Sex Judas - MinimalMag

Sex Judas feat. Ricky is the project of Norwgian producer Tore Gjedrem and his friends. We recently caught up with them to discuss their lateset release…

Sex Judas - Interview

Hey, Sex Judas, thanks for taking the time to talk! I’d first love to know who all the band members are in Sex Judas, and how far you all go back professionally and personally.

We got a wonderful band that now counts seven full time members and some very closely affiliated. In the core is the amazing percussionists Sidiki Camara (Mali) and Tore Brevik (Norway) on djembe, ngoni, balafon, bells, congas, shakes, you name it. Then we got our wonderful, nearly 2-meter-high bass player Kristian “Gesse” Edvardsen, who basically is a walking bass on two feet. Mult instrumentalist Ivar Wither plays guitar and also occasionally flute and various keys. On vocals, we have the duo of Tracee Meyn (US), who’s a total ace soul, RnB, and gospel singer and the very talented Linn Nystadnes, who is our very own punk funk chanteuse.

We also work closely with Norwegian composer Ole-Henrik Moe and, last but not least, visual artist Sindre Goksøyr, who is an important part of the equation.

What came out of that session the first time you were in the studio together?

The band has organically grown from being my solo project to become this 7-piece, and the first really big project we all did together was our previous album Nights Songs. We jammed forth that album over a 3-day long studio session, with very little preplanned. It was a real magical moment for us.

How long has the group Sex Judas feat. Ricky been about?

It started as a solo project in 2011. Trace was the first to join and then came Ivar, Sidiki, Gesse, Tore and last Linn.

Tell us about your latest release, ‘The Book Of Dreams / After Sex’. What story is the album attempting to portray?

It’s a fictional breakup album between our two character’s Sex Judas and Ricky. So, lots of drama going on, on two different sides of music. Side one is with the band and the other is more experimental, and made in collaboration with Norwegian composer, Ole-Henrik Moe. The style varies from “disco not disco» influenced stuff, to ambient & experimental music with songs on top.

Sex Judas - Talking Dogs

Who is the main vocalist in the band, and what is your most recent project? What have they done before?

I guess that’s me. Most recently, I’ve been working a lot with the Sex Judas project, but I’m also one half of the electronic duo Ost & Kjex, where I sing and produce with my buddy Petter “Kjex” Haavik. We go way back to our teens and have played together since meeting skateboarding in the 10th grade. Starting out with punk, then moving on to metal, doom, goth, industrial, indie, electronic, and now everything.

But let’s not forget our other two incredible singers, Tracee & Linn. Tracee is from L.A., and she’s done just about anything. She sings jazz, soul, RnB, rock, and even metal, but maybe most importantly, she leads her own gospel choir, The Traces. I’ve been so lucky to know and play music with her since 2010. Linn is equally impressive but comes from an entirely different background. She runs a great art-rock duo called Deathcrush with her boyfriend, Vidar. She also does solo, improvised guitar and noise sets and is somewhat of a playing technician with Norwegian Art pop artist Jenny Hval / Lost Girls.

Your sound is particularly unique. How would you describe it?

That’s hard! Funk noir, post funk or something silly like that, maybe? It’s basically a mix of all the music we love and a mix of all the band members’ skills, but of course, it’s controlled somehow with a musical vision. The reason I started this project was to have an open creative space, where I can try out different forms of music and production techniques – A place to have fun as a musician and producer. The characters and voices of Sex Judas and Ricky is what binds everything together, but also a love for a darker type of disco, post-punk, folk music from around the world, jamming, electronica of all types, Dr. John, drones, art music and beyond.

Where does this fascination for this particular sound and aesthetic come from?

I always had a great appetite for music of all kinds and particularly underground music. I’m addicted to hearing and exploring new sounds and view the underground as a big musical laboratory where everything is possible. New discoveries are part of the whole modus operandi. The place to be basically.

If I asked you to define Sex Judas in five words, what would they be?

Adventurous, slutty, psychedelic, old & funky.

Are there any releases from your discography that went under the radar that we should check out?

Try the remix we did for our old buddies in dOP, always loved them and I think the mix is a banger! Works a charm when we play it live.

In a live band show, what is the set-up on the stage, and what do you love most about performing live?

We normally have two percussionists, guitar, bass, three times vocals and beats. I think we all deeply love performing. The energy you get from playing to an attentive audience is almost transcending. You exist solely in the now, and that can be very liberating.

Lately, we have also been performing the experimental side of The Book of Dreams / After Sex as a five-piece, with me, Linn, and Tracee on vocals and Ole-Henrik and his wife Kari on violins.

If Sex Judas had an all-night party, who would be your warm-up artist, who would be your headline, and what would be the closing track?

Warm up would be The Velvet Underground and the main act Fela Kuti. Closing song Pépé Bradock & The Grand Brûlé’s Choir – Deep Burnt. Oh man, get your tickets!