Interview & Feature Blog Post

Consider: ‘fun, hard-hitting techno built with controlled chaos and then sprinkled with EBM and acid.’

That’s how Swedish-born techno producer Niclas Erlandsson would describe his music and has been hard at work making his mark on the Berlin music scene since his move to the city in 2017.

We know that there is no shortage of musical talent in Berlin, notorious for its club scene and fast-paced techno - with many already having broken through to become names synonymous with their genre as such as Kobosil, Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann.

With his sound being a blend of contemporary ‘Berlin Techno,’ combined with the classic Swedish 90’s techno – Erlandsson’s dark, aggressive melodies emerged onto the scene in 2016 with Trollskog’ EP, remixed by Rraph. He has since released No One Is Allowed To Enter EP, Gently Whispering EP, Altaibergen EP and Subdued by Reality EP.

Unlike many producers and DJ’s whose interest in electronic music initially stemmed from clubbing, Niclas’s devotion for electronic music was ignited from his upbringing - listening to artists such as Aphex Twin and Daft Punk at his home in Sweden. Despite this, his improvisational guitar skills as well as eleven years DJ experience have all contributed to his vast cauldron of musical knowledge and comprehension.

Working as a bouncer at a local Swedish nightclub ‘Terrassen,’ however, introduced him to the genre he specialises in today after the owner of the club introduced him to the exhilarating world of techno. His DJing experience following this managed to give him a strong starting-point for his career by allowing him to play alongside the likes of Planet Rhythm Founder, Glenn Wilson and Mattias Fridell - now, a good friend and somebody he highly admires.

Erlandsson’s conversion from DJ to producer was a natural transition and he quickly became infatuated with music production hardware equipment. He began to invest in his studio filled with the hottest musical software, now the birthplace of his pummelling tracks and works of art.

Hypnotic big-room breaks, shards of acid and punishing beats that have the ability to crack bones when amplified on a large sound-system are the creations after a sea of improvisation and spontaneity in the studio. His live sets integrate electronic experimentation with hours of ‘meticulous preparation,’ leaving the audience immersed in his energy.

“It's always very hard to describe one's music. But I would say this, I feel as if techno is taking itself a bit too serious sometimes. I hope that people can hear that I'm having fun whilst making my tunes and that it's not dead serious all the time. Sometimes it is, and that's fine too, we just can't lose our self-distance to it.”

“I guess aesthetically I'm a sucker for raw, unforgiving percussions, they usually function as my main motifs instead of melodies or chords. I like to create one sound that catches your ear, and then build a 'sonic carpet' around it as support.” This is proven in ‘Gearóids hips,’ a track we have been lucky enough to listen to as an exclusive ‘sneak peek’ from his latest EP, which will be released later this year. Named after a good friend of Erlandsson’s - the track features fast, tenebrous beats to get the hips moving. Definitely the case after they both partied in his Berlin flat and became inspired for the name change.

To define creativity, we use the imagination or have original ideas in order to create something. So, when it comes to creativity and electronic music, Niclas Erlandsson is a complete all-rounder. Whether he is experimenting with ancient Norse folk music or pre-battle Viking sounds in his tracks, there's one thing for certain – he isn’t one to miss.

Niclas spoke to In the Q blog about how he prepares for his live sets, the Berlin music scene and how his music fits into his ‘creature of habit’ schedule.

For me goals and challenges have always changed and morphed depending on technical skill and shifts in musical taste. The two concepts are very much intertwined, one won’t come without the other. I believe the biggest challenge we face as musicians has nothing to do with making music, it’s being able to see challenges and mistakes as the learning opportunities they are: to not let our ego get in the way constantly.

Moving to Berlin was definitely a big change in terms of my view of the techno scene, I don’t think I’d realized before how saturated and hard to penetrate the market really is. In that perspective, just the marketing side of things became my biggest obstacle, still is, and I’m trying to figure out how to reach people in the best way. Making great tunes just isn’t enough anymore.

If you asked me that question six years ago I would personify as a DJ rather than a producer. Luckily these days you don’t have to choose, new technology makes things more accessible and cheap. Today you’re expected to produce and DJ, live sets are becoming incrementally more common as well. But for me, I felt like I could never find those ‘perfect’ tunes to play and I wanted to contribute to the scene what I thought was missing, I think that’s where producers can really push the envelope.

