OHHara came together in a miracle – one that feels both destined and fought for. Comprised of Laurence and Denma (they dropped their surnames), the duo moves with the quiet conviction of those who have glimpsed the invisible threads holding reality together. Their music exists in a space where time folds in on itself: a futuristic reading of the ancient and an ancient, perennial approach to the future in equal parts.
Their mixtape, Ode isn’t just music, it’s a refusal. A refusal to accept that history must repeat itself, that love and fate are destined to clash. The release date is this coming September 3rd. OHHara have studied the myths, traced their patterns, and found the cracks in their foundations. Orpheus, Tristan, every tragic lover who ever lost it all – OHHara have run the simulations, learnt from their mistakes. “Reality is malleable,” they insist and they would know.
This ethos spills into their visual world, where every frame is charged with the same mythic energy as their sound. The music videos, too, feel like portals, ancient deities updated for the digital age, religious iconography reprogrammed. Every choice, from the garments to the casting, is a statement: OHHara is not just telling a story; they are altering the way it has always been told.
OHHara is an enigmatic presence. How would you describe who you are and what you create to someone discovering your world for the first time?
The best way to describe who we are and what we create is to dive into the art, everything about OHHara is there.
The idea of “transcending destiny’s traps with the knowledge of precedents”, the conceptual base of Ode, feels very philosophical. What has pulled you towards this contemplation, and why did you want to express it in the mixtape?
Necessity. We needed to discover the very physics of reality and uncover the invisible forces that were causing our life to be the way it was. It wasn’t philosophical. Naturally, the art reflects our experience and in this case documents our journey of transcendence, of changing destiny, so to speak.
The moment we set out on this journey we noticed the similarities to some of the great legends and myths, many of which ended in tragedy. The standard explanation of that outcome is usually attributed to the unwavering course of destiny. What we have seen and experienced is that reality is in fact malleable.
The moment we set out on this journey we noticed the similarities to some of the great legends and myths, many of which ended in tragedy. The standard explanation of that outcome is usually attributed to the unwavering course of destiny. What we have seen and experienced is that reality is in fact malleable.
Ode harnesses a sound that lays on a cusp of playfulness and melancholia. Sonically and metaphysically, how do you approach oscillating between the two?
It’s really a reflection of how we felt in those times and moments when we made those songs, it’s either a reflection of the energy we were in or the energy we were seeking. We made the mixtape as we were on a journey, going through the whole possible spectrum of human experience and beyond. The mixtape reflects that journey.
When it comes to lyrical expression, what draws you towards a spoken-word-meets-hip-hop flow? Throughout the mixtape, you both almost adopt the same tone. What is that process like?
When we made the mixtape there was really a love and exploration of poetry and writing, and particularly the poetry and writing of certain pop and rap music. The writing and words were really a driving force of the mixtape. The medium of rap has an inherent energy that was essential to the feelings we needed to convey.
Both of you apprenticed under legends Jodorowsky and Granelli. While they worked in different mediums, they both broke conventions through tapping into unrestrained, almost absurdist, depths of their imaginations. Have their teachings shaped your artistic philosophy and approach?
Laurence: Definitely, as far as freedom, creative freedom without any kind of limitation whatsoever, ever. I can only talk about Jodorowsky, he is a pure creative, without letting anyone or anything stop him or slow him down or limit him. He has no judgement towards anyone or anything and he’s completely open. So inspiring.
Denma: Granelli always had a life and death commitment to the music in the moment that created this incredible freedom and connection. Following his example literally was a lifeline out of all the bullshit I had been programmed and trapped by and still informs my attitude to art and life. The first time Laurence and I played music together we instantly discovered we were on the exact same wavelength, it was lightning striking.
Denma: Granelli always had a life and death commitment to the music in the moment that created this incredible freedom and connection. Following his example literally was a lifeline out of all the bullshit I had been programmed and trapped by and still informs my attitude to art and life. The first time Laurence and I played music together we instantly discovered we were on the exact same wavelength, it was lightning striking.
