Sentre and Of Norway have both spent decades refining their approach to electronic music. Their new collaboration, This Feeling, out now on November 28 on Sasha’s Last Night On Earth, blends that shared experience into something both immediate and understated. The release comes with two versions—the original and an Italo Mix—each highlighting the duo’s ear for melody and rhythm. It’s a natural pairing: Sentre’s studio precision meets Of Norway’s instinct for groove and texture, creating a track that moves between introspection and release.
In conversation, Of Norway reflect on what keeps DJing exciting after so many years. They speak about spontaneity, connection, and the vulnerability that comes from playing close to a crowd. For them, the goal isn’t perfection but presence. They focus less on technical tricks and more on energy, pacing, and the physicality of small-room dance culture. The same spirit runs through This Feeling—music built to engage rather than impress, carried by flow instead of narrative.
The pair’s answers capture a clear philosophy: DJing should feel human.
It’s a balance of risk and rhythm, planning and instinct. Like the record itself, their approach to performance centers on mood and motion, with moments that feel unpredictable yet deliberate. This Feeling is both a studio creation and a reflection of that shared approach—a conversation between artists who know exactly what to leave unspoken.
Interview with Of Norway
When you step into the booth, what kind of mindset are you trying to bring with you?
We’ve been DJing since the mid 90s, which means we’ve accumulated a very large pool of music and inspiration. Our early DJ heroes include people like Optimo DJs and The Unabombers – with super eclectic, genre bending and fun DJ sets. We disregard genres and rules as much as possible, while still trying to make a coherent and evolving set.
We always try to bring the small-club-sweat-dripping-down-in-your-luke-warm-beer-party-vibe. To us the moments are more important than trying to “tell a story” or the puristic and perfectionistic approach to the art of DJing.
Do you think of your sets as storytelling—or is that something that happens naturally without overthinking it?
As mentioned, we are not so concerned with story telling as such, we want our sets to be spontaneous and create, rather than match, the energy of the room. I think in way we are more drawn to club life than festival life – something more personal, adventurous and fun.
Quoting the norwegian DJ legend Strangefruit: “a great DJ dears to sometimes empty the floor”
Have you ever played a set that felt more like a conversation than a performance? What made it feel that way?
DJing is always a dialogue between us and the audience, the energy is a symbiotic creation. Especially in clubs, post pandemic we used to have a residency, in a now defunct tiny vinyl only bar. The DJ booth was, quite literally, in amongst the patreons, and the vibes and communication were unfiltered and direct.
This felt like true djing again, and revitalised our love for playing music. You are very vulnerable when you are this close to the audience, which is both scary and rewarding when it works out. Sometimes it backfires, and you have to pick yourself up again.
How do you balance planning ahead with staying present in the moment once you’re actually playing?
Before a gig, we usually pick out a small amount of records, usually no more than 100 – 200 tracks.
We play a mix of vinyl and digital. Even if we always try to be spontaneous, we of course limit our selection to something we want to present at the given venue and time of the show. So you could say that we improvise within the given parameters we set for ourselves with our track selection.
Do you ever think about the emotional journey of a set as much as the technical one?
To be fair, we really don’t think too much about the technical side.
We know how to mix records together, but the music is always the most important factor for us. Obviously we are impressed by the technical wizard type djs, but quite often it feels like gamification of DJing, rather then wanting to present great music.
What does “serving the room” mean to you—and how do you do that without losing yourself in the process?
We’d rather lose the room than ourselves, in all honesty. Anyone can research and adept to any party, Some DJs are incredibly skilled in researching and adapting to whatever kind of event they are booked for. Especially open format type DJs. This is a great skill and something we admire.
We on the other hand have the philosophy that the music presented at an event should be the bookers responsibility – they are the ones who should do the research, not just looking at popularity stats and SoMe numbers, but actually listen to, research and select DJs who play the musical styles they want at their events.
Has there ever been a night where you felt the story you were telling land with the crowd in a real, unforgettable way?
Some of our best DJ and live-act memories are from Vegard’s 40th birthday at Acid Bogen/Kater Blau, also playing with ND_Baumecker at Lab.Oratory/Berghain was one of the most hedonistic parties we’ve ever witnessed. Other stand out moments for us has been playing with our good friends Silicone Soul at London’s Fabric Room2, closing one of the smaller stages at the amazing Fusion Festival in Germany, and the impromptu block party at last years MusicFestOslo, here at home.
The post Of Norway Reflect on Connection, Chaos, and Club Energy Ahead of This Feeling appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.