We talk to a rising Norwegian talent, dublon ahead of his showcase this Friday at Jaeger
dublon is the latest Norwegian producer export, making waves outside of Norway. Signed to Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint, dublon has found the ears of an international audience with his blend of House grooves and Jazz themes percolating on the edges of the dance floor.
His debut release for the label, Sunrise sees him collaborating with established Jazz artists, where their improvisations float above the stochastic rhythms. It’s dublon’s 3rd time collaborating with Nathan Haines, and the pair seem to have found an indeterminable groove together.
Production and DJing go hand in hand for dublon, and while he makes rare appearances at his adopted home in Oslo, his sets at the likes of London’s Jazz Café and Fabric have received extensive praise.
He makes his debut at Jaeger with a night alongside Birdnote, where the pair will curate a night between deep grooves and heady melodies. We caught up with dublon to find more about this rising talent and talked about his origins in Risør, signing to Ninja Tune, collaborations and more.
Hello dublon. Tell me about growing up in Risør. Is there a music scene there and what or who were your earliest musical touchstones?
Growing up in Risør was really nice. I started playing classical violin at the local culture school when I was 7, inspired by my older sister who had been playing violin for several years. The municipality of Risør was also very supportive when I later pursued electronic music, even awarding me a cultural grant. There wasn’t really a scene for electronic music in Risør while I was growing up, so most of it involved watching YouTube and connecting with other producers online.
You come from a musical family, with the whole family playing instruments, including yourself. What was the soundtrack of your youth like?
I grew up with a mother and father who both sang and played the piano. My siblings played the violin, cello, trumpet, and bass, so there was always music in our home. My parents also listened to a lot of music, including artists like Michael Jackson, Queen, ABBA, and jazz artists like the Doky Brothers.
How did your early experiences with violin and drums affect your development when you started making music on your computer?
When I started producing music, I used to record violin on my own tracks. I’ve always loved chords, harmonies, and melodies. From playing drums, I think I drew inspiration from live grooves and from choosing drum samples that leaned toward a more organic, live feel.
Does it still play a part in your musical creation today?
What I learned from playing the instruments plays a big part, but I dont play violin on my songs anymore.
Your productions and DJ sets are heavily infused with elements of Jazz. What was your introduction to the genre and who were some of the artists that you listened to?
My introduction to jazz was probably when I discovered the song Not Yet by Michel Camilo in my older brother’s playlist. I listened to that track so much that I still remember all the solos by heart haha. I also attended a music program in high school that had a strong focus on jazz, so we often went to jazz clubs to listen to live concerts. And projects like Snarky Puppy were constantly on repeat in my playlists
House music and Jazz are no strangers. Why do you feel they work so well together and how have you tried to make that your own?
I feel like elements of jazz can make house music even more playful in the club. Being able to play a very repetitive house groove with a two-minute-long sax solo in a club where people from 18 to 60 are all dancing is really fun. I always try to think about the parts of solos and recordings that I use in my tracks. I want people who don’t normally listen to jazz to experience the parts I love the most through house music.
After a few releases, how do you feel your music has evolved?
I feel like I bring a lot of what I observe in clubs when I play into my newer tracks, what works and what doesn’t. I also feel that I’m more attentive to details in the music now than I was at the very beginning of the project.
Your last release, Sunrise, was released via Ninja Tune sub-label Technicolour. Tell us about your association with Ninja Tune and how that came about?
Ninja Tune reached out to me two years ago and showed a lot of interest in the project. At the time, I was signed to a French label, but we stayed in touch and met up every time I played in London, which was really nice. I ended up signing with them once my deal with my previous label was finished. I’m very happy with the team and excited to release a lot of music with them going forward.
Sunrise features a collaboration with Nathan Haines, who you also worked with on last year’s Nectar. What is it about that artist specifically that seems to resonate with you and your music?
He’s a legend. I love his melodic language and his tone. He has played both sax and flute on several of my tracks.
You’ve worked with a few collaborators in the past. How is the collaborative process essential to your music?
I think collaborating with others is the most fun part of making music, creating something together that would never have come to life on your own. I’ve also made a lot of friends through making music together.
I feel like Chaos in CBD introduced Nathan Haines to a younger audience and I’m aware you’re also a fan of the Chaos brothers. Why do you believe this generation is being drawn back into those sounds again?
I really like Chaos in the CBD, I got to speak with them last week when they played at Jaeger, such nice people. I think artists like them and Berlioz are exactly the ones who have brought this sound back to a younger generation. The sound has been around for many years, but I feel like in the past couple of years it has reached a new audience through social media.
As a DJ, you’ve played in settings like London’s Jazz Cafe, Fabric and will be bringing it to Jaeger this week. What’s needed to make this music work on a dancefloor and a club setting?
I usually mix typical jazz house with old house classics and soulful house tracks. I think that’s a great combination that the crowd can really appreciate.
Playing with Birdnote for this one, you’ll have the whole floor for the night. Is there any specific concept or idea behind the night?
I’ve worked with Birdnote since the beginning of my project, he has mixed and mastered all of my tracks, and we always share old and new music when we meet. My idea is to start the night a bit more laid-back with typical jazz house, then gradually pick up the tempo and move more into house with hints of jazz.
From what we’ve heard, there’s always a dublon track in your sets. Is there any particular track, released or unreleased, you’re looking forward to trying out in the room on the night?
I’m really looking forward to playing a new track coming out in April, as well as a demo I’m planning to release this summer that isn’t finished yet. It’s fun to see how the crowd reacts before a track is fully done.
Sunrise looks like it might be the precursor to an album. Is that right and what else is on the horizon for dublon?
The plan is for it to be more like an EP, so there will be multiple releases throughout the spring. I’ll also be announcing a new North American tour and more European shows soon. I’m also working on several exciting collaborations with producers I’ve looked up to for a long time.