Artist Talk with Jan Bang
In 2019, I had the opportunity through the Swiss Artist Foundation Pro Helvetia, to be part of an international Artist Coaching Program called “Sound Out”, which was happening in a small village in Poland, close to the boarder to the Czech Republic. It's a gorgeous, dreamy place; it could be one of those surreal places in a Wes Anderson movie. There is an old sanatorium from the 19th century that was known far beyond the borders, but in the 2nd World War it lost significance over time until it was shut down in the 1970s. What luck, that a Foundation could take it over to create this wonderful place now where Art from all over the world is happening, where Artists reside in residencies, with regular Concerts, Festivals and Exhibitions and, as I mentioned, where the “Sound Out” Residency Week was happening.
Martel Ollerenshaw, director of arts and parts and an incredibly active person, was the driving force behind “Sound Out” plus, she is also the manager of Jan Bang.
So that was the connection that led me to the most charming person from Norway, Mister Jan Bang: Musician, DJ, and producer in the broad realm of electronic, jazz, and improvised music. His ways of thinking, playing, and making music are very inspiring and exactly what I needed for this project.
He later joined the process as a mentor when I was about to record all the material I had collected. He took the perspective from outside, as somebody who kept an eye on it to tell me, when it starts to get boring or turn left instead of going straight ahead.
“Dont’ get lazy on your artistic level” is a typical phrase he used to push me further.
It has been now around 3 years since we had our first online conversation... time for a flashback…
Benedikt: When I look back on the process, I realise that it was quite a journey, very intense! In the beginning, I thought that I knew exactly what I wanted to do on this record, but then we kind of turned the whole thing upside down. After a few of our initial meetings you told me: now you have everything. Go and make your record and I’ll see you in 3 months... That was really exciting, but at the same time, it felt like taking a step into the unknown, not knowing where it would land.
Benedikt Wieland - Trailer for the EP “Creatures”
Jan: After our first meeting where you presented your idea of a recording based on a concert in a large industrial building which in itself was interesting – I wanted to push you in the direction of making an album with all the possibilities that has, as opposed to a documentation – which obviously is fine, but something of a different nature. What I enjoyed about our conversations was to see the inspiration in your respond which to me is a good start for any relationship in life. I guess I tried to show you the potential of your own project and to encourage you to dream up a bigger project that also involved others and not only yourself and a partner. It´s been a while since our first meeting, but this is my recollection of that specific first zoom call.
Benedikt: The idea of trying not to impose any limits on the process is something that we spoke about a lot. You dove into a process which was already ongoing. Having this external perspective can be very refreshing, and inspiring, but it can also get complicated. I remember how surprised I was when you first said that I should add a voice and drums parts to some of these arrangements. I was still thinking that this will be a bass-centric record in the purest sense possible. But I’m glad that I listened to you!
How did you find yourself in this big puzzle?
Jan: More often than not, my role tends to be that of a supporter. Someone that can point in different directions, or specific ones without being too dominant about it, or at least I hope so. I guess this has changed over the years and with aging. I thoroughly enjoy starting points, and the process onwards towards a road where the arrival is not yet defined. The end result can be rewarding, but more than often I am surprised by how things change in the process. Small things can become bigger and things you thought would be at the center, ends up as surprisingly side themes.
Benedikt: When I make music, I often think in terms of emotions, visuals, and environments. You and I had extensive discussions about exploring different sonic spaces, finding the balance between dry and wet sounds, and playing with different concepts..
Jan: The things that impressed me was how the pieces evolved and got better and brighter throughout the process. I enjoy how you have involved others and given these musicians a space in your music. To me that is community work so to speak. How a set of songs, or ideas can take different shape when we involve others. That is about freedom and letting go of certain aspects of control, which can be a wonderful experience for both you as a composer/performer and for others who collaborate or experience your music as an audience.
Benedikt: My approach to making music is often deeply focused on the nature of sound. I consider the colors and textures that individual sounds produce, as well as the emotions they evoke, which can paint specific pictures in my mind. Additionally, there is always an inherent drive within me to create something new, to transform what already exists and use it as a fresh starting point…
Jan: I´ve always composed. This is at the very nature of my life. The tools change over time. Depending on where my interest is pulling me it can be composing at the piano, improvising with others, programming in the studio or making collages. I had an early interest in the sound of things. The sound of the radio, the nature that surrounded me in my upbringing. All this mixed with high tech which can be a powerful combination. I like certain sounds, frequencies, textures, harmonies, melodies. All of these sounds come from things i´ve been exposed to throughout my life. I am smart enough to bring my experiences into production work.
I guess I don’t have a regular way of working, but perhaps I can be helpful in a way that I can see potential and help bring that potential forward in one way or another.