{"id":41121,"date":"2014-12-02T11:45:42","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T10:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wonderlandmagazine.com\/?p=41121"},"modified":"2016-09-22T14:33:29","modified_gmt":"2016-09-22T14:33:29","slug":"new-noise-oofj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wonderlandmagazine.com\/2014\/12\/02\/new-noise-oofj\/","title":{"rendered":"New Noise: OOFJ"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jenno\u00a0Bjornkjaer\u00a0and Katherine Mills\u00a0Rymer, aka OOFJ, create an intense and chilling soundscape.<\/p>\n

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\"OOFJ\"<\/a><\/p>\n

OOFJ create the kind of soundscape that conjures up thoughts of driving through a strange deserted town at night, with an eerie sense of not quite being alone despite no other sign of human existence, as blurry shadows dance in the moonlight, then fade like ghosts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Their explorative electronica effortlessly merges symphonic\u00a0synaesthesia\u00a0and seductive vocals, beautifully crafted\u00a0to awaken the spirit and\u00a0hypnotise\u00a0the restless mind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Climaxing into a vibrant and haunting sonic tapestry, it\u2019s like a dark cinematic journey into a slightly sinister hyper-reality, a trip so addictive you can\u2019t wait to experience it over and over again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We spoke with the Danish \/ South African duo about falling in love with fish, the allure of James Bond themes and their latest mood unsettling new track, \u201cYou\u2019re Always Good\u201d, which\u00a0features some pretty frenetic jungle-esque\u00a0percussion from\u00a0Trentemoller\u2019s\u00a0Jakob\u00a0H\u00f8yer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So who are OOFJ and what do the initials stand for?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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OOFJ is\u00a0Jenno\u00a0Bjornkjaer\u00a0and Katherine Mills\u00a0Rymer. It stands for Orchestra of\u00a0Jenno\u00a0(which was\u00a0Jenno’s\u00a0solo moniker) but then we formed the band and it became OOFJ. We liked how it looked and\u202fbecause it can be pronounced any way you want. We say ‘OOFJ’ as in “Smooch” and also we say O.O.F.J or some people say ‘O Of J’. It’s a very democratic name and also we\u00a0realise\u00a0a bit strange.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Describe your sound to anyone who hasn\u2019t heard it yet?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jenno:\u202fHeavy bass lines and an angelic voice with orchestral movements in a synth environment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Katherine: Almost like a very shiny metallic surface that bends, shatters and wraps around.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It\u2019s a sound which really creates an atmosphere and moment – where does your inspiration come from and how does that translate into the music?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jenno: For me it comes from growing up with a classical training (I studied violin as a child) and my brother is the Concert Master of the Royal Danish Opera, so the atmosphere I know very well is that 20th Century big, grand heartbreak of strings. The\u00a0synthy\u00a0electronica is my break from that. I think maybe the atmosphere comes from the two sides having an argument and then making up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Katherine: There is something to be said of nostalgia. I talk about it a lot and think about it a lot. Nostalgia is a “hurt so good” feeling. Thinking back on gorgeous things is even worse sometimes than something presently awful. That’s how I get to our sound, having that direct feeling of trying to make something feel like it is the last time and the best time, floating between memory and terror.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And your debut album \u201cDisco to Die To\u201d was very much a mix of all of that – I\u2019m thinking the theme you started with was, ‘something to dance to while having an inner emotional breakdown’. Am I close?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Katherine:\u00a0Haha. Yes! That’s close. We sound like very cheerful people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jenno: Yes. I think Katherine described it well once, she said that it was like music to listen to before going out when you’re really unhappy but you have a drink, smoke a lot and kind of have your own party. You look like a million bucks but you’re flirting between melancholia and manic ego.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And Katherine, your Mum\u2019s parrot also made its musical debut on that album, is that right?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Katherine: YES! On a track called “Death Teeth,” you’ll hear it. It sounds almost like a very pretty sounding\u00a0Hadeda\u00a0(a South African bird). Its funny the parrot, (who is called Squawky) is on that track since its quite a scary song. And I am quite afraid of birds. They have this ancient, pre-historic, little mini-dinosaur thing. They make me feel weird.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Talking of all things weird, the video for your new single (\u201cYou\u2019re Always Good\u201d), follows your signature dark visual narrative – but this one is particularly odd in a David Lynch meets Wes Anderson meets a really ugly fish kind of way! Can you describe what it\u2019s all about?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jenno: Just as you described it is what we love! It\u2019s also about intimacy and loneliness on a meta level. We tried to imagine what it would be like to fall in love with a girl who is actually a fish. Someone you love but there is no way the relationship is ever\u00a0gonna\u00a0last.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Katherine: A friend of mine told me this Freudian joke – would you have sex with a girl with a fish face or a fish body? And supposedly the punchline is, you should choose a fish body, because you can still get the sex part to some degree, without having to make out with a fish. That was the germination of the idea for the video. It\u2019s the same thing with fish as with birds. They are very “primordial soup,” and it’s weird because we see them all the time and we eat them etc. But as soon as you present them in a way that is unusual (holding onto the fish like a dog with your teeth, licking the back of a slimy fish), it becomes horrifying<\/p>\n