In our latest feature interview, Bjarki talks to us about wellness capitalism, moving on from techno, and his upcoming album on Diffarence.
In 2016, Resident Advisor described techno pillar Bjarki Sigurðarson as “Excitingly unpredictable”, and nearly a decade later, it’s a moniker that he still embodies. Over the years, Bjarki has resisted categorisation, criss-crossing his way through genres on the boundaries of electronic music. Whether he is blending raw, high-energy techno with experimental and ambient textures or developing immersive audio-visual shows, his restless creative energy is his defining quality. When we spoke to Bjarki last month, it was over Zoom on a chilly December evening. The Icelandic producer answered from his temporary home in Latvia, where he had recently relocated part of his studio. “I have an apartment here in Riga, where I have been living on and off, ” remarks Bjarki. I have some land in the countryside, and I’m putting a lot of effort into building a house there. It’s by the sea, super calm and inspiring and surrounded by nature. “
Throughout our conversation, this ‘restless energy’ of his would continue to show itself. There were moments where he would abruptly jump off screen, only to return with hands full of material related to his new release: A Guide to a Hellthier Lifestyle – the name being a play on words to the capitalist hellscape that the self-help industry has become. “Around the time I was finishing the mixing and putting the album together, I ended up writing some weird shit”, says Bjarki. “It’s kind of like spiritual readings or violent poetries on how I view the world.” It’s not the first time Bjarki has been prone to dropping an easter egg or two into his releases. In 2019, his Happy Earthday release featured a selection of secret tracks hidden throughout the record. “We wanted to do something different with this one, you know? It’s going to be released on Differance, so it has to be different.” He smiled.
// I really wanted to experiment with new ways of recording more spatial sounds, working with wavetable synthesis, and playing with high-quality frequencies that kind of go under your skin a little bit //
In terms of its production, the album drifts heavily into Sigurðarson’s more avant-garde side of production. It’s less techno and more ambient and experimental; however, you can feel the original ethos of techno buried within its futurism-based themes. Across its thirteen tracks, Bjarki plays with AI-generated voices, spatial sound experiments, and a musique concrete style of composition. “I really wanted to experiment with new ways of recording more spatial sounds, working with wavetable synthesis, and playing with high-quality frequencies that kind of go under your skin a little bit.”
The album sounds like you have fallen down the rabbit hole into a dark and twisted world. The album is focused around a more ambient sound except for Healing from Memory, which could pass as a cool DnB-inspired soundtrack for a level on a PS1 game. The track uses intricate drum programming, providing a momentary burst of energy, but it quickly recedes into washes of downtempo psychedelia. Another standout track is Divine Wash, which features heavily phased FM pads that ebb and flow like a digital tide in a sea of 1’s and 0’s. If we had to compare it to past work, then it’s more of a cousin to Happy Earthday, but one that’s probably going through its emo phase, as it lends itself to a darker, more industrial tone.
Releasing on Difference, which he co-runs with Thomas Harrison-Rawle as an outlet for their post-visionary music and visual arts projects, the album is a culmination of Bjarki’s inspirations. “The whole idea of the sound started in California last year where everything I was doing was in that tone of Peter Christopherson, Thorpe and Coil. That’s the only thing that I can really compare it to” reflects Bjarki. It’s not the first time he has mentioned British band Coil’s effect on him. If you listen to his discography, it’s easy to spot the signs. Dark and atmospheric aesthetics, surrealist tones, introspective and esoteric themes, and a freeform approach to genre are what have earned Bjarki titles such as unpredictable. “When you hear them play, it’s easy to see that what they’re playing is stuff they’ve thought through a lot,” he says. “You can tell they’re bringing something from their mind to yours. I really resonate with that” claims Bjarki. In tracks like Real Insight, he plays with broken AI-generated vocals and textures resembling signature coil tracks like Triple Sun.
As the conversation continued, we touched on Sigurðarson’s connection with techno. “I kind of cut my relationship with touring this year and took a big break from DJing except for a few places that I feel really comfortable in,” he said. This is evident from his RA profile which indicates him playing just 14 shows in 2024 compared to 36 the previous year. This choice reflects a growing sentiment throughout the broader electronic music landscape regarding the current direction of techno. “There are some great DJs like Theo Parrish, Louis Vega or Benny Evol who can play a bit of everything and keep it super interesting.” Says Bjarki. “They are mixing opera, house, and techno, playing with their knowledge and feeling. You can tell that they have spent time listening to records. Not many people can do that.”
It’s not exactly breaking news that, in some places, techno has become a shell of its former glory. Over the last few years, swathes of fans online and cultural commentators alike have woefully tracked the downfall of authenticity within the genre. As one of the more seasoned artists still operating in the scene, it’s hard to not understand Bjarki’s disillusionment with the money-focused shift in the genre. “I love techno and all these other genres, too. It’s mostly about people finding themselves. If they’re happy, great, but do I want to chase it? Do I really want to chase the money and the fame? I think I’ll pass.”
Bjarki is no stranger to the damaging effects that the intensity of a rapidly expanding music scene can bring. There have been other points in his career where he has been mindful enough to take breaks to preserve his health, and it’s what makes this project so interesting. Whilst the premise of the album may seem like a light jab to wellness capitalism, you can’t help but hear his inner desire for a healthier way of living come through the work.
For us, this project is Bjarki in his purest form. It’s what happens when he is allowed to create on his own terms, unbothered by the rush of gigs, deadlines, briefs, and agents. When you look closely, you can see that the guide isn’t in the music, notes, or accompanying materials – it’s in his choices. The choice to prioritise authenticity and creative values. The choice to explore his art without thinking about a social media rollout, the choice to step outside the bubble and simply observe. It’s in these choices that one can catch a glimpse of Bjarki’s true guide to a healthier lifestyle.