We speak to V.Christie about his latest release for Disclosure’s Friends and Family imprint, his prolific output and more ahead of his visit to Olle Abstract’s LYD
Vebjørn Christie’s (V. Christie) artistic career is on an incredible trajectory, taking him into new lofty territories. People in the know like Olle Abstract have tipped the young producer and DJ to “blow up” this year on the back of a new EP coming via Disclosure’s latest imprint, Friends and Family.
The Dream EP was released on the the 25th of February and by the time of writing it’s climbed to the number Beatport Bass-House charts with early plaudits coming from people like Tiësto, who played the track during a set in front of the pyramids.
Disclosure brothers, Guy- and Howard Lawrence have given the Norwegian artist the honour of the first release for their new label and it’s paid off. Coming off the back of a prolific output which has seen V.Christie go from the bass-inclinations of UK Garage and Dubstep into the big room’s high energy House, it cements his arrival on an international scene.
Retaining some of those UK-influences, Dream’s appeal lies in its heavy bass and scattered rhythms all channelled into 140BPM arrangements, reminiscent of speed-Garage. He folds in elements of House with a disembodied vocal and nervous keys moving at light speed across the four tracks.
Based in Trondheim, V.Christie has been a name people have come to know at venues like Lokal and Tyven, while in Oslo he remains something of a mystery. It’s Olle Abstract’s intention to set that right, bringing the young talent over to his LYD night in March.
With the ever-enticing idea of new Norwegian music as tour propulsion, we called up Vebjørn to find out more. He’s in Denmark, taking some time-off, but he’s happy to talk and eager to engage on everything from his new EP, his history and some deep-thoughts on music culture.
Are you putting the final touches on the dream EP?
That was actually all done before Christmas. The whole thing was wrapped up a while ago.
Did you know it was going to the label before you started recording it?
No. A few of the tracks were just demos. I saw Disclosure posted an Instagram story in September, asking people to send in music. I sent a few tracks and I got an answer the same day, asking for more.
I want to talk more about the EP in a bit, but it would also be nice to get to know more of your musical background. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Asker.
Did you find yourself gravitating to music early on?
My father was a musician. I always had guitars playing and music on the radio, so I had a really natural evolution into music. I didn’t start professionally with music until my teens.
What music was your dad into and what were your early listening habits like?
My dad was listening to a lot of rock music, but I was a fan of Michael Jackson. When I got into YouTube, and found Skrillex and deadmau5, I was instantly hooked onto electronic music.
Before that, were you playing instruments or was the computer your first instrument?
The computer was my first instrument. I always had fun playing some guitars and piano, but never anything close to good or professional.
Do you know some music theory?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Music Technology from NTNU.
Was it electronic music that encouraged you to move into that direction?
Definitely, I’m open to all genres , but nothing compares when it comes to electronic music.
When did you graduate?
2023
You must have been releasing music even before you started at university?
Yes, my first Spotify single was in 2016. I was in high school. I was not that serious at that time, and it’s only been in recent years that it has become more of a job.I have some really old stuff on Spotify that I’ll probably remove again, because it doesn’t represent the sound I’m doing now, even though they have a special place in my heart.
The earliest releases I could find was from 2020 on Bandcamp, and those seem to be leaning towards a UK sound with elements of garage and Dubstep in there. What was your introduction to that arena?
Flume was the main influence for those early years. I love making that kind of music, because you can experiment. But I noticed I couldn’t play those kinds of tracks when I had gigs. So I thought; let’s shift this over to more dance orientated music. I started digging a little deeper and discovered Burial and that changed a lot. Then I started finding Floating Points and Jon Hopkins and I was immediately sucked into that world of deep experimental dance music.
Going from that world into the House-music realm in which you find yourself today; what was that transition like?
I’ve always loved playing House music. My DJ-style has always been in that lane, and my production has slowly shifted into the stuff I’m DJing. Seeing electronic music pop off in the mainstream and hearing artists like Fred again.. it was just inspiring. It was cool dance music that people seemed to enjoy. People like Four Tet and Fred again.. produce exactly the kind of music they want. They are never restricted to one specific genre.
It still seems like a niche thing, certainly in and around Oslo, and I haven’t come across many producers indulging in those sonics. What is about that sound that appeals to you?
At least the two step style of Garage, it just sounds so raw. All you need is a cool drum break and some bass, which makes the genre so genuine. It’s really powerful to listen to a good Garage track, because it just pumps up the energy. There’s a filth to it, and that’s really appealing to me.
Just on bandcamp alone, your output is prolific. How and why do you produce and release so much music?
I like to be consistent and always try to have some music out. If there’s a track that feels ready, I just don’t want to keep it to myself. I think a lot of people in this position have a tendency to be too hard on themselves. If it’s 99% finished it is probably good enough to be released.I learnt that after seeing a track of mine that was not finished gain the most streams on Spotify. I get too focussed on the details, and I’ve gotten better in just accepting these things can’t always be 100% perfect.
What makes a track good enough to be finished?
When I’ve finished a demo, I usually listen to it a lot by myself for things that could make it better. But I don’t think I have anything more than a gut feeling, when I realise this is perfect for release. Of course there are some technical preferences that I try to complete, and I usually compare my tracks to other tracks I’ve done for sonic consistency.
Even between the newer uptempo House music and your older stuff, there appears to be some continuity.
Yes. I like Garage drum patterns and I’ll always try to have some melodic element to it.
Where do you usually start with a track?
