes, interests or activities would you say have inspired you to make music?
I’ve always understood the world through creating. For example, when I was a small child my parents always had to bring something I could play with creatively whenever we did something new, as I would take in whatever new experience I had and use it to make something like a drawing, sculpture, painting, song etc. I needed it to calm down and move on, otherwise my mind would race and go crazy.
Today I’m very much the same. I have to regularly do something creative to scratch an itch or I go mad. I can’t sleep, I can’t focus, I get hyper fixated on these creative endeavours inside my head and the only way to move on is to create something. As you can imagine it’s quite challenging to merge this with normal life and responsibilities, but it’s something that I am getting better at as I get older.!
So to answer the question, pretty much everything inspires me to make music, and making it is the way I cope with existence.
My day job is to be a space scientist so an album with a space theme is more than appropriate.
3. This album is a diverse piece of art where you have shown different artistic sides of your sound, it’s a very interesting listening experience. Will you go deeper and tell us about the theme behind it and the meaning of the name “Xenosonic”?
The idea was to create THE soundtrack of outlaw radical alien cowboys visiting us and how we would interact with them. Starting out about a year ago I had a very clear idea of what every track was called, and how it would sound. However, over time my vision changed, the seasons changed and the type of music I was interested in making changed. So, as a result the project changed. Many times. At some point I just had to say stop and finish it.
As for the name, it means “sounds of strangers” or “sounds of aliens” in latin(greek?). Also it sounds cool. X is a cool letter.
As for the diversity of the piece, I don’t really acknowledge the existence of genres when I create. Genres are great for categorizing, labeling and organizing music that’s already made. It’s a technique for systematic and effective archiving of art. But, in the context of free and unrestricted creativity genres are useless. To be honest I don’t really know what genre I’m operating in, and it’s difficult to answer when people ask about it as it’s not something I think about or am concerned about.
Lastly I’d like to add that it’s meant to be listened to and not really a club album.
4. Can you take us through the different tracks of the album?
I feel like the titles are pretty self explanatory. Think of them as names of each chapter in a story. Then close your eyes and let your imagination fill in the gaps while you listen to each track.
5. What was your all time favorite gig and why?
It’s impossible to pick one. There’s been a lot of great parties, and a lot of sets that I’ve played and that I’m excited about. I guess my favorite must be a combination of both, where one gig in particular sticks out:
Closing Flux open air 2022 was absolutely nuts. I had just started taking the “no plan” style of DJing seriously at the time, meaning focusing entirely on leaning into the vibe and reading the crowd with no preparation. I ended up doing some elaborate journey through my collection with 2 and 3 tracks (even 4 at some point I think?) playing together most of the time. Some people asked me for track IDs after the set and I had to tell them that unfortunately this is the drums from this track, a loop of the breakbeat from another one overlaid on the hook from a third one, and you probably can’t hear it played that same way ever again. I think the reason I like the set that much is that it had a lot of these improvised unplanned moments that resulted in a dialogue with the audience where we fed off of each others’ energy to create a unique experience.
Sidenote: Venues need to have more than 2 CDJs so I can actually do these kinds of things.
6. Do you have any core memories from your younger days that have contributed to making you the artist you are today?
I remember being excited whenever I made something and showing it to people and them either telling me it’s not good or making fun of it. So I stopped showing people music entirely and just made it for myself in my bedroom like a little hermit. I think ultimately this taught me very early on that I should create for myself and not for anyone else. It also had the side effect of me being very hesitant to show people anything. Lately I’ve become more excited to show people stuff, so that’s good!
7. How would you describe Oslo to people that have never been here, where would you recommend them to go?
Oslo’s nightlife is basically compressing a 12-hour party into 2-3 hours due to very strict laws and regulations. As a result everything is more intense; the music, the drinking, the drugs. I don’t like it. Also, people are still super fucked up and hyped when the clubs close at 3am so the party continues behind closed doors with no security, no-one making sure you’re not drinking/taking too much, usually a shitty b2b2b2b2b DJ set where people try to see how intoxicated they can be while DJing and a lot of other unhinged behaviour.
HOWEVER! During the summer we do open air parties in the forest that go all night, where people are in no rush and we chill the fuck out. Go to the raves in the forest! That’s where all the innovation and interesting music happens. It’s where Oslo has developed its “new sound”.
Osloomvendt also does a rundown of what parties happen every week, and they post funny memes.
8. Three favorite albums/vinyls and why?
This is impossible. I’ll list 3 albums that has influenced me as an artist. I don’t know if they’re necessarily my favorite.
1. “Burial - Untrue” If you don’t know about this then this is an emergency and you need to listen right now!
2. “oprofessionell - UTE003” UTE paved the way for a lot of the things I’ve done the last few years both with events, as a label and as artists and have inspired me a lot! Also super nice guys!
3. “MRD - Superwoman” I remember being so blown away that some underground guy that makes music very different from what was played in clubs in Oslo at the time could make it internationally despite not being the biggest local DJ. I think this is still true today. So talented and such a great guy!
8. Would you like to share some of your “go-to” tracks at gigs?
I don’t really have go-to tracks as every set is usually very different depending on time-slot, venue, crowd and what I’m excited about at the moment. But, I can share some stuff that was really fun to play that has happened more than once:
1 “ Requiem: Dies Irae - Sir Collin Davis “ Classical music that goes hard af at peak time
2 “Bladee, Ecco2k - Girls Just Want To Have Fun (BAUGRUPPE90 Remix)” I like sad boys and drain gang
3 “Bring da ruckus - Wu-Tang Clan” Slapper to close the night
4 “Streamline (Lips) - Newton + Any schranz techno / svetec track” Really funny mashup of pop-trance and hard techno
5 “Whispers - Simo Cell + any jungle track with a sick breakbeat” It has a step kick with a halftime snare so it adds fun rhythms when you want to make a point out of not playing 4/4 :P
10. What do you look most forward to in 2023?
I want to make new music, and I want to make a new and really cool live set that allows me to improvise across all the styles and genres and tempos I’m into.
Also being a part of Flux is super exciting! Big shoutout to flux family<3