Why Kai shares their process of blending jazz with electronic sounds in creating new Album "Tourist"
Why Kai is made up of Oslo based Composer and Producer Kai von der Lippe, along with drummer Eljas Tafjord. Known for their distinct sound in jazz and electronic beats, the pair is excited to be releasing a new album this month. As opposed to previous work, the focus this time was heavily in the studio. The artists placed a higher importance on the mechanics and structure of this project to later be enjoyed live.
Kai mentions, “Actually, this week it’s being released. On the day we release it, we’re playing in our home city, Oslo. It’s been in the process for a year and a half, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this project”. Their debut EP “Tourist”, featuring 12 new tracks, is now available for all listeners.
Is there a specific space or genre you pulled inspiration from for your new record?
Kai mentions a variety of Norwegian composers where the musicians structurally pull inspiration from. He also sets the scene for the purpose behind what they create — along with the underlying components that set them apart as musicians.
K “We pulled a lot of inspiration from the club scene. It’s quite fascinating, the energy of the dance floor and the state of mind people are in. People show to be in the same state of mind for a long period of time, in comparison to other forms of listening to music. Inspiration John Hopkins, on the electronic side, is someone producing very evolving club music. The fascination for club energy parallels to that of jazz or mid composers in the chamber music. They structure their songs using one fundamental groove and then layer the whole composition on top of that. The point is to take the evolving/constantly changing composition style of jazz/chamber music and combine it with the more structured electronic music”.
Where do you see people listening to your music?
Originating in Norway, their stomping grounds are found in European countries. The duo attempts to create an immersive listening environment for their audience. Bringing drums, unique compositions, and visual coding, it’s exciting to see them inventively take up space through live performance.
K “Performing live is one of our favorite things to do. We try to make our own unique sound to fill club spaces, amongst other nightlife spots. We’ve found our music fits a lot of different settings, from jazz festivals, to raves in the forest, honestly wherever people are dancing. I think the most rewarding crowd is a dancing audience with their ears out – dancing but listening. Right now, we see ourselves fitting into Germany’s club scene, along with the UK”.
Do you experience your creativity go up and down? How do you deal with creative slumps?
Kai plays in multiple bands, generating new sounds constantly. Although he’s gearing up to release the new album for Why Kai, he mentions already embarking on more projects and music. With a high output of work, I wanted to know how he handles creative obstruction and what he does to continue moving forward.
K “Creativity absolutely goes up and down. In a down period, with little creativity, I can still make music and do things that are time consuming. A lot of making music for me is diving into one concept and really fine tuning everything. It’s creativity but it’s also routine work. When I have a creative idea I record it on my iPhone and save it for later. In turn, I have a lot of recordings of me beat boxing. Whenever I find I don’t have much inspiration, I rediscover those ideas and try to create something new”.
How does the process work to choose field recordings for songs?
Blending field recordings with beats and rhythms seamlessly can be difficult to get right. It’s when you’re able to find the perfect sound to coexist with an instrumental or beat — this process creates a more compelling atmosphere and character to the song. Although their music doesn’t have artist features, you will hear unique snippets of improv singing, bits of instrumentals, and other samples at juncture that produce a surreal yet lifelike sound.
K “On this new record, field recordings connect the whole piece together. I essentially apply the same atmosphere to different songs in order to weave a uniform sound. Some field recordings are bird sounds, some are people talking. Aside from field recordings, we also pull different instrumental samples and alter them to create a new sound”.
Single’s from their new album like “Kate in Crowd” are a showcase of their way to tie jazz grooves and chamber music to various electronic sounds and samples.