From a technical standpoint the difference is drastic, as a producer I use drum machines, synthesizers and a computer to record and arrange a musical piece.

A DJ takes that piece and plays it in a club alongside other pieces that other producers have created, reappropriating them and creating something new. From a conceptual standpoint not so much, they’re both about creating a narrative and a story that makes sense but also surprises the listener. I also think most creators in the scene wants to fill some type of small missing piece, like a puzzle that satisfies needs and if you’re lucky - creates new trends.

I honestly don’t know. I think inspiration happens very much unconsciously and that input can resurface months or years later. I don’t really have that ‘one’ artist that I listen to for inspiration, I find that when I’ve tried, it ends up as a washed out copy of whatever I was listening to.

After mastering/producing a full day, I find I get more out of tuning in to the likes of José González, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Daniel Norgren or Moderat than any techno/electro act.

A couple of people I have immense respect for though is first of all my pal Mattias Fridell, who is an incredible producer and mastering engineer. He always helps out and cares for the people in the scene. He’s been like a mentor to me, it feels like he embodies what I think the techno scene should be very well. I’m also a big fan of Nene H, she seems to have a lot of integrity and plays absolutely fantastic live sets!

In terms of DJing I would say Helena Hauff is unbeatable right now, she offers up so much fresh music. She’s the definition of an incredible DJ, creating inviting and intriguing stories for the crowd to immerse in.

Oh, there are so many, Berlin has that tendency haha!

But best night playing would be with my pals from the label Bipolar Disorder in Gothenburg with Subjected. We did a release party for my EP and I closed with a live set, the crowd was on point and I think I delivered a very good set (as did everyone), got in the zone and stayed there, hehe! It’s always a little bit special playing in Sweden too.

My first time playing in Belfast with LSDXOXO and IMNOTYOURMATE was fantastic too, my buddy Steven brought me over, I love Northern Ireland!

Best night out as attendee would be with my mates Steven and Alec, summer of 2018 I think. We went to Berghain, I honestly don’t even remember who were playing, just one of those nights when the vibes, music and crowd were on top and everything was clicking!

Elektron Analog Rytm. It’s a beast in the studio and shines even more when you can crank it on a big PA. It’s highly complex but still pretty easy to use somehow. My Focal Solo 6 speakers are also an incredibly important piece of gear.

I keep a pretty tight schedule, I’m certainly a creature of habit and always plan my day the night before.

I get up around 7 or 8am, do yoga and meditate for an hour, then I take a long breakfast while listening to a podcast I like (usually Blindboy or Russell Brand). At around 10am I start with whatever is most pressing that day. Could be a master, remix or EP that needs to be done, or more boring stuff like sending invoices or promos to artists and DJs. After lunch, I usually meditate again and then have a Swedish ‘Fika’, then back to work until 4-5pm ish. My head works best in the mornings and I have a hard time getting things done after 4pm. It is really important to find the time of day you’re the most productive.

The last three years I’ve been studying so I haven’t had to work at all, which has given me a lot of time to develop my work, especially live sets and mastering. I also firmly believe that we never find time for anything, we have to make it. Somewhere along the line we have to decide if music is a hobby or a professional endeavour.

Meticulous preparation, there’s no other way. As I see it people have stood in line and paid to get in, it’s my duty to make sure they have a great time, I work for them. It’s important to stay focused, humble and to have a great f*ing time, people can tell and the energy you send out resonates in the room.

I try to not play the same live set too many times. I easily get bored of them and I need to keep an element of surprise for myself which I can react to in the moment, the real ‘oh wow’ moments usually comes from happy mistakes in my opinion.

Improvisation is key. I’ve never made a track with a specific sound, melody or rhythm in mind. Any ideas and sounds will just have to unfold as I go.

I think the more experience you get as a producer, the more you learn to trust your instincts. There are no logical or objective ways to decide what sound(s) to choose, it needs to come from a place of ‘higher knowledge,’ you just kinda know. The cognitive machinery behind that I have no clue how they work, but I’ve heard that instinct is a kind of impulsive memory of previous experience. I always trust mine, what else can we do?

Lately I’ve been exploring Norse mythology and the musical attachments to that. It’s strange how we wait so long to discover what’s in our ‘backyard’. Right now I’m building a live set of these pieces which will be performed exclusively on a remote island close to where I’m from, which will be kind of a pisstake of Boiler Room and the social media frenzy surrounding the scene.