Often I like to start with some drums. If I have a good drum break going, it’s easy to just build from there. Sometimes I’ll experiment with some granular stuff, chopping up samples or creating melodies. It’s always different from track to track.
I’m very easily inspired by other stuff I hear. If I’ve been to a good concert or a rave, I’ll try to bring back some of the memories and I’ll try to recreate some of the feelings. Or if I listen to an artist that I like with a new track, I’ll listen to the song and ask myself, how was the song made? I’ll learn a bit of the things I’ve heard.
I feel that there’s an eclecticism with your generation, in which you are like a sponge, taking all these influences from such diverse and varied influences. There’s no singular point of reference. Do you feel there is something to this?
I think you might be on to something. We have so much input from everywhere. It’s so easy to find music from your phone. You can find a whole world of music in a single search. That might contribute to influences coming from all across the world and so many other artists.
When my dad was growing up, his inspiration had to be either the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.
And those two were mutually exclusive. You couldn’t really be a fan of both.
Yes, exactly. I can’t talk for my whole generation, but I don’t think having only one favourite artist is so common. It’s more respectable to have more influences or a broad interest in music.
Is there anything that’s completely out of your musical purview?
I can probably say that I’ll never produce opera. I listen to a lot of film music though. Hans Zimmer was my most played artist in the last decade. I like some Punk music and Jazz, but I accept that these are genres that I’ll never go into, at least not professionally. I’ll listen to it, and it makes the listening experience more comfortable in that I don’t have to analyze it.
I can go to a DJ gig and hear a DJ play a really good House song, and I can’t stop myself from getting too analytical about the whole experience.
It’s interesting that you mention film music, because there is a cinematic quality even in the dance music that you make.
Yes, I like to bounce out small ambient snippets and pads, and hide them behind all the drums and basses. You won’t notice them, but if you were to take them out, you’ll feel like something is missing. I try to pay attention to the details with ear candy and small percussion instruments and things you can’t hear, to fill out the track as much as I can. If I’m able to use my own field recordings, even if it’s just from my phone, it makes it more personal.
When it comes to this next record, Dream. The name of the label, Friends and Family suggests a close knit relationship with Disclosure. Did you have an existing relationship with them?
No, but they did have a good fan community during the pandemic. Guy (Lawrence) started streaming during the pandemic, hosting remix competitions and interactions with fans. The whole Discord and Twitch community around Disclosure became very big. I entered a remix competition 5 years ago, but I don’t think he remembers that.
I wasn’t on a first name basis at that point. He’s really good at engaging with the fans and making everything feel included. This whole thing is meant as a stepping stone for new and up and coming artists. I was very lucky to be the first to release on that label.
Talk about that, was there any pressure in releasing the first record for the new label?
(laughs) In a way. Disclosure has been super hype and certain about the EP. That’s all the confirmation I need. The response has been incredible. It’s #1 on beatport in the bass-house genre.
There’s certainly a midas touch to everything Disclosure does.
I was on a skype call with Guy in December for some final feedback to craft the tracks into what they are now. He told me when he was young and sending music around, James Blake was one of the few people that responded and gave him some very good feedback. Guy wished he had some more support back then, so he’s been very focussed on helping artists the best he can.
What kind of feedback did he give you; was it technical or creative?
Mostly creative. Some tips on the structure, but nothing purely technical.
Let’s talk about DJing for a minute, because that‘s the reason you’re coming to Jaeger. I’ve seen your name come up around Trondheim a bit. Have you been playing around Oslo much?
Not that much, because I haven’t really been living in Oslo. I’ve been based in Trondheim the last 6 years.
Where do you usually play in Trondheim?
Lokal was a regular spot and I had a residency there, but Lokal went out of business unfortunately. That was a big blow to the Techno community in Trondheim. I would say Lokal was the only place with a really underground electronic music profile. We still have Tyven which is fantastic, but more orientated towards House, Jazz and Disco.
There has opened a new place called Klubben. I know that some of the people from Lokal have moved there, but I haven’t played there as of yet.
When you were playing at Lokal compared to some of the other places, would you prepare your set differently?
Yes, definitely. The thing with Lokal was that it could be quite diverse. I try to vary from time to time and experiment. So I could switch from playing groovy Techno and Hardgroove into more UK garage and breakbeats. Whereas at Tyven, it would be slower and more House driven. Similarly to my production, I like to have some consistency with the DJ style, but I like to switch it up depending on where I’m playing.
You mentioned Hardgroove. You would go that far into that range of music?
Yes, I love to play Hardgroove, but not the very intense stuff. The thing with Hardgroove, is that it’s still very groove focussed. It can be fast, but it’s not as intense as the hard Techno flourishing in Europe. I think that can be too much, and it seems the main intent is just to be hard.
Is there a concerted effort on your part to reflect the style of music that you make, when you DJ?
That depends on the type of gig. For a summer party at a corporate gig, I would not try to play my own music. The focus would be more to match the vibe and make people happy. I try to remember, the most important bit, regardless of where I’m playing, is that the music should be the focus.
If I do a headliner show however, it has to be original music, because people come to see a showcase of my music. When it’s a club where you have to see where the crowd is, my main concern is not playing my own tracks. It would be about playing the best music for this kind of crowd.
Will you be bringing more of your own stuff when coming to Jaeger, since Olle Abstract will be showcasing you?
I think I’ll definitely be playing some of my own music. I’ll have to see how the crowd is.