- Much like their native national cheese, a sweet brown variant, Norwegian duo Ost & Kjex (cheese and biscuits) are an acquired taste. Despite album launch parties at nightlife hotspots such as Rex, Watergate and Serbia's Exit Festival, there has been very little in the way of media attention toward the duo. No wonder: Internationally, the past 12 months has been seemingly dominated by beats, bass and all things Detroit—deep, dark and machined sounds. Ost & Kjex's Cajun Lunch, meanwhile, is serious but fun layered European house served with the finesse and showmanship of New York's halcyon Studio 54 days.
Rex and the rest, though, know that—above all—the duo put on a great show. Recent performances from O & K have included the spectacle of a full gospel
Choir, and for the Oslo launch of Cajun Lunch, the majority of The Villa club—the resident djs and the spirit—was uprooted and moved across town for the former factory turned creative den ambience of Bla. On top of the DJ line-up (Strangefruit of Mungolian Jet Set fame, Trulz & Robin and Nefertiti playing drums) there were live illustrations and visuals from an international trio representing Norway, France and Finland throughout the evening.
Photo credit: Asle Olsen
Building the atmosphere into a controlled frenzy before the main show, DJ Strangefruit rolled through anything from afrobeat to disco up to the point where some gentle acid tinged house had the dance floor involuntarily moving in anticipation. Just as the crowd was simmering, Ost & Kjex entered the room to much delight from their group of loyal followers. A glowing Ost, complete in yellow suit and hat, engaged the crowd while Kjex, in a dapper brown outfit, worked alongside him. The crowd was lured in with some of the duo's less vocal and more straight up light and bouncy 4x4 workouts. By the time a full gospel choir was introduced with one of the new album's lead tracks, "Continental Lover," most were either lost in the music or simply enjoying the hedonistic nature of the show.
"Bluecheeseblues" was another undisputed highlight: Hats off to these two for managing to mix tech house and blues seamlessly. Like labelmate Stimming's "The Loneliness," the use of vocals and influence of Cajun and blues music helps make the duo's new album something special. Whether or not the audience found there to be an awkward cheese to biscuit ratio was an open question. On the basis of this performance, though, there was no denying that there are few performers like Ost & Kjex around.