Audio: Finnebassen Drops a Summer Soundtrack

What does a melodic record sound like? Talk to Finnebassen, and he’ll likely give you some idea. Emotion-inflicted house has been the Norwegian producer’s go-to weapon since he broke through in 2012, and it’s a sound that’s helped bring him recognition on an international level. Finnebassen has made a string of records following this vein, but it’s mainly through playing in clubs he’s become so recognisable: in his hometown of Oslo he plays as a resident at institutions Jaeger and Villa, while elsewhere he regularly plays at parties across Europe. Ahead of his performance in Room Two alongside Friend Within on 2nd June (where Groove Armada also return to Room One), we caught up with Finnebassen for a mix and email conversation. When we approached him to record a mix as part of his return to EC1, he pieced together 90 minutes of warm synths and melodies fitting for the current season. Download: Finnebassen x fabric Presents Promo Mix How and where was the mix recorded? This mix was recorded in Ableton as I don’t have any mixing equipment. It allows for a very different approach when doing mixes. You can really take your time and think about your transitions. Why am I doing this? When should I drop in the low end? Is it in key? You have to put in that extra thought when you do it in Ableton I think. From where did you source most of the records? I get most my stuff off Beatport actually, just like everyone else. However I also have my promo mail service that sends me music to check out. I might have used one or two promos in this. It’s a mix of old and new records. Many of your songs feature live instrumentation. What was your musical background before getting into electronic music? I don’t have any formal training. I started playing guitar at a young age and have always been listening to music, as in really listening to what is going on rather than just repeating a singalong tune over and over again. I think I’ve benefitted significantly from this. I guess this is a trait that many people in electronic music share, but playing an instrument and knowing basic music theory was my only background before discovering electronic music. Little is known about Oslo’s music scene compared to other European cities like London or Berlin. How much of a party scene exists here? I mean, there is certainly a scene, but it’s very small. It’s almost ridiculous compared to many bigger cities. We have a couple of great clubs contributing to our little scene though. Most notably are Jaeger, Villa, Blå, MIR, Dattera til Hagen and Revolver. I currently hold residencies at Jaeger and Villa. Jaeger and Villa frequently bring excellent international acts to the city. On any weekend you can find the biggest techno acts to more low-key disco artists. If you still have any questions about it, come to see Oslo for yourselves! What are your plans for this summer? My plans for the summer include making new music and play gigs, with a bigger emphasis on making music. It can get a little scary to make music once you reach a certain level in the industry. You don’t want to be judged by those who look up to you, but at one point you have to stop caring and make whatever comes to you intuitively. All the music I have made over the last couple of years I have put a lot of effort and feeling into. I hope I'm able to take that with me into the next records I make!