OOFJ
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LA-BASED ELECTRONIC DUO OOFJ HAVE ANNOUNCED THE RELEASE OF NEW SINGLE ‘YOU’RE ALWAYS GOOD’, OUT THIS NOVEMBER.
DENMARK’S JENNO BJØRNKJÆR AND SOUTH AFRICA’S KATHERINE MILLS-RYMER ARE TOGETHER OOFJ.
A REAL-LIFE COUPLE, THE DUO MET IN NEW YORK CITY WHILE BJØRNKJÆR WAS WORKING ON MUSIC FOR LARS VON TRIER’S ‘MELANCHOLIA’.
THIS CHANCE ENCOUNTER DEVELOPED INTO BOTH A ROMANTIC AND SONIC CHEMISTRY THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE COUPLE COLLABORATING ON MUSIC THAT FORMED THE FOUNDATIONS OF OOFJ.
THIS IS OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
Hello OOFJ, who are you?
We are Jenno Bjornkjaer and Katherine Mills Rymer.
Jenno, How was your collaboration with Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia? Was that the first time you met Katherine? What happened?
I played all the music for the jazz in the film, the only other music in that movie was the beautiful Wagner ” Tristan and Isolde” and unfortunately I can’t take credit from Wagner for that one.
While I was doing that I met Katherine in New York through our friend Digit Fossil ( don’t ask, he’s awesome) and he invited me to come see her perform. We all ended up getting drinks. And then I stalked her. Literally.
You are a couple also in real life. How’s is to work and live together?
Not as hard as you may think. Very easy actually. We have the studio in our house, so we can settle to work whenever we feel like it. Our tastes and what we want to say with the music (and all that it entails) is very similar. We also compliment each other. As people we are very different in someways.
Katherine: Jenno is very stoic and scandinavian, yet with a gentleness in his approach to everything.
Jenno: Katherine is very combustible and a lot more fragile and exciting which is a nice cocktail.
Disco To Die To is your first album: what’s the inspiration?
Psychological Terror. And being able to dance to it.
Which was the role of the Prague Symphony Orchestra in this album?
Jenno: I composed the scores for the orchestra and travelled to Prague to record it. The symphony was used basically on every track as a romantic filter for the groovy death feel.
Tell us more about your last single ‘Snakehips’
Katherine: My grandpa used to always say “Hey snakehips!” to me. So that’s how I have the phrase. The song was made lying on the couch on a hot day in California and it just came out of my mouth.
Jenno: We liked the idea of the song being a sweaty, sexy stranger coming up to you on the dance floor and whispering something you have never heard.
Who’s a good friend in music?
Jakob Hoyer the drummer from Trentemoller’s band is laying down the energetic drums on our latest released track ” You’re Always Good.”
Ones to watch in music. And in fashion?
In music:
We found this guy called Mirage. And his music is insane. Check out this song “Blood for The Return”. Its so creative, so beautiful and so very different. Never mind his vocals. We could go on and on.
Fashion:
We tend to lean against a very relaxed yet specific aesthetic. A cinematic feel that is disheveled. Like ‘Betty Blue’ meets Sam Shepard.
Jens:
I only wear white T shirts and light pants. As for fashion designers I would recommend my friend Henrik Vibskov. His shows are insane and truly artistic!
Katherine:
I tend to wear kind of the same things as Jenno. But with more black. And short shorts and men’s sweaters.
Does LA play a role in your music?
No, probably not. Our music has been made all over the place. And the sound we have made from our last album to now has only deepened regardless of the place. We are not a part of any scene in LA or in Europe or anywhere. We hermit down in our bunker which is necessary for us to make the sound we do.
Special thanks to Purple Pr
Official website: oofj.net