Two Norwegian artists. One lives in Oslo, the other in Berlin. At Berlin’s Oslo Night NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION sat down with TORGNY and SPRUTBASS to talk about Berlin, Oslo and the differences of both cities, as well as how both met, became friends and decided to collaborate. So far they only collaborate live, but let’s see what happens in the future.
Let’s start with each of you giving us a brief biography of yourselves.
TORGNY: I’m TORGNY, I come from Oslo. My debut album came out in 2010, it’s called Chameleon Days. Before that I was a singer in a hardcore band, I basically came from rock and roll and ventured into dance music. I write and produce my own songs, sometimes I collaborate with a singer called MARIE DUE and do collaborations with people like SPRUTBASS. I put out two EPs and then Oil Panic came out in January.
SPRUTBASS: My name is SPRUTBASS and I come from – almost from Oslo and I live in Berlin. I started with this project in 2009 after several years of band playing across all sorts of genres and then I started making my own songs. I took some old synthesizers and started releasing stuff on different English and Norwegian labels. My debut EP came out last year and now I’m working on my next, hopefully full-length album.
And tonight you’ll be playing together, right?
TORGNY: Yeah, this’ll be the first time. SPRUTBASS will start with his set, I’ll play mine and then we’ll end with him jamming along to my songs.
SPRUTBASS: We’ve rehearsed so I know when to not play.
TORGNY: The reason this night came about is because SPRUTBASS did a remix of Nights from my last album.
Is that how you met?
SPRUTBASS: It’s a funny story actually. I was playing a show in Oslo and TORGNY was in the crowd and he got carried away by the music…
TORGNY: I was just gonna give him a compliment. And he was like ‘Don’t touch me, you’ve gotta go away, I’m playing.’
SPRUTBASS: It was ‘cause he got on stage in the middle of my playing and of course I’m not Superman! I did my set and we talked later.
TORGNY, do you still live in Oslo?
TORGNY: I do, born and bred. I’ve been living in the U.S for a few years. I’m based in Oslo, it’s a vibrant scene there.
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.