You recorded Ode in Kauai, Hawaii, a place known for its natural beauty. How did the island's energy and environment seep into the sound and themes of your music?
It’s literally inseparable, it’s all over and inside its DNA, it’s part of the mixtape’s blood and soul. Come Back Different is the feeling of arriving on Kauai. Kauai is not just a beautiful place, it’s an intensely mystical place, and a place of great power that feels deeply connected to other dimensions, to the cosmos and at the same time it feels like the center of the earth. Strangely also, we felt even more connected to global culture in some ways than we did in metropolises. Kauai is where our sensei is, we made Ode in his dojo, we learned everything from him.
What’s the most unexpected sound or object you sampled while recording there? Did you keep any souvenirs (material or otherwise)?
There are crickets, roosters and rain or all three in almost all of our vocal takes. In the moment we thought it was a problem, and did everything we could to try and remove those sounds. Then we realised it was impossible and submitted. It’s part of the texture and magic in a subliminal way. Our life began here in many ways so that’s our biggest souvenir.
The mythology you explore often hinges on love and heroism. How do you define these ideas in the context of the broader modern world, and your own world as a couple?
Our journey was heroic. Not sure if it was the classic hero’s journey, but the nature of overcoming adversity, changing destiny, and finding freedom is not for the faint of heart, a razor sharp Damascus steel saber or katana is useful. The stakes are life and death, playing for keeps, but you can win it all. In our case we couldn’t have made it alone. We needed each other, we needed our sensei, and we needed God. Together against all odds, all precedents and the intense frustration of all our haters, we made it.
What is your favourite myth or poem you encountered during the creation of the mixtape?
There are several that we could really relate to, that had moments that really inspired us. For example, in Orpheus and Eurydice from the Greek tradition, Orpheus had the possibility to transcend death and destiny itself through the power and beauty of music, but then because of doubt and fear he looked back and lost it all. In our case, because of the knowledge and intelligence we were granted on our journey, we don’t repeat the same mistake. So in our version we don’t look back at the crucial moment and we transcend.
In Tristan and Isolde, which is a classic Cornish romance epic, there is a moment when Tristan takes a leap of faith, choosing to kick through a stained glass chapel window and jump into the wind and into God’s hands so to speak, instead of submitting to the only apparent outcome. Instead of perishing on the rocks below, he is gently brought to safety by a divine wind and has a chance at freedom together with Isolde. Because of their entangled relationships and confused ideas of loyalty, it still ends tragically. In ours, we make sense of the confusion, choose each other, cut with the rest and make it out together.
In Tristan and Isolde, which is a classic Cornish romance epic, there is a moment when Tristan takes a leap of faith, choosing to kick through a stained glass chapel window and jump into the wind and into God’s hands so to speak, instead of submitting to the only apparent outcome. Instead of perishing on the rocks below, he is gently brought to safety by a divine wind and has a chance at freedom together with Isolde. Because of their entangled relationships and confused ideas of loyalty, it still ends tragically. In ours, we make sense of the confusion, choose each other, cut with the rest and make it out together.
If you could bring any Greek god to life as your mixtape’s muse, who would it be?
Zeus. Currently there is strong affinity with Lightning. We have had the great honour to invite him to be in our latest music video, and we have the utmost good fortune in receiving his acceptance.
Meeting at a theatre school in Paris must have shaped your artistic sensibilities. In what ways does your background in theatre influence your practice, especially when it comes to storytelling through music videos?
The language and codes of theatre really inspired us and continue to inform us. Studying theatre is when we were first exposed to Greek Tragedy and the concepts of destiny vs free will (in our case, we transcend). In Greek tragic theatre there is always a choir that represents destiny. Also in Greek tragic theatre as an actor you need to convey emotions and drama of the Gods and Demi-gods, something that is so extreme it’s beyond human experience. We were taught that the way to access this is the language of the elements and forces of nature, like rage so intense it’s like ice, or victory like a seed growing into a powerful tree spreading its branches.
