Interview by: Alexandria Wojcik

Photo by: Juliana Bernstein

No act in the music industry is on a sharper upward trajectory than Seattle's ODESZA.

The pair of producers Clayton Knight and Harrison Mills burst onto the scene in the past eighteen months, and won the hearts of fans and critics alike. Seemingly fusing the worlds of indie, electronica, and hip-hop without upsetting the applecarts of snobby tastemakers, it would appear the sky's the limit for this pair, who took the time to chat with our correspondent about what it is they're trying to do.

Their latest release, In Return, came out on Counter Records earlier this month. To say it's been a screaming success is a bit of an understatement. Sold out shows on a packed fall schedule have followed.

You guys seemed to have materialized out of thin air. How’d it all begin?

Clayton: Well, you know college towns--we met through a friend and it all happened from there.

What’s been your favorite gig so far?

Clayton: Definitely Sasquatch in Washington: it was a cool venue and a good, good crowd.

What do you think makes a crowd a good crowd?

Clayton: Booze helps! But really, I love playing smaller, more intimate shows, where there’s a better connection with the crowd. Like our first headline run on the West Coast: it was all smaller shows in smaller rooms.

Best gig?

Harrison: They’ve all been really good. The Hudson Project was especially fun; seconds before our set someone handed me a switchboard that controlled the pyrotechnics, like smoke and glitter and stuff all on demand. When I finally released the giant thing of confetti at a certain point in the set, it was a moment; people were freaking out.

What’s your dream festival gig in the sky barring the laws of physics, space, and time?

Clayton: I’m not a fan of the bigger festivals: it would have to really be a dream festival.

Harrison: My dream gig would involve travelling really far; where I don’t know anyone and I don’t know the culture. Maybe Ibiza? Someplace really fun and exotic.

Dream collaboration?

Clayton: I’ve got a long list! We just worked some neat vocalists. It’d be cool to work with Local Natives.

Harrison: I’m open to anyone who is talented. I’d love to work with a soul singer, someone evocative of CocoRosie, Animal Collective, or Radiohead.

Describe your sound in 6 words or less.

Clayton: We’ve got an electronic vibe and a weird sound….maybe I’d categorize it Indie Electronic Bass.

Harrison: Odesza is ambient cinematic indie bass house hip-hop.

What’s up with the new album?

Clayton: It’s something a little different. We experimented with creating full songs, something more than beats, though the drums are still pretty prominent.

Harrison: It shows a lot of maturity and growth. We both like experimenting, it’s getting better and better as we carve our own direction and find new sounds.