We were lucky to catch up with Janus Rasmussen, who some might know as the other half of the duo KIASMOS with the excellent Olafur Arnalds. The artist, who grew up on the remote Faroe Islands, has brought out some fantastic solo work recently with his 2019 album ‘Vin’ and most recently the singles Blóð and Jörð – get reading and get listening!
Tell us who you are and what’s your sound?
I’m a Reykjavík-based electronic music producer and songwriter. My sound is chaotic, dark and yet uplifting all at once. Or that’s what I think it sounds like at least, I might be way off though.
What exciting projects have you got coming up?
I just released a new single called Blóð and I’ll keep releasing singles throughout summer, so be on the lookout.
Also, I started making weekly music production tutorial videos on Youtube.
Where did you grow up and what music influenced you?
Growing up in the Faroe Island I was actually quite isolated from new music from abroad. We had a Scandinavian version of MTV and I used to love the shows that would play alternative and electronic music. It actually wasn’t all that bad. I discovered acts like Aphex Twin, Radiohead, Björk, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and Sigur Rós there. So they did school me well in between all of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys, Which I definitely don’t hate either ;P
What cool places do you recommend to visit in your city (bars, restaurants, etc)?
My restaurant of choice in Reykjavík is a place called Coocoo’s Nest. They always seem to deliver the best lunch and vibe in town.
Best bar/club is the legendary Kaffibarinn. It’s one of the oldest places around, and it’s always a joy to visit if you want to hear good house music and are in need of a heavy dance session.
We love recommendations – what have you been listening to, watching, or reading recently?
I’ve watched quite a bit of TV Shows in the last months as one would imagine. One that really stood out was Chernobyl. Absolute must-see. Also been watching a bit of American Gods. Really moody and delightfully strange show, it’s good stuff.
Other than that, I’ve been playing the new Last Of Us Part 2 game on PS4. It’s so darn addictive and has a really jarring plot.
The last book I read was by Neil Gaiman called Norse Mythology. Really fun stories from my ancient ancestors, they really were a crazy bunch.
Finally, what was the last thing that made you swear out loud?
It was the classic slamming of my little toe into the foot of the living room sofa. One might wonder if that’s the purpose of the little toe, to hurt us and nothing more.
Be sure to check out Janus’ music and further details on his website which you can find here: www.janusrasmussen.net
Interview by: Alex Minnis
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