[Club culture and queerness are deeply connected. How does your identity as a non-binary artist influence your work and your role in the Zurich LGBTQ+ scene?]
“I wouldn’t call myself a key figure, but I think visibility matters. I’m non-binary, but I’ve had it easier than many others in the LGBTQ+ community. I want to be someone people can look to, whether they need support or just want to see that it’s possible to exist authentically in these spaces.
Queerness and club culture have always gone hand in hand. The roots of house and techno are in queer (and black!) spaces in Chicago and Detroit, and that energy has never left. The best parties are driven by queer creativity and freedom. I see my role as contributing to that by being visible and by making music that embraces difference and experimentation.”
[Do you feel that as part of Zurich’s scene?]
“In Zurich, the queer scene is growing, and it’s great to see. For example, there are collectives that organise events specifically for trans, non-binary, and queer people. They’re not just throwing parties; they’re creating environments where everyone can feel safe and seen. That’s so important because, even now, there are still spaces where being visibly genderqueer doesn’t feel comfortable.
For me, being non-binary has influenced how I navigate these spaces. I try to be visible because I know it can make a difference for someone else who might be struggling. At the same time, I’ve had it easier than many others—I don’t deal with body dysphoria, for example, and I can blend in if I need to. That’s why I focus on being someone others can turn to if they need support or just a conversation.
Something I love about Zurich is how the queer community is building safer spaces. It’s not perfect, but it’s getting better. There are more venues and events now that prioritise inclusivity and awareness.”
-Olan!, from the chat we had “Close-Knit Paradox”.
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Olan’s “Golden Drizzle
[I think your love for repetition really shows in your music. It feels very layered but also bold, like you’re not afraid to experiment. For me, I feel there’s definitely a sense of childlike wonder or naivety captured in it. Some sort of playfulness in your music’s structure and sound design choices. Does that come from any early influences, like video games? I mention this because, for me, video games were definitely the genesis of my love for electronic music, though I only realised this much later on.]
“Yes! Video games were massive for me. When I was younger, I played a lot of games like Final Fantasy VII. The soundtracks from those games were incredible. They were emotional, sometimes cheesy, but also very creative. I think I’ve always carried that with me. I don’t shy away from melodies or elements that some people might think are “too much.” If it feels right, I’ll go for it.
And then there’s the sound design. Early game composers had such limited tools—like square waves and noise—but they made these incredible rhythms and textures. It shows you don’t need a massive studio or fancy equipment to make something powerful. That’s stayed with me in how I approach music.”
-Olan!, from the chat we had “Close-Knit Paradox”.
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Olan’s “Halcyon” is being premiered by the people behind Chromatic Club. Go have a listen where you know.
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Wishing you a lovely day,
-Dee Dee
[Zurich is such a unique place. Do you think living there has influenced your sound?]
“For sure. Zurich is a melting pot of influences. You’ve got EBM and New Beat coming from Germany, dub and reggae from Geneva, and then the Italian singer-songwriter vibes in the south. It’s all here. But Zurich also has its challenges. There’s a legal decibel limit, which means you can’t even hear techno at the volume it’s supposed to be played. That frustrates me a lot.
The most exciting things are happening outside the established clubs. Younger organisers are creating safer spaces, hosting free parties, and bringing new energy to the scene. It’s really inspiring to see.”
[Do you think Zurich’s small size makes it harder to have a diverse scene?]
“It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, the size means you don’t have a huge audience to pull from, which makes it tough to fill venues, especially if there are several events on the same night. But on the other hand, it also creates tight-knit communities.
The problem I see is that the established clubs can be quite closed off. They tend to book what they know, and it’s hard for new voices to get in. But that’s why the DIY scene is so exciting. Younger organisers are stepping up and creating spaces that feel fresh and inclusive. It’s not about competing with the big clubs—it’s about building something new.”
-Olan!, from the chat we had “Close-Knit Paradox”.
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Olan’s “Froth Fabricator” is being premiered by the kind people behind Why People Dance. Go have a listen where you know.
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Wishing you a lovely day,
-Dee Dee
[Let’s talk about your upcoming release with Dee Dee’s Picks. How did it come together?]
“It’s a mix of old and new. Some tracks were ideas I’d been sitting on for years, and others I created specifically for this release. The title, Unstable Arrangement, came from the person who created the cover. They described the album title (Spikes & Bubbles) as this unstable mix of opposites — spikes and bubbles, tension and release. I thought that was perfect. That’s what the release is all about. Actually, that’s what music is all about. You create tension somewhere and at some point you release it.
My approach to composition is also a mix of polar opposites: I try to incorporate planned and calculated elements with a very instinctive approach. I might have a spontaneous idea that then takes me half a day to conceptualize, practice and record. Sometimes it takes me days to program a drum track, and sometimes I play all the drums in one take. It all depends on how it comes together in the end. And since I work almost completely in the box now, I can also go back and correct some of the mistakes I might have made or automate a synth parameter I didn’t think about in my initial performance.”
-Olan!, from the chat we had “Close-Knit Paradox”.
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This evening, Olan! will be taking over our monthly residency on Fade Radio. Tune in for an hour of adventurous soundscapes featuring, but not limited to, ambient, leftfield pop, glitch and free jazz music.
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Wishing you a lovely day,
-Dee Dee
[You also score for theatre, which feels like a different world. How does it compare to producing music for the club?]
“There are differences, but the process starts the same: I just try to have fun. For theatre, I usually bring a “backpack” of ideas—unfinished tracks, random loops, or even sounds I’ve recorded—and adapt them based on what’s happening during rehearsals. It’s very collaborative. The director and actors shape the final product as much as I do.
In the club, I’m more in control, but it’s still about creating a connection. The focus is on rhythm and energy, building tension and releasing it. The biggest difference is probably the narrative arc. Theatre might have one, but in the club, you’re creating more of a vibe that evolves naturally.”
-Olan!, from the chat we had “Close-knit Paradox”.
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Olan’s “Spheres and Spears” is being premiered by the kind people behind Sonidos SubTerraneos. Go have a listen where you know.
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Wishing you a lovely day,
-Dee Dee
[I was reading about that, your jazz background, and thinking: how did you go from jazz to electronic music? They sound so different but surely there’s areas of comparison to be observed.]
“It wasn’t planned. Jazz was my whole world for a long time. I studied it at university, and I loved it. I got super into the 60s—Miles Davis’ second quintet, Coltrane... all of that. But I’d forgotten something important: as a kid, I’d played around with my brother’s synthesizers. He was a big raver in the 90s and had one of the first Eurorack setups. I’d twist knobs for fun, but did not see at the time electronic music as a potential avenue for exploration and therefore creativity.
While studying jazz, I lost touch with that side of myself. Jazz became everything. But by the end of my studies, I wasn’t feeling it anymore. I went on some terrible tours with a jazz band, playing for small crowds where most people were over 65 and not really interested. It felt fake. Jazz is amazing, but I started feeling like some parts of the scene were being kept alive artificially.
That’s when I remembered the raves my brother used to go to and the synthesizers I’d played with as a kid. I started getting back into electronic music, and it clicked. Jazz gave me a lot—sound design, energy, rhythm—but what electronic music gave me was something new: repetition. Repetition in techno can be so hypnotic. I hadn’t experienced that in jazz, and it was a revelation.”
-Olan!, from the chat we had “Close-knit Paradox”.
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Today, Olan!’s “Unstable Arrangement” is being premiered by the kind people behind JADE.
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Wishing you a lovely day,
-Dee Dee
