We look back through the photo album in search of the best shot and interview the subjects of some of our favourite and some iconic snaps from the venue.
Meet Aksel Aasen. Here he is on a Tuesday in 2018, sticking his tongue out to the photographer and conformity. It was an evening of Maheym with a DJ appearance from Necrobutcher at Raymond T. Hauger’s Den Gyldne Sprekk. Punctuated by an explosive onslaught of industrial sounds from the entire spectrum of rock and electronic music with
Aksel was a patron on a night that has gone down as one of our more memorable nights at Jaeger. The image, burned in the celluloid of our collective memory by Sara Ramsøe, remains a highlight in the archives today, even though its significance is somewhat more than just consequential today.
Three years on and Aksel is a member of our staff at Jaeger, after what was a serendipitous and curious series of events. When he’s not working on the bar or running the front of house, he’s making and playing music. Aksel plays in a noise band and has started Djing alongside another Jaeger bar alumni , Marcel-Pierre Traeet. He might have lost some that glorious hair, but none of that unbridled attitude.
The Q&A
What do you remember of that night the picture was taken?
I don’t remember too much from that night to be honest, I had been working as a stage rigger at Øya that day and I probably had free entry to Jæger that night as it was an Øyanatt event
The dude from Mayhem (I guess he’s the sole member now) was DJing or at least making an appearance. Was there anything in the music that stuck in your memory from that night?
Not really.
Did you know you were having your picture taken at the time?
Yup
Are you sticking your tongue out for the photographer or was it exasperation of some other kind?
Haha I don’t really know why my tongue was out. I was probably posing for the photographer, I don’t think I was annoyed.
Did you think four years on from when that picture was taken you’d actually be working at Jaeger?
Absolutely not, I was moving to Bergen after that summer to begin Uni. I’m not great at planning long term so after those years at Uni I didn’t really have a concrete plan. My friend showed me a post on Insta saying that Jæger was hiring, so I applied and hoped for the best. I was really happy when I got the opportunity to work there.
What first brought you here and what are some of the Djs or nights that appeal to you at the moment?
One of my first encounters with electronic music in a proper club context was at Jæger when I was 20. What stood out to me the most was the great atmosphere and how important music is in creating the good vibes in a club. Right now, I’m a big fan of Morken’s early sets on Fridays, he doesn’t limit himself to a genre and I think he has really good taste in music.
You also DJ and play in a band. Tell us more about that?
I recently started DJing with my colleague Marcel, we mainly play hard progressive techno. I also enjoy playing drum’n’bass and disco house, but right now our sets are focused on techno. My band is currently on hiatus as our guitarist (the guy next to me in the photo) moved to London. I’d say our music lies in the realm of experimental noise-rock with influences from prog-rock and experimental rock/electronic albums as well as a lot of ambient stuff.
Ok, so you play at the heavier end of Techno when you DJ and the band likes to conjure noise. What is it about the darker sounds that appeals to you?
I really don’t know to be honest, a cathartic release maybe? Personally, I just love music that has a lot of raw energy and a certain amount of heaviness to it. In general I’m a fan of powerful expressions in art. As long as a track is able to express this, I don’t mind whether it’s made with more traditional instruments or a DAW.
And does Mayhem still fit into that spectrum somehow?
Absolutely! Their first EP (Deathcrush), is a great example of raw power expressed in a musical form. The EP is unmixed, as well as having no overdubs (everything except the vocals is live) which just lends to a feeling of heaviness and rawness in my opinion.
Thanks for that chat Aksel. When will we see you next… on the other side of the bar that is.
Maybe behind the decks somewhere in the near future, and most definitely at the upcoming Mayhem concert in December.
Ps… what happened to those glorious locks of hair?
Societal pressures! People took me more seriously at Uni when I had short hair. Who knows though, they might make a comeback someday…