With dark, doe eyes burning beneath charcoal-coated lids and an imposing, heavily-illustrated visage that makes him one of the most recognisable faces in clubland, Ray Noir is hard to ignore.
By Dom Top
Originally hailing from the chilly depths of Norway, he has carved out his own unique niche DJing on the East London scene, dropping anything from Marilyn Manson and Depeche Mode, to Lady Gaga and Robyn in his sets (we’ve even heard him throw in a cheeky Madonna track or two).
With a musical palate this diverse, we were more than excited to hear he’d been working with pop virtuoso Frankmusik to produce his debut single ‘Double Trouble’. A stuttering, industrial/electro sound crash that reads like an ode to a night in East Bloc, ‘Double Trouble’ is the perfect track to writhe and sweat to as you reach the full hit of your high on the dance floor.
We caught up with the self-styled Prince of Darkness to talk tripping out, vampirism and world domination. Oh, plus some stuff about music too.
Ray, ‘Double Trouble’ came out on October 31st, right in time for Halloween! Was that a deliberate choice or a happy accident?
You know, Halloween and I go hand in hand. I was born on the Day of the Dead, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity.
Describe the single’s sound? What would you liken it to?
It’s very catchy with a pop build up, since it was produced by Frankmusik. But my inspiration when we started to make the track was all those synth and industrial bands I love, like Combichrist, Apoptygma Berzerk and Icon of Coil. The sound is quite unique, a mix of the alternative and pop.
What’s the reception been like so far?
It’s been great. I wanted to make a song that is great both at clubs and live. I got lots of the gay community to listen to it and they seem to like it. I think it’s great, as it’s nothing that is particularly stereotypical for our community.
Tell us about the video, we’ve seen a few pics, it looks like a dark, dirty freakshow! Was that the idea?
Yeah, the video will be sick! It has been directed by Kassandra Powell, she’s a great director and I love her previous work. The narrative of the video is me tripping out in a bathroom, continuing on to experience hallucinations of all these weird and freaky creatures. The video was shot in this amazing squat, covered in trashy graffiti tags in Whitechapel. We’ve got some great people from the scene in it, like Lewis Burton, Imma Mess, Valentina and the Finnish top model winner Ani Antilo.
There’s a couple of great remixes on the EP on iTunes, tell us about those! How did they come about?
There was a handful of people I really wanted to remix my track, and luckily they said yes. Tom Stephan from Superchumbo was one of them, He is such an inspiration to me, I am really lucky to have been welcomed into the Dish family at East Bloc. The remix he did for the track is amazing, he is such a great musician/producer. The second remix is by Mariann Rosa from the former band Surferosa. I was such a big fan of Surferosa when I was 18. I went to some of their gigs, and at one of them she kissed my hand from the stage. I almost fainted! I was so in love with her at the time, although that was obviously before I came out! Anyway, after that we became really good friends, so it was an honour for me that she said yes to do a remix, which turned out great. I love the howling and that she actually sings on the remix as well.
You’ve dropped ‘Double Trouble’ during your DJ sets, it sounds amazing on a dancefloor! Did you record it with that in mind?
The intention was that it should be a song for a live crowd and dancefloors. As I’ve been DJing for 10 years now, I love to make people dance. And it’s the same for the music I release.
What inspired the song? There are definitely a few lyrics in there that sound like a heavy night in East London!
Hahaha, yeah the lyrics are very to the point. The inspiration is obviously from the whole party scene in London and everything that comes with that in a good or bad way. Mostly a good way, it’s all about having a bit of fun in the end, isn’t it?
We’ve seen your live performances, you’re quite a showman! How does it feel onstage performing your own track?
The stage is where I love to be. I am quite reserved and quiet person among people generally, but on stage I become someone else. Growing up with all these rock star heroes like Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and Courtney Love, there was nothing else I would rather do than to stand on the stage enticing you in a devilish way.
Besides your own, what are 5 songs that everyone should listen to before they die, in your opinion?
There are so many good tracks out there, here’s my top five –
1. Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
2. Nine Inch Nails – Into the Void
3. Seigmen – Hjernen er Alene
4. The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection
5. Placebo – Taste in Men
What else can we look forward to from the Prince of Darkness? More music? More DJing? World domination?
I’m going for world domination of course. There will be more music, and more DJing. I want to make some more songs so I can take it out on tour. It’s a bit difficult touring with just one song.
Answer me honestly now, Ray: are you a vampire?
Yeah, I’m a bloodsucker, motherfucker.
‘Double Trouble’ was released Oct 31st. Buy it now on iTunes and Amazon.
Twitter: @thisisraynoir
Instagram: @raynoir
