We were lucky enough to be able to connect with Odd Language. As one of the rising artists in bass music right now, we’re extremely excited to get some more insight on who he is, and how he approaches his craft. Get to know him a little better through these questions!
Christian: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Can you tell us just a little bit about yourself?
Odd Language: Hi, I’m Jack Frevert. I’m 26 years old. I currently reside in Los Angeles and am originally from the East Bay Area in Northern California.
C: What’s the story behind Odd Language? Where did the name come from?
OL: When I was in school, I had a professor refer to music as being a “universal language.” No matter your culture or dialect, music can be universally understood. That stuck with me, and I thought that was such a cool and strange concept. Hence, “Odd Language.”
C: Where does your musical journey begin? How did you get into producing electronic music?
OL: I actually started out in the film world. That introduced me to the world of sound design for film and film scoring. I focused on that during my time at university before going to my first festival and being mind-blown at the world of electronic music. I knew that was something I wanted to do from there on out, and I shifted my focus from film to electronic music, and now I can incorporate some of those things I learned from film into my visuals.
C: Did you have a mentor coming up, or are you self-taught?
OL: I had the opportunity to attend Icon Collective, and during my year there, I met so many mentors who shaped my sound into what it is today. Two of the many that specifically come to mind are Jon Pegnato and Connor Schatzel (Lumberjvck). Connor really helped teach me the ropes when I was first getting a foot in the industry.
C: Your music draws on a wide range of influences, setting you apart with a unique sound; how would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it?
OL: I would say that I am constantly listening and finding new music to get inspired by. I pull elements from many different genres and combine them into something I think is cool. One thing I do that is pretty consistent is adding gritty textures to my basses, and always having trap drums throughout my songs.
C: Speaking of unique, many people might not know you create all your own visuals as well! Can you explain what that process is like, and how it impacts your creative process?
OL: It’s very freeing creative-wise to have visuals and music both in my creative process. It’s nice to have a day where I’m inspired visually, create an animation, and then write a track based on that animation. Or even vice versa. It adds another variable to my creativity. It’s also really cool for me when I am able to create a song and score it in a way; the music inspires the artwork and visuals.
C: Let’s look to the future; what is your overall vision for the project?
OL: My vision is to be able to create a full-length audio/visual experience from my tracks and visuals. I have a story I want to tell that involves both hand in hand. Something else that is a goal of mine is to create some sort of game through my music and visuals.
Photo credit: IG / @odd.language
C: You’ve just signed to Prysm Talent Agency, congratulations! What does this mean to you, and how is this going to propel you forward?
OL: I spent the past year with my head down, grinding on making music and not focusing as much on live events. I’m super excited to work with the Prysm team to start getting out there and playing shows once again to showcase my sound and visuals.
C: We’re stoked for you to be playing shows, though probably not as much as you are! Tell us a little about how you approach your live sets. Also, how does making your own visuals tie into your shows?
OL: I love approaching my sets with a story and energy level in mind. When watching sets, I enjoy experiencing sets that have their peaks and dips energy-wise, and I always try to nail that in all my personal sets. I love to make the people who are watching my set feel like they are on a rollercoaster ride. Visual-wise, 2024 will be the first year I use timecode for my visuals, so it will be very cool to work with my visuals perfectly synced to the music I perform.
C: Do you have any shows on the horizon you’re excited to play?
OL: I am opening up for Soltan in November, and have some dates TBD for the beginning of 2024. Can’t wait to announce those!
C: What’s a genre of music you love, but you won’t ever play out live?
OL: I love melodic techno and the energy of it, but if I dropped a track like that during one of my sets, it would be way too much of a vibe change. Also, I’m a big fan of folk music — I love the cinematic feel of those songs and the emotion of the vocals.
C: What is your favorite memory you’ve made as Odd Language so far?
OL: A core memory of the Odd Language project has been the process of developing the name, sound, and visuals. This project was born in quarantine, so being able to explore the sound and visually what I want the project to look like has been such a cool and freeing process.
C: Tell us a little bit about who you are outside of Odd Language; what are some of your other hobbies or interests?
OL: I’m a huge gamer. Played everything from shooters to MMORPGs. I even started learning game development myself and am working on my first game.
C: What can we look forward to from you next?
OL: I have lots of new music coming soon, some of the most exciting music I’ve ever worked on. Getting shows lined up which is such a great feeling. Also working on a mix to showcase all of the music I have been working on, which I am excited to share with everyone.
C: Do you have any final thoughts or anything you want to share before signing off?
OL: Excited for what I have to share with y’all for the remainder of the year, and ready to take 2024 head-on!
Be sure to follow Odd Language using any of the links below.
