Name: Bjarnar Jónsson aka Ohm, Jonas Thor Gudmundsson aka Octal Industries

Nationality: Icelandic
Occupation: Producers, DJs
Current Release: Ohm & Octal Industries's Northwest Passage LP is out via Lempuyang.
 
If you enjoyed this Ohm & Octal Industries and would like to find out more about the music, visit their respective profiles on Facebook: Ohm; Octal Industries

For many artists, a solitary phase of creative development precedes collaborative work. What was this like for you: How would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your first collaborations?

Jonas: I was always a “loner”. I’d work with others for short stints, but usually after about a single release, I’d move on to other things. I always enjoyed seeing how others work and trying to learn from them. Due to constantly being on the move, it would be difficult to establish tight connections with other musicians.

A few years back I moved temporarily to Copenhagen and caught up with OHM, whom I hadn’t really met for a decade or so. We decided to “jam” a bit and we thought that we had something to really teach each other. He was a very prominent DJ and knew what works in the clubs and what doesn’t. I’ve never been a DJ and didn’t have much connection to what works. I was the “sound engineer”; the guy who hangs around in the basement making sounds.

That collaboration seemed to work and even still today we’re still learning from each other.

Bjarnar: I have been working with other artists before, mostly as a producer working with people who played instruments or singers after my first collaboration with Exos. When I started working with Jonas it felt like I didn't need to take charge as much as before - and him being who he is, I found it very educational and liberating to have someone like him working on the music we made. It made me feel comfortable, I guess.

Jonas brought me back to techno and the deeper sound of it and taught me alot and is still teaching and helping me grow as a producer.

Tell me a bit, about your current instruments and tools, please. In which way do they support creative exchange and collaborations with others? Are there obstacles and what are potential solutions towards making collaborations easier?

Jonas: It’s a healthy mixture of hardware and software. I always dislike discussions about instruments. I’ve heard the most amazing tracks done on an iPhone and the most horrible garbage done on some insanely expensive modular system. If I start quoting Blawan: “It ain't what you got / It's what you do with what you have.”

We’re not located in the same country most of the time, so we usually record audio files of ideas - and upload them onto Dropbox. We usually throw ideas back and forth maybe 8-12 times before things really start kicking off. Once in a while we meet up, either in Tallinn or Copenhagen, and work face to face.

Obstacles are obviously the distance - but with dropbox it works well. It’s maybe weird to say, but something I’m actually thankful for is the distance. It allows us to work quietly and experiment without interruption. You can take all the time you need.

Bjarnar: I agree with Jonas. I use software more than hardware.

I have my Virus synth that I use a lot and some other small bits of hardware when I need to get out of the box. But I'm mostly a software guy myself. We use file transfers and calls to discuss our projects.

What were some of your earliest collaborations? How do you look back on them with hindsight?

Jonas: I think our first track was called “Tuborg”. It was made in Copenhagen around 2012 or something. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t horrible either. It had potential, but thanks to Tuborg it didn’t evolve further.

Shortly after we did a track called “Copenhagen” - and that was just much, much, much better. We released it a few years later under the name “Trip to Copenhagen” on the XOZ label.



Bjarnar: Actually before we started making techno, I was doing some other projects in the idm genre and Jonas helped me on those when he  could. Later we started our real collaboration as Ohm & Octal industries

Jonas: Ahh … You’re correct. I remember that. First release we did was the “Sedna EP” on Thule Records. It was sort of natural to start on Thule Records - as that’s where we both initially met back in the early 2000s.



Besides the aforementioned early collaborations, can you talk about one particular collaboration that was important for you? Why did it feel special to you? When, why and how did you start working on it, what were some of the motivations and ideas behind it?

Jonas: I guess with the Octal Industries project it must be the collaboration with Mike Sickinger back in 2004. That’s where the Octal Industries project began. It was originally a duo. We did a couple of limited vinyl releases, including a split 12” with Deepchord back in 2006.

