The Future Sound Of Oslo

In early autumn, the inlets and wild forest surrounding Oslo are dappled with sun. Imposing ski jumps dot hillside neighborhoods, which are scattered with bizarre statues and ornate crypts. Despite its idyllic facade, the Norwegian capital does not get the trendsetting attention of nearby Copenhagen or Berlin. “There’s a reason I left and moved abroad when I was 17. But it was nice to come back, later on,” model-turned-local figurehead Carmen Maria Hillestad (aka Carmen Villain) admits, over dinner at Michelin hotspot the Little Pickle. “It’s a small town.” An insistent tempo exists when you search for it. The Villa sources DJs who frequent New York City’s Nowadays and M.O.T. in London; Smerz, Jenny Hval, André Bratten, Eivind Lønning, Streifenjunko, and Anja Lauvdal contribute to a genre-blurring circuit.