And when did you move to Berlin, SPRUTBASS?
SPRUTBASS: About two years ago. I had a lot of friends here, played a lot and it just fit.
But you’re still connected to the Oslo music scene? Is there one?
TORGNY: I think the thing about Oslo is that the center is so small so there can be so many different shows on at once in such a concentrated space. There’s a decent club scene- electronic music.
SPRUTBASS: The club scene is small but really good. There’s always stuff happening. Because it’s so small, we meet a lot of different people. Take us, coming from different genres, and there’s a lot of musicians meet and collaborate.
As a Norwegian artist you have to go abroad…
TORGNY: Yeah, you’ve got some local heroes. They sing in Norwegian and they have no interest in going abroad. But for more genre-based, underground stuff, I think it’s very good to get abroad or for me to go to Berlin. For example, LINDSTRØM’s worked with a lot of people, it’s a close community.
SPRUTBASS: It’s good to have friends to travel with who make music.
Have you travelled together this time round?
TORGNY: No, we haven’t. And it’s the first time we’re playing together, so bring it on.
SPRUTBASS: We’ve got a small German club tour planned for this year.
How would you compare the Berlin music scene to Oslo’s?
SPRUTBASS: Of course it’s bigger. Its much more club-focused and electronic.
TORGNY: Not that many bands, more electronic artists.
SPRUTBASS: But a lot of interesting things are happening in Berlin with acoustic, organic stuff. I think that’s what it’s moving towards. The merging of the two.
TORGNY: I think it’s fascinating how extremely huge MODERAT and APPARAT are here. I follow them on Instagram and the photos of their crowds are huge.
Will you two be recording together or is it just the live shows?
TORGNY: Yeah, just live for now. I was going to have a SPRUTBASS jam on my new songs to see what’d happen but we didn’t have time so we’ll see.
A question we always like to ask in interviews: how would you describe your music to a deaf person?
SPRUTBASS: This huge ball, 2 meters in diameter, a big pink ball of … this type of fat you use in doughnuts, a grease ball bouncing up and down, not threatening though, just there. (pauses and thinks) Yeah, a friendly, heavy, eating grease ball (laughs)
TORGNY: What can I say after that (laughs)
SPRUTBASS: But you have lyrics, man – you have that extra dimension.
TORGNY: I think it’s a mix between some really nasty skateboard slamming and beautiful women.
And another question we always ask, what do hope and passion mean to you?
TORGNY: It’s obviously very optimistic, you refuse to die and just ‘fuck this, I’m going to survive, nothing but hope and passion!’ That’s the vibe I get from it and I like that.
SPRUTBASS: I totally agree. Hope and passion is this feeling for all our shows because its not a lot of money or fame but it’s a lot of passion, and there has to be a lot of hope, especially when we’re doing this year after year. It’s a good name for an album. It’s a really clever name.
TORGNY: That’s totally right. It also alludes to… how do I say this… being a dedicated artist, no matter what- no money, a lot of money, fame, no fame. I imagine a writer of a novel finishing a book, or an album as an artist you have to find that courage, you must have hope and passion, two very essential words.