Tania Næss has been gracing Jaeger’s DJ booth for over a year now as part of Fanterier. Alongside tâmitan they’ve channeled their individual tastes into a sound perfectly suited for Jaeger’s dance floor.
As a DJ Tania has been a prominent figure around Oslo, playing for the likes of streetbackboys and Epiphany at venues like Villa and of course Jaeger. Residing in the melodic regions of Techno, Tania has certainly caught the musical zeitgeist in Oslo and whether that moves into territories of deep House or the darker hues of Techno, she is nothing if not adaptable in her musical pursuits.
Recently she has established Rabalder alongside Emilie Lian and Julie Reistad, moving into harder territories of Techno. They make their debut at Jaeger next Monday during Romjulsfestivalen, but for this mix Tania errs on the sound of Fanterier.
Deep, melodic and “funky”, Tania Næss provides the perfect musical setting for the pre-party to a night with Fanterier, bringing “out a different side” to the DJ, one that she only ever reveals at Jaeger.
Hey Tania. Welcome to the Jaeger Mix. Give us an introduction to Tania Næss.
After spending around eleven years living in London and Berlin and being immersed in those music scenes, I slowly found my way into DJing. I’ve been playing in Oslo for the past four years, and over the last year mainly at The Villa and Jaeger, while also playing around the city more broadly.
My sound today usually sits somewhere between indie dance and melodic house and techno, with a focus on groove, energy, and drive, and on blending old with new. Flow is really important to me, and I probably spend more time than I should grouping similar-sounding tracks. I’m part of the Fanterier concept at Jaeger with my friend tâmitan, and I also run Rabalder together with Emilie Lian and Julie Reistad, which has given me another space to explore and develop. Over the last couple of years I’ve also started producing my own music, which I think has added another layer to how I approach DJing.
How and when did the DJ bug bite, and what were those first mixes like?
Music has always been a big part of my life, but it wasn’t until I moved to London at 16 or 17 that I felt the pull to try DJing myself. I spent most weekends at Anjunadeep gigs and travelled to Berlin whenever I could. I loved club culture and always felt at home in those spaces, but it took me a long time to actually dare to take the leap into DJing.
Eventually, my boyfriend at the time bought me that tiny Pioneer mixer, and I spent months glued to it at home. From there, things followed a familiar path – playing alone, then house parties, and slowly moving into clubs. Looking back, I probably jumped into club gigs a bit early, as I honestly didn’t know much yet, but I’m very grateful to the people who gave me a chance, like the Epiphany guys. I never imagined I’d end up playing in clubs – I just loved the scene and the music.
My first mixes were much more organic and soft than what I play now. Even though that’s no longer my sound, it’s definitely shaped how I approach music, and I still really appreciate that style when others play it.
How do you think your tastes have evolved since then?
A lot. Five years ago I mostly played organic music, and I think I was also a bit scared to push into anything harder. After moving back to Oslo and playing later slots in different clubs, my taste really started to shift. Playing at Ostara and with Streetbackboys, where the focus is much more on techno, pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged that softer side of me.
For a while I went fully in that direction and played quite hard. Now I feel like I’ve landed somewhere in between. I’m clearly still evolving though, as even songs I played a year ago don’t always feel like me anymore. Today my sound usually sits somewhere between melodic house and techno, indie dance, and deep house.
You’ve been a regular fixture at Jaeger over the course of the last year with Fanterier. Tell us a bit more about that concept?
Fanterier is a Jaeger concept I started with my close friend, tâmitan. We came from slightly different musical angles, which challenged me in a really positive way, and over time we’ve fused our worlds and met somewhere in the middle. We both love driving basslines, funky synths, and stabs, and that’s naturally become our shared sound. Playing together so often has shaped how I play solo as well, so there are definitely elements of him in this mix. Beyond the music, we’re both very high-energy and playful, and we wanted the concept to reflect that side of us too.
You’ve also recently established Rabalder. How is that different from Fanterier, and what was the reason behind creating this new concept?
Rabalder is something I started with Emilie Lian and Julie Reistad, who are both amazing people in their own right. We’d crossed paths playing before or after each other at different events, and it just felt natural to do something together.
We felt there weren’t many women in Oslo playing the kind of music we love, or at least not together, so we wanted to start a female-led concept, without making that the main focus. The idea was simply to create something fun and offer a slightly different energy. Rabalder is broader, while Fanterier is very Jaeger-specific and closely tied to your sound.
What would you say usually draws you to a record for the purpose of DJing?
I almost always have a specific gig in mind when I’m looking for music, so context matters a lot. In general though, I’m drawn to songs with a strong bass or drum drive, a nice build, or an interesting melody or vocal.
Tell us a bit about the ideas behind your Jaeger Mix?
Jaeger tends to bring out a different side of me – deeper, funkier, and a bit more old-school. For this mix, I wanted to lean into that while drawing on influences from my time in Berlin and London, and move between a few different genres without losing the thread. The common thread is probably the deeper tracks with old-school soul vocals and a slight gospel feel, which is something I always keep coming back to.
Other than that, I feel like the sauna has such a unique sound and crowd, and I’m always thinking about that when selecting music for Jaeger. It’s important to me to honour the atmosphere you’ve built there.
Which of the two concepts (Fanterier or Rabalder) would this better be suited for?
Definitely Fanterier.
Do you feel the environment, on the night, pushed it in any particular direction?
Yes. There were fewer people there, so I played a bit more chilled than I usually would.
You stay in downtempo regions for most of this mix. Was there any particular reason for that?
It was still early and not very busy, and I didn’t want to push things too hard too soon. Playing the songs at a lower BPM felt right in the moment and still allowed the set to feel like me. The idea was to build gradually and turn it up over time.
Besides that, there is an airy quality to your selections. Is there a track here that would sum up the entire mix for you?
That’s a difficult one, but if I had to choose, it would probably be Mysterious by Dachshund in the middle or 777 by Maori towards the end. They both capture the overall mood I was in.
How would this mix compare to what you’ll be bringing for your next visit with Rabalder for Chris Liebing?
It’ll definitely be a bit harder, but we’ll still keep it funky and fun.
What else is on the musical horizon for you?
I’ll be playing a few festivals in Norway next year, which is something I haven’t done before and really look forward to. I also want to focus more on producing, with a goal of releasing two songs on labels in 2026.