Hilmar O Jaxen
" I remember the miraculous sensation I felt making music for the first time…"
Hilmar O Jaxen
DJ and Producer
City of residence, OSLO, NORWAY
Q & A:
COL: How old are you and where are you from?
HOJ: The music project we call Hilmar O Jaxen is approximately three years old, but the two of us is around forty pluss, each. We live our lives in Oslo, and both of us grew up in Vestfold.
COL: What do you do?
JAXEN: In addition to be a musician, I work as a sounddesigner for TV-drama, Theatre, and Radio/podcast.
HILMAR: I am a musician, but my daily work is technical manager at a music venue in Oslo.
COL: How long have you been doing it?
JAXEN: I have been playing music since my childhood.
HILMAR: I have always played various instruments and started composing as a teenager.
COL: What inspired you to pursue a career in art?
HOJ: The undiscovered places to see (hear), in sounds, and music.
The combination of layers, textures, voices, temperature and tempo. How it all comes together, and make an influence on our emotions and state of mind.
COL: Do you remember your first work of art?
JAXEN; I can remember the first work of music, but it was definitely not art.
HILMAR: I remember the miraculous sensation I felt making music for the first time, a splendid rush full of freedom and joyful fear. I never know if it ever will become art.
COL: If you could have any piece of art in history, what would you choose?
HOJ: Ohh… Actually. No, It wouldn´t feel right to own a historical piece of art.
No, no, no.
COL: What is your relationship with fashion?
JAXEN; He he… we are actually not so into fashion, but some colors and clothing, yeah. Absolutely! It can really be inspiring, and a source for creativity. Haute couture? Right?
HILMAR: My everyday relationship with fashion is trying to explain my kid why he doesn’t need what the stars on internet wears, - but hope to be surprised by some crazy stuff at this festival.
COL: What does the word “collective” mean to you as an artist?
HOJ: In best case it has a therapeutic approach. You can discover new places, and “open up” and really see the project in a way that you never could have done alone.
COL: What is the best and worst thing about being an artist?
HOJ: The best is to explore, create and surprise oneself, the worst is when this does not happen.
COL: Who do you admire?
HOJ: We listen to some artists, and tries to find some new stuff. Lately this has been Son Lux, Jon Hopkins, Nosaj Thing... We can also find a lot of admirable stuff when we listen to a sound archive, or field recordings.
COL: What can we expect to see at this year’s festival?
HOJ: Two adventurous men with arpeggiators, vocoder, analogue drum machines and four hundred meters of midi cable.
COL: Who are you excited to see?
HOJ: Bendik Giske.
COL: How important is the ability to expose your art to you and your creative field?
HOJ: Hilmar O Jaxen is our newest project, and special about this project has been a dogmatic rule that the music is only meant for our own ears and hearts. But now we are fed up doing only this. We want to experience it together with you!
