Name: Erlend Øye
Occupation: Producer, songwriter, vocalist, DJ
Nationality: Norwegian
Recent release: Erlend Øye teams up with La Comitiva for their album La Comitiva, out now via Bubbles.

If you enjoyed this Erlend Øye interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram. La Comitiva are on Facebook as well.  

For the views of two former collaborators, read our DJ Hell interview, and our Nils Frahm interview.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

I often visualize the musicians performing, or I remember the first time I hear the song.

If you had asked me this question when I was 15, I would have had a very different answer. Before I was a musician, music was more magic, in some respect.

How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

It changes a lot! For example, the Kings of Convenience album Riot On An Empty Street sounds best when listened to in a bigger sized room, while Quiet Is The New Loud is good for headphones.
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The main reason is that they are mastered differently. Riot very hard, Quiet very soft.

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

The records that Bob Marley recorded in London has an amazing sound. One example is "Waiting in vain."



Henry Mancini’s work is extraordinary. See "Lujon."



There can be sounds which feel highly irritating to us and then there are others we could gladly listen to for hours. Do you have examples for either one or both of these?
 
Irritating:
A plastic bottle that is crushed before throwing has a violent sound to my ears.
Induction ovens have a «peep» when you increase the temprature, that is highly annoying, too.
Dogs barking can be terrible.

Good:
Leaves of trees that rustle in the wind
Waves, but at least 50 metres away
Rain on the roof
Small birds chirping
Coffee percolating on the stove
The opening of a coca cola tin can

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

I used to like the sound of car direction blinkers a lot. But I feel that tecnology has changed in new cars

I love humming to myself when I walk. That's why basement parking houses (the ugliest imaginable places) can be fun to be in - because of their reverb.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

In Baja California, if you stick your head down in the water, in the Sea of Cortés, when whales pass by a kilometer out towards the horizon, you can hear them singing.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

Tinnitus and hyperacusis are a big part of my life. Unfortunately. And it makes me live my life differently.

Moving to Siracusa was partly influenced by my condition. Because outside socialising is less loud than inside socialising. And in Siracusa, there’s a lot of outside socialising.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

I mean, listening to recorded music all day is not a pleasure for me. I often ask taxi drivers to turn off the music, and I often think music in restaurants is annoying.

I find it difficult to NOT actively listen to music when its on. So if it's bad, I feel bad, haha.

But what I like surrounding myself with are the sounds of nature and the sounds of my friends playing acoustic instruments.