With a sound that seems to exist somewhere between house, techno, electronica and whatever strange space sits just beyond those boundaries, Olsvangèr has spent the last few years carving out a world entirely his own. From releases on Kalahari Oyster Cult, Craigie Knowes, and Hooj Choons to his own Tofistock imprint, his work has consistently balanced the familiar with the unexpected – music that can hit hard in a club while still leaving plenty of room for curiosity.

Now he lands on Oath with ‘Honey Tangerine,’ a six-track mini-album that feels like another step into that ever-expanding universe. Across ambient passages, chugging breaks, acid-tinged house, hazy vocals and euphoric grooves, the record constantly shifts perspective without ever losing its identity.

We caught up with Olsvangèr to talk about the making of ‘Honey Tangerine,’ his relationship with Oath, breaking genre boundaries, the evolution of his sound, running Tofistock, and where he wants to take things next.

WWD: ‘Honey Tangerine’ feels like a record that constantly moves between different energies – ambient, breaks, acid, house, more psychedelic territory. Where were you mentally and musically when you were making it, and what did you want this record to communicate as a whole?

For years I have been mentally and musically exploring these energies, all a core part of who I am and my musical language that comes out in the studio, but barely sees the daylight. 

I’ve been wanting to show these sides of myself. My musical journey kicked from influences that are way more scattered than people would probably guess, and it started feeling a bit off to squash myself into just one corner of my own identity and research. I’ve always had massive respect for artists who keep shifting, who keep letting new bits of themselves out in front of everyone, I think that’s beautiful, and I always wanted to get to a point where I could do the same.

WWD: You’ve described your music as sitting in the liminal spaces of electronic music, and there’s a real sense of the familiar becoming slightly strange in your work. How important is that element of surprise to you when you’re producing or DJing?

I’ve always been drawn to world music, jazz, trip hop, arab music, punk, but mostly to the mash-ups between them, the ones that keep reminding me, every single time, that humans made all of this up.

We fall for myths way too easily and assume “familiar” automatically means “good”, and sure, sometimes that’s true, but the biggest moments in history for me were always the ones where someone took the familiar and threw in a spice that wasn’t there before, and pooooof, magic 😉

That surprise factor matters a lot to me because I genuinely think it’s the reason I got into making music in the first place, and it ended up being this therapeutic, deeply meaningful gift in my life. The moments that actually changed me were the ones full of question marks, where I had no clue what I was hearing, how someone even thought to combine those things, and pulled it off so brilliantly, I just wanted to chase down more of it.It doesn’t have to be loud about it either, sometimes it’s in the nuance, little reference or cheeky wink to different worlds served up so beautifully.

I think in any creative field, that spark of sensory “wait, what?” is a massive engine for curiosity. Funny enough, it probably sounds like I only want the new and the different, but I’m also very much a classics person deep down. Someone doing what’s already been done, but tightly, masterfully, that’s always felt kind of sublime to me, and I rate it just as much. There’s something really beautiful about carrying a legacy forward, but hey, we’re not all wired the same way 🙂

WWD: What was it about Oath that made you feel ‘Honey Tangerine’ belonged there? Did you have the label specifically in mind while making the record, or did the connection happen afterwards?

It started back in 2025 with a remix I did for the label, which had me diving deeper into their whole catalogue, the sub-labels, the way they run things generally. I loved Kubilay’s approach, the way it’s managed, and the attention to detail. It felt like a proper, professional operation, and that just feels good.

When I was putting the EP together,  which felt like a less club-oriented, more musical and experimental output – Oath was instantly popping to my mind. It’s a genuinely quality label that’s put out music from some incredible artists across all kinds of lanes. I had a really strong gut feeling I needed to send them the music, so I did – and thankfully they were into it and backed it artistically in the most special way: fearless, no hangups, no chasing trends, no fear of niche. I felt like they properly believed in my music. working with them has been an absolute pleasure and a huge honour.

Expect more of that collaboration in the future! 😉

WWD: Tracks like ‘In a Nutshell’ and ‘Zoom It Out’ feel very connected to the dancefloor, while ‘Source of Thought’ and ‘Some Air’ give the record much more space to breathe. How do you decide when a track needs to go harder and when it needs to pull back?

This EP wasn’t planned out like that from the start –  it’s more of a curation from my old and new archive. I picked the pieces that I feel carry the rawest, most authentic energy I’ve managed to pull out of myself, and that naturally speak to one another.

‘In a Nutshell’ and ‘Zoom It Out ‘ are the newer tracks on the record, and it mattered to me that they sit there as a kind of bridge between who I was then and who I am now. club music will always run in my blood, so it was important to bring that in too, to some degree.

