_format-1500w.png)
Benjamin Hardman and Janus Rasmussen on Migration & Collaboration
Off the back of their work together for Janus’ latest single ‘blóð’, I wanted to catch up with the pair to talk about their collaboration and creative processes. Ben and Janus moved to Iceland from Australia and The Faroe Islands, respectively, to answer their creative desires, and have gone on to forge exciting careers. We spoke about their favourite places in the Faroes, what made them move to Iceland, and how their careers have developed as a result.
Benjamin Hardman
What is your favourite place in the Faroe Islands?
Really loved the islands as a whole, it’s super hard to pick one spot! Cruising around during a long drive on a cloudy day is my favourite experience there.
What made you move to Iceland?
The nature of Iceland is extreme, much like the weather in the Faroes. Ever since first experiencing the remote and wild landscape, I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Visit number 2 during the winter of 2013 was really the trigger to move, I’d never really experienced snow before that.
Was this video a collaboration, or did Janus ask you to ‘answer’ the song visually?
It was a collaboration for sure! Janus had the idea to combine drone footage from all my trips to the Faroes. Once I started to look at the clips, I realised it could be really interesting to take the viewer on a visual journey through the seasons.
How have your visual style and methods developed to show off the new landscapes you find yourself in?
I’m always on the hunt for interesting weather and light conditions. I’m a huge fan of dark and cloudy weather, so been in a place where it rains a lot, I’ve been able to develop a style of photography and video that I can keep up with in new places!
What’s next for you this year?
I’m currently out and about filming for a nature documentary. Lots of days living in a tent!
Janus Rasmussen
Why was including the Faroe Islands in this video so important for you?
During the lockdown, I got a bit homesick, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to include my home country in a music video. Watching the footage then made me even more homesick, haha.
How did the partnership with Ben come about?
I met Ben a few years ago, and he told me that he’d been twice to the Faroe Islands to film, so we bonded quite a bit over that.
When I needed a video for ‘Blóð’, I remembered our conversations, and I asked him if he had any footage that we could use to create a video for the song. He was very favourable to the idea, and the work started right away. The whole process was quite quick and painless. He’s a laidback guy, and it’s easy to work with him.
What is your favourite place in the Faroe Islands?
There is a bar/club called Sirkus that’s quite legendary. It used to be in downtown Reykjavík but then moved to Tórshavn. It was a turning point for the alternative and electronic scene on the islands, and it has become an integral part of the art scene since it opened in 2009.
Other than that, a town called Gásadalur, which translates to ‘Goose Valley’, has always managed to take my breath away. It’s a tiny town with a population of 18. They recently got a tunnel to the place, but before that, it was incredibly isolated from the world. Before the tunnel opened, there was a postman that dedicated his life to climbing over the mountain every day, sometimes twice, to bring them the mail. When you see the mountain, you’ll understand how crazy that is!
What made you move to Iceland?
It was the music scene. Somehow I got tangled up in bands and projects as soon as I got here, and that has been my driving force ever since. Reykjavík has a very tight-knit art scene, and it’s relatively easy to find and collaborate with like-minded people. It’s a special place, and I don’t think I’d be where I am without it.
What musical elements have you found yourself revisiting in your writing recently?
I’ve been using a technique that I called ‘to sample myself’. I record long passages of me drumming and playing on anything in my studio, without any predetermined idea. Then I put the recording into a slicer, and see what exciting patterns or sounds come out of it. This technique seems to help me get a general feel going, and it usually leads me into fascinating and unexpected territory. Sometimes I don’t even use the idea in the end; it doesn’t matter, as long as it served its purpose to initiate a song.
Watch Janus and Ben’s beautiful video for ‘blóð’ HERE, and keep up to date with Janus’ music and Ben’s photography on Instagram.