Theatre is a really rich and inspiring medium that grants access to a whole another dimension to explore in the live performance space and music videos. So far we feel like we have only been able to scratch the surface, there is a lot of excitement and inspiration to go deeper.
Theatre is a really rich and inspiring medium that grants access to a whole another dimension to explore in the live performance space and music videos. So far we feel like we have only been able to scratch the surface, there is a lot of excitement and inspiration to go deeper.
Fashion seems to play an integral role in your visuals. Where does OHHara intersect with fashion, and what is the significance of collaborating with artists like Dion Lee, Noah Dillon, and Jazzelle for your practice?
There is so much feeling and culture that can be communicated with garments, so it was evident to explore and to seek out visionaries to create with. Being able to work with Dion Lee was such an honour, his garments effortlessly created the sensuality, other-worldly futurism and strength that we wanted to convey.
Jazzelle aka uglyworldwide is a fashion icon. It was an honour to have her play Mary Magdalene0000 in the O video, her character is an update of the original and is blessing the heroes. All of the characters in the video are updated gods, angels, or mythic religious characters, updated because it’s post transcendence of the tragedy. They are rallying around the heroes Orpheus9999 and Eurydice9999 because they managed to transcend destiny. It’s very anime and fierce because that’s the required energy of transcendence. We met Jazzelle for the first time on location, which was an actual Bubble Tea and Claw Machine Arcade in NYC. She embodied the energy of her character perfectly, it was magical. Having someone who is relevant to culture in the central role as an ancient mystical character and the crossover of worlds that creates is definitely relevant to our artistic practice. If it’s okay, there is a backstory to Jazelle’s character and the video we would like to share.
Jazzelle aka uglyworldwide is a fashion icon. It was an honour to have her play Mary Magdalene0000 in the O video, her character is an update of the original and is blessing the heroes. All of the characters in the video are updated gods, angels, or mythic religious characters, updated because it’s post transcendence of the tragedy. They are rallying around the heroes Orpheus9999 and Eurydice9999 because they managed to transcend destiny. It’s very anime and fierce because that’s the required energy of transcendence. We met Jazzelle for the first time on location, which was an actual Bubble Tea and Claw Machine Arcade in NYC. She embodied the energy of her character perfectly, it was magical. Having someone who is relevant to culture in the central role as an ancient mystical character and the crossover of worlds that creates is definitely relevant to our artistic practice. If it’s okay, there is a backstory to Jazelle’s character and the video we would like to share.
Please do!
Our co-creative director at the time played the song to Madonna’s creative director, who felt Madonna would love the project and want to collaborate. We were immediately struck by this vision of a living futuristic renaissance painting set in the video game arcade out of the Hung Up music video. Madonna as Mary Magdalene0000 blessing the heroes after they transcended, the patrons of the arcade would all be futuristic angels and gods and be pulled from their games into the religious iconography as the song progressed. The two creative directors had a falling out, so our thread to Madonna was lost (for the time being). Bert [Martirosyan], now a dear friend and casting director of legend invited Jazzelle, the rest is herstory.
This sounds very destined. Your presence feels effortlessly intriguing and understated – your individualities create the art but never overshadow it, allowing it to grow into its own identity. Is this a conscious choice to maintain a sense of anonymity, and how do you view the idea of visibility or recognition in the context of your work?
We are interested in recognition and visibility, it’s really just been a question of priorities and choices. We have been single-pointedly focused on creating art, it’s just what’s been essential to us as artists and people, making this music literally was life and death.
Now as we’re starting to release some of the work the question of visibility is essential. According to the Oracle, all roads point to TikTok (laughs). Seriously though, TikTok might be the Sphinx, guarding the gates of our collective consciousness. It remains to be seen how to answer her riddle.
Now as we’re starting to release some of the work the question of visibility is essential. According to the Oracle, all roads point to TikTok (laughs). Seriously though, TikTok might be the Sphinx, guarding the gates of our collective consciousness. It remains to be seen how to answer her riddle.