DJ Hooker is one of Oslo’s unsung legends. A stalwart of the scene he thrives at the confluence of a DIY attitude and truly forward thinking club music. You’ll often find him in the booth in many of the city’s underground haunts like Kafe Hærverk and when he’s not playing records he’s buying them.
Steadfast in dance music’s purest pursuits, his is a fanatical appreciation for the vinyl and the kindred spirits that still release their records on format. From the nineties Techno/Ambient aesthetic to the sound of UK’s Future bass movement, DJ Hooker’s sound is hard to pin down, but it’s always forward thinking and shies away from orthodoxy.
He attacks the Jaeger Mix with that same fervour, leaning towards an ambient inclination as melodies swirl and eddy through percussive rhythms that refuse to abide. With the few exceptions like his HMD mix, it’s a rare treat to get DJ Hooker down on a recording and it provides an opportunity to ask some burning questions to a DJ we’ve seen and heard on so many occasions.
We get a little glimpse of his musical beginnings and this enduring “hobby” as well as a sneak peak into the machinations of his contribution to the Jaeger Mix series.
Welcome to the Jaeger mix, DJ Hooker. Give us an introduction.
Hi Jaeger! I am DJ Hooker, representing EZ Diner.
What’s your earliest memory of a piece of music?
My mom mentioned this yesterday at a dinner party. Georgio Moroder – An American Gigolo, on record. She said I used to call it: «skumle musikken». I was very fascinated and frightened with that record, and it sounded so different to all previous music I had been exposed to. I still like to look for music that sounds scary or haunting to me. She also mentioned that I was a huge Marius Müller fan as a toddler, but I don’t remember that. RIP Marius
I’ve always wanted to ask about the name. How did you arrive at it and what are you soliciting?
There is a reference to one of my favorite daytime TV shows from the 80s. That and a Club me and Jonas Wiik used to have around the Y2K era. The fact that it is so stupid, and that a lot of peers said I should get a better one, made me stick to it. The rest of the story is for a later occasion.
What was Oslo’s scene like when you were coming through and how have you seen it evolve?
I have seen trends come and go. Bars and Clubs around town have gone from a «Rock music» profile to electronic music. And club music going from gritty venues to fine dine restaurants.
What was your introduction to club music?
Amiga 500 games and demos, Chill Out Zone, Cold cut, Freestyle, B-Boy music, Kraftwerk. My cousin got me an Acid House cassette some time in the late 80s. It had Sleezy D.
What were some of the clubs, DJs and labels that informed your introduction to electronic music?
Going to London and Berlin. Plastic People in Shoreditch. Berghain, Griessmuehle, hearing DJ Pete, Chain Reaction and Mark Ernestus, Oswald, going to Hardwax and spacehall. Before that, stuff like: Egyptian Lover, Transmat records, Juan Atkins, Cybotron, DJ Hype, 2 Live Crew/Mr Mixxx, Transmat, P.E./Terminator X, Rephlex, UR, Warp, AFX, Laurent Garnier, Metroplex, Hardy, Dance Mania, Apollo, Mixmaster Morris, Global Communication/Reload, Autechre/ Gescom, Biosphere, A Guy Called Gerald.
I did not go that much to Clubs here in Norway, but Heart Attack parties were cool, and had a friendly vibe. I also miss Untzdag, those nights were such a good time. I have to mention: Astrid Midtbø, Strangefruit, Bjørn Torske, Fitta, Don Lom, Sannergata, Nuhhh, Robin, Morken, Mayen, Spykidelic, HMD/AW, Kompressor og Krüger. Thanks guys!
How have your tastes developed since?
Not much. I am more or less into the same sort of stuff today, as I was back then.
We know you like that classic DIY Techno/Electro/Ambient aesthetic, but we’ve also heard you play Hip Hop. What would you say is central to your sound as a DJ today?
I enjoy raw, in your face mixing style. I play a Rap track in a DJ set every now and then. Electro, Juke, Ghettotech, JIT, Techno Bass. I guess you can call that Hip Hop. Some early Electro-funk and Techno records are considered both Techno and Hip Hop.
How is it reflected in this Jaeger Mix?
Not that much in this specific mix. I think it has a dubby, ambient, tribal vibe in this set. It’s a hodge podge of a lot of stuff, with some trainwrecks. I hope it came out OK.
What was key to your planning for this set?
I had a couple of records in mind. Three or four. I tried to build a set around those. I spent the day in our studio at Økern. My friend Frisyro Bolani came through and crashed my studio session. After he went home (early morning) I had just enough time to re-organize my bag, and my set came out quite different from what I planned.
It’s a very atmospheric mix with a lot of glitchy elements and obscurities throughout. In what section of your expansive record collection would you say this resides?
I don’t really know. I like a lot of different genres and styles. I tried to play various styles but to have something of a red thread through the set. Some classic ones and some brand new stuff.
It consists of the type of tracks that leaves Shazam hanging and that’s often true of your sets. What usually draws to a record to make it into a DJ set and where do you find ‘em?
Usually it’s a certain feeling or a vibe. Or something that sounds kind of different. If I love it I will usually buy it. Digging for new music I like to check through Bandcamp, Juno, Hardwax, Boomkat etc. Nothing beats going to a physical store. I do that a lot when I travel. Here in Oslo, I buy my records from Filter Musikk. They have loads of exciting new releases coming every week.
I like to look for records when they come out so keeping up to date with stuff I am interested in is a huge part of it. I find it rewarding to support small labels and artists focusing on physical format. If I really like a record I will play it, regardless of genre. I do different things for different venues but I never play records that I don’t love. Not everybody loves all the records that I play, but that’s just how it goes, I guess
Is vinyl still your favoured format, and what is it about the 12” that appeals to you still today?
Yes! I only play vinyl records when I DJ. I am stubborn. I was interested in collecting records way before I started playing them out. That is the hobby for me. I never even bothered to figure out how the Pioneers work. I can’t be bothered
There’s always some kind of UK inflection in your sound as a DJ. Where does this come from?
Maybe all the way back to that whole UK Rap/ Hardcore thing from late 80s early 90s that I was really into. A lot of those tracks are crossover RAP/Dance music. The UK manages to keep club music sounding fresh. Labels like DDS/Modern Love have been pivotal to my taste for club music for many years. Come to think of it, Jaeger’s own Kaman Leung released on ML back 20 something years ago. Imagine that!? What a legend! Give that man his flowers
Yeah damn right. And it’s like dubstep before dubstep had a name… As someone that shops records on a weekly basis, there’s always a new record in your sets. What were some of your latest finds for this mix?
There are quite a few new ones. If you enjoy stuff like this, keep an ear open for further releases on labels like: Short Span, Wah Wah Wino, DOO and TRULE.
Where do you feel most comfortable these days as a DJ in terms of playing, music and venues?
I would say Kafé Hærverk. KH is such a crucial venue for the music scene in Oslo. I also like Mir and our studio at Økern
What else is in the near future for DJ Hooker?
Look out for more EZ Diner events. EZ is live/DJ in various formats. That is me, Kristian Hammerstad and Levi Berquvist. Sometimes we have guests too. They are dear old friends from way back. They work as an illustrator and a designer respectively, so it has been a great way for us to stay in touch and have fun playing music. I really fell in love with music again with this project.
I have plans for an ambient cassette mix that might come out on HMD records. Late summer I will do a support for one of my favorite electronic artists, period! So please keep an eye out for that.
Now I am babbling.
Thank you for your time and god sommer