Band Ane

One of Barcode's favourite albums of last year was Anish Music, from Danish laptronica artist Ane Ostergaard. A delightful album of intricately carved electronica, brimful of deliciously uncanny melodies, microscopic samples and surreal production. You only have to look at the electronica genre to see that female solo artists of such potential are at a very rare premium, so we decided to have a chat with Ane... while her best friend, Mr Laptop looked on.

Can you tell us something about where you are from and your environment growing up in Denmark? I come from a little town called Skψrping in Northern Jutland. I grew up in a community of 12 families living around a small lake, in a big forest. In the community we eat in our common room every evening. We did a lot of things and decisions together; I had always kids to play with and it was really a wonderful place to grow up. When I was 18 I moved from home, to Chichester in England to study a jazz course. Half a year later, I moved to Εrhus, my boyfriend said that there was a course in Cubase that might be something for me. He makes electronic music too (he was a bit tired of me when I was standing behind him full of ideas, commanding him to do this and that in the program). Im still Living in Εrhus. Is there an electronic music scene to speak of? I think theres a very good electronic scene in Denmark, especially in Εrhus. Theres a lot of people who make it happen, I think we have about four experimental electronic festivals a year and lots of interesting concerts. Also, Εrhus has a new education in electronic music at the conservatory, that's where I'm studying, yea I think the enviroment is fine. From where does your interest in electronic music derive? Firstly I have been brought up with a lot of music around me, my dad has a lot of records and collected everything from pop, jazz, acid rock and classical, to electro acoustic and avant-garde. I began to buy records myself, some electronic music but not more than acoustic music. Five years ago I met my boyfriend, who introduced me to a whole new world of electronic music, until then I did'nt know how much electronic music there was going on in the world. There does not seem to be a great deal of female composers working with sound design in the way that you are, why do you think that is? I havent really thought about it. I dont see why girls shouldn't practice this sort of music. I think it appeals to fantasy, joy. Lots of girls with an interest in composing music should give it a try. Are there any female artists in particular that influenced you as a singer and composer? No, not one paticular... yes of coures Bjork!! But I have influenced some of my friends, taught them to mess around with Cubase. We are a small group of girls, I know them from way back, we meet now and then. Everytime we are together we make a lot of drunk music experiments, and some of the girls have started to make electronic music for themselves too. I feel like talking every girl into making electronic music, but not because I want to prove anything to the male dominated scene. Is Anish Music your first album? Yes this is my first album...maybe there will be another one. But I dont have any plans, and it feels wrong to make music with the intention of having it published. Has any of your music featured elsewhere? About a year ago, my favourite Danish radio program, called Harddisken, interviewed me, their subject for the week was about the new electronic education I attend. They interviewed me in my home, and I played some of the new music I made. One week later they called to ask if I was interested in making some jingles for the program, and I couldnt think of a better place to expose my music, and I was very proud... heh. I also made a little soundtrack for a children’s book, written by a guy called Soren Jessen. We performed it together for a bunch of kids... I sort of sound illustrated what he was reading. Is there a concept behind Anish Music? And what did you hope to achieve when putting the album together? To have fun... and I hope to loosen up a bit the image of electronica being high brow. The only concept I get to think of is that I tried as much as posible not to lock myself into a concept. It is quite an avant-garde album. Kind of... in a pop version if you can say so... hmm that doesn't work!! What inspires you to create music,its sound itself, mood, environment? Everything around me and in me affects my music... I get a lot of impression all the time, a little too much sometimes I think. A different day, place, software, people, food, sleep, weather, smells, mood, it all makes different music, sometimes only different shades - and behind it all a basic "Ane mood".

"I dont see why girls shouldn't practice this sort of music. I think it appeals to fantasy, joy. Lots of girls with an interest in composing music should give it a try."

What’s your starting point for creating a track and how does the process usually evolve? Hehe, I dont think I have a certain process. Me and the laptop, my fingers, my mind, surprise me every time. The process is different from time to time. When I started to make electronic music when I was younger, I would record some of the melodies I created on piano, for example, Wood Delivery, then I made the drums and then the other stuff. But now I have a different process everytime. Do you pick up and drop tracks or start on one and try to finish it? I make a lot of crap, and when I detect that I dont have the patience to work with it any longer. If there's a little thing in it I like in some way I keep that little part and delete the rest. I have a waiting room for all the small parts, some day maybe all the parts will fit in a perfect puzzle together. But I most like to work with one thing at a time, because if I do that it means that I really enjoy making the track and it is proper open, so I get the feeling that everything still can happen to the track.. What tools did you use to record the album, a mixture of software and hardware? I use Cubase and a lot of plug-ins!! A simple soundcard, a little Maggie mixer, a Nord Lead, a simple microphone. Your music is also quite detailed and complex-sounding, is it as difficult to create as people might imagine? No, the unconscious mind does a lot of the work for me. Is there a lot of sampling on the album, and if so, are there any samples on there that might surprise us? A garbage bin, batahota (a little sample from some kind of prayer from monks - me and two guys used to play guitar, piano, and xylophone over prayers from records without music on, and thats one of the takes) the Swan (one of the awful makeover programs) sticky tape, pills, pots, and some secret stuff. There are some vocals on the album, presumably yours – and they sound good, is there a particular reason for not featuring more traditional vocals on the album? I only sing about three words on the album, and that's not even words. My best friend Donna Dalhoff sings on Lala. Too much song/text turns your attention too much in one certain direction. There is also quite a strong melodic element running throughout, do you feel it’s important to incorporate strong melodies into your sound? For me it's very important with a strong melody. A few years ago I only used drums and sounds only as some kind of make-up, but now I get more and more into how the sound, colours and rhythms also have an important personality. How do you think electronic music is evolving and do you have a philosophy about how the genre should evolve? Hmmm... I think it's how it's always been; so many people in the electronic scene are searching so much to make music that never been heard before, it takes my breath away to think like that and I'm sure I would get stuck if I did. Instead, I'm open minded for everything around me, and that affects the music in linear with how life is in the future. I’ve heard that you have quite an unique approach to playing live as an electronic artist, can you tell me something about this? Sometimes I have a drummer, singer and a bass player with me on stage, and I tweak on what I dare to tweak. I also play the melodica, and sing in this little thing I made... it makes me sound like Darth Vader or a mouse! I Played about 25 concerts by now, and I still have stage fright, but in the same time i really enjoy it, and I guess it makes my performance pretty natural in a beginner kind of way. People might make comparisons to your music and the likes of Aphex Twin, is this something you find unavoidable, offensive or happy about? Hmmm.... he's not my favourite composer, but I love Aphex Twin... so it wouldnt be strange if you can hear I'm inspired by him. But I'm also inspired by 10,000 other artists, and from my shoes who started to walk from a completely other dimension. You seem to be attracting rave reviews for your music, is this something that has taken you by surprise or did you expect it? I was really surprised and it has made me so happy. So what do you like doing in your spare time when you're not creating music? Horseback riding, bake, play piano, read, fish, cook, write, indoor stuff, outdoor stuff, and not being on the Internet.

Band Ane interview, Barcode 2006 ©
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