[Read our Deepchord interview with Mike Schommer]



Initially we werent’ really planning to collaborate, but when Mike came to visit Iceland, we went to the Blue Lagoon for a swim - and there were powerful Northern lights in the sky. We were inspired and hurried back to the studio to make something happen.

What are some of the things you learned from your collaborations over the years?

Jonas: There is always something more to learn.

Bjarnar: For me it's vital to work with people I can be honest with and tell my thoughts. With Jonas it's done with respect.

Jonas: True. You don’t hold back when you don’t like something and I appreciate that. Saves everyone's time and avoids awkwardness later on.

How do you feel your sense of identity influences your collaborations? Do you feel as though you are able to express yourself more fully in solo mode or, conversely, through the interaction with other musicians? Are you “gaining” or “sacrificing” something in a collaboration?

Jonas: You always have to sacrifice something when working with others, but that’s not always a bad thing. It’s like a marriage. You have to work on it, compromise and listen to your partner. What you gain in the end might be something more special than you might have anticipated.

Bjarnar: Very true.

There are many potential models for collaboration, from live performances and jamming via producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?  

Jonas: We’re probably around 90% in file sharing. Not because we prefer it, but because we have to.

Once in a while though we meet up and do some producing in the same room. That has yielded good results so far. “See You At Dawn”, which was released on Vade Mecum, was one of those examples.



Bjarnar: We do most online. But when we meet in person we can work faster although it's very rare we do. We focus on music almost all the time, so we get a lot of work done in a short time. I love those moments when we can as we live so far apart.

Jonas: We do sometimes play with your cats during breaks and grab some food from the local deli.

Is there typically a planning phase for your collaborations? If so, what happens in this phase and how does it contribute to the results?

Jonas: We usually plan ahead what we want to accomplish. Usually that plan goes out the window very early during the process.

Bjarnar: We work well together because we have a history from Thule Records back in the old days and our work today regarding releases and label works bouncing ideas and thoughts

What tend to be the best collaborations in your opinion – those with artists you have a lot in common with or those where you have more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?

Jonas: Good relationship is the key. We’re not big shot producers who are making a living off music entirely. I have other work and I have a family. I don’t want to spend my few available moments doing a collaboration with a person I despise. Life's too short for that.

I cherish our friendship and I think that is the most important thing through all of this. Music comes second.



What's your take on cross-over collaborations between different genres?

Jonas: Exploring different genres is very important. Going outside your comfort zone is crucial for any artist. I've done electronic pop, IDM and even dipped my toes in shoegaze. When doing so, you can really step back into genres like dub techno with fresh ideas and new perspectives.

Bjarnar: I think listening to all sorts of music opens your world of sounds. For me that is also important.

In a live situation, decisions between creatives often work without words. How does this process work – and how does it change your performance compared to a solo performance?

Jonas: We haven’t really performed live together - at least not yet.

Bjarnar: We might do something like that in the future.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you as part of a collaboration? In which way is it different between your solo work and collaborations?

Jonas: Creativity comes from experience. It can be anything: Work, nature, family or something that gets an emotional response. There are certain things that you experience that you cannot describe with words, so that’s where music comes in.

Sitting in a basement and waiting for creativity to come doesn’t work. Hemingway believed that creativity started by living a life full of adventure - and that’s true. You need to live life.

In collaboration  we observe each other and we try to find a mutual ground - something that both can identify with.



Collaborating with one's heroes can be a thrill or a cause for panic. Do you have any practical experience with this and what was it like?

Bjarnar: I have worked with some artists I look up to - only to find out they feel the same. We are all in the same struggle and we come together to make something worthwhile, I guess. Something we can be proud of.

Jonas: I guess I'm quite “Zen” about the whole thing. I have certain heroes, but they haven’t called me yet. David Sylvian, if you’re reading this - hit me up!