Thoughts about what kinds of sampler instruments we are making, and want to be making.
Our mission to making samples is rooted in Norway’s rich musical traditions, yet we actively resist romanticized and nationalistic narratives that conflate these sounds with any innate human traits.
Our KONTAKT sample libraries are born from a constructionist philosophy, deliberately avoiding any essentialist speculative agenda. This perspective is crucial, especially in today’s climate of rising right-wing populism and nostalgic nationalism in the Nordic countries and across Europe.
The sonic imagery of “Scandinavian” sounds often intertwines with visual elements, creating a rich tapestry of sensory imagination. This intricate relationship between the “Scandinavian” and the national identity is fascinating, as the nature of the North—whether Icelandic or Norwegian—is frequently emblematic of “Scandinavian” essence.
Wrongtools’ journey within making sample-libraries reveals a celebration of the multiplicity of musical outputs from our region, challenging any underlying trends.
Our collaboration with musicians often finds them at the intersection of popular and experimental aesthetics. This creative overlap and blurring of genres reflect a characteristic feature of scandinavian music, stemming from the collaborative spirit in our close-knit communities. The crossover and commonality in our sample-libraries emerge naturally from this context.