WWD: You came from a classical musical background before discovering club culture and having that first big shift in perspective. Looking back now, how much of that classical training do you think is still present in the way you approach arrangement, harmony and tension?

I think it mostly just helped with my flow in the studio – feeling comfortable writing more musical roles on the keys, sometimes more complex arrangements etc… but the biggest lessons I ever got were always out on the dancefloor. listening to talented DJs cracked my mind open and taught me the approach in a way nothing else has. Just a few weeks ago I caught a Kenny Larkin set in Berlin, and about an hour in I realised I’d basically gotten a masterclass for the price of a party ticket. I went home completely inspired, both for DJing and production.

WWD: Your discography has taken you through some very different worlds – Kalahari Oyster Cult, Craigie Knowes, Hooj Choons, VBX, R.A.N.D Muzik, and your own Tofistock. Has there been a particular release or moment in your career where you felt, “Okay, I’ve really found my own voice now?”

No, honestly, I’ve never felt like I’ve found “my voice.” I’m always a bit surprised when people tell me they can recognise my productions. I feel like the most chaotic producer alive. Maybe that’s just a syndrome every producer goes through, who knows.

I think whatever comes out of someone is their voice, and an artist’s evolution is who they are, not just one chapter of them. I’m a little scared of not changing, if that makes sense. we grow up, get more refined, sometimes get a bit dumber too, less playful, less brave, or maybe more? I want to believe the research is the whole point, not whether my “voice” stays instantly recognisable.

There have been moments that felt really coherent – like the Kalahari Oyster Cult record back in 2024, which came together over a few months of really systematic production, where my inspirations were crystal clear to me. But a lot of water’s flowed since then – maybe I’ll circle back to those exact tones, maybe not. whoever wants to get lost with me, you’re welcome to come along 😉

WWD: Tofistock has become a major part of your identity, not just as a label but as a platform for a very particular kind of forward-thinking dance music. What have you learned about your own taste and artistic identity through running a label and curating other people’s music?

The label description has always been “an unpredictable cat.” We’re not out here trying to be orthodox –  we love way too much music, and we’re going to keep being a home for niche visions and functional (or not-so-functional) club music alike.

Beyond that, running the label taught me trends flip fast, and chasing them will leave you feeling hollow and helpless, especially once they change again and you’re stuck chasing the next one. I get why people want to feel part of what’s happening – but over time I’ve realised that’s not something I want ruling me, because it just makes me miserable, and it doesn’t make the music I put out more meaningful or iconic. If anything, the opposite.

WWD: You’ve also worked across projects like Babylon X and DJ Headshot, alongside the Bazaar Mix series. Do these different outlets allow you to explore sides of yourself that wouldn’t necessarily fit under the Olsvangèr name?

Absolutely.  I’ll be forever grateful for the joint project with Mikey, Babylon X. he’s family, my favourite producer, my partner on the label, and honestly so much more. I reckon what we’ve made together produced stuff neither of us would’ve made alone. the Babylon X tracks for the Hyper Love series have basically turned into a bit of a tradition, and they’ve got a really special place on the label and in my heart.

As for DJ Headshot – I’m working on sharpening that project up and pushing forward under it, especially in the faster, breakier corners of electronic music. stay tuned!

WWD: There’s a strong idea throughout your music of breaking the familiar – taking house and techno foundations and pushing them somewhere more cinematic, rough, euphoric or psychedelic. Are there any sounds, scenes or musical ideas that you feel you still haven’t explored yet?

Always. I’ve still got a long road ahead refining what I think is a proper divine combo: club music and cinematic-ness. I’m not sure I’ve cracked how to make that land for people yet, mostly because it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it is. It’s a feeling by nature, but a shapeless one that doesn’t hit everyone the same way. I think there’s a place for it though, and I believe I’ll find the right moment to tighten the concept up and build something that actually brings that cinematic sound to the dancefloor.

WWD: Finally, looking beyond ‘Honey Tangerine,’ what’s exciting you right now? Are there particular projects, collaborations, labels, sounds or directions you’re already working towards that give us a hint of where the next chapter might go?

Yes! we’re about to launch a brand new Tofistock sub-label very soon, which is a bit of an antithesis to Tofistock as I described it earlier – much more unified and conceptual, both musically and visually, with a real focus on big, dubby, unapologetic club sound. updates coming very soon!

Thanks to everyone who gave their time and read this far, and a massive thank you to Oath for the collaboration and for helping bring this record to life.

It’s out in shops now <3

WWD: Congrats on the new label and thanks for the chat 🙂 

‘Honey Tangerine’ is available here