Bergen-based artist Peder Niilas Tårnesvik, known as Niilas, works across club music, sound art, and performance.
Photo credit: Niilas – Official
His output includes conceptual albums and audio-visual live shows, and he was part of BICEP’s multimedia project ‘TAKKUUK’, appearing in the film and on the album’s intro track. Over the years he has performed at festivals such as Øya, as well as institutions including the Henie Onstad Art Center, Tate Modern Corner Bar, and the Munch Museum. His work has also appeared in campaigns for brands like Adidas and Polestar.
Now he returns with his latest album, ‘Nama Haga’, released digitally and on vinyl on March 6th, 2026. The record brings together material created while traveling and between larger projects, capturing a more spontaneous side of his production process. Featuring collaborations with Why Kai and Resa Saffa Park, the LP blends melancholic textures, broken rhythms, and house-leaning grooves while maintaining the atmospheric tone that defines his work.
In this conversation, Niilas discusses the origins of ‘Nama Haga’, the collaborative process behind the album, and how the project is shaping the next phase of his live performances.
EG: Hi, Peder! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been doing?
Niilas: Thanks! I’m great. I’m really eager to get 2026 going. It’s shaping up to become quite hectic, and a lot of driving energy is building up!
EG: First of all, congratulations on the incoming release of your new studio album, ‘Nama Haga’! You must be excited to share this one. What has the initial reception been like so far?
Niilas: I’ve gotten some really good feedback on the music, but most of all people seem to really love the cover art and design of the physical copies, CD and vinyl. I took the cover photo myself. It’s a purple cabbage plant outside the municipality building in Reykjavik. It represents the album quite well in a sense, since the photo was taken while traveling with friends for music purposes. A lot of the music was made in that setting as well.
EG: ‘Nama Haga’ sounds like quite an interesting name for a record. Where did it come from? Why did you choose to name the record ‘Nama Haga’?
Niilas: It is essentially lifted from one of the great painters, musicians, and poets in Sami culture, Áillohaš. Translated into English it means “untitled”, and is a title he used throughout his career. I’ve been inspired by this and used the same title, although in a different context. I also think it looks visually interesting, and in some sense feels a bit East Asian in the wording. From a Western viewpoint, it could have been a Japanese title, which I think is fun to play with.
EG: How would you describe the music on ‘Nama Haga’? Is there a concept driving this album?
Niilas: The album is essentially a collection of surplus music I’ve created over the last couple of years. I’ve been super busy with quite conceptually intense albums in recent years, but my creative output surpasses the conceptual boundaries of those albums. After enough time I checked my folders and realized I had a lot of material just laying there, and much of it was too good to keep private.
“One of my more abstract goals is to have a higher level of activity in general, be more social, and go head first into new situations, plans, projects, and ideas”
EG: What was the recording process for ‘Nama Haga’ like? Did it take longer to finish than you thought it would? What would you like listeners to take away from this record?
Niilas: The framework of the album was created on the go and in quick sketches during studio runs. When the sound, the red thread of the album appeared, I had to connect everything together into a cohesive direction and develop the visual aspects as well. Some of the tracks were dead ends before I realized there are so many talented people around me, so I started contacting them for collaborations. In a sense, this album is a lot more social and extroverted than my earlier work and has opened up a new perspective on my practice and career.
EG: The record is accompanied by a series of music videos written and directed by Lea Meyer. How did this connection come about, and why did Lea feel like the perfect person to translate ‘Nama Haga’ to video?
Niilas: Lea is one of the most exciting upcoming directors in Norway, in my opinion. She has an eye and an aesthetic in her work that I really don’t see many others working with, and I see a bright future for her. Seeing that we’re partners and live together, these types of collaborations can be a bit risky, but luckily we work really great together!
EG: Are there any plans to present the album as a whole in a live setting?
Niilas: Yes, I’m currently working on putting together a live band with jazz musicians to perform the music live. I’ve been doing electronic solo shows with visuals for a long time now, and it feels good to shake things up a bit. After having an amazing experience at the end of 2025 performing with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, I realized that it’s possible to just contact talented people, guide them to perform something, and join them. It sounds a bit naive put like this, but I think that’s a great way to enter a new phase.
EG: On to a broader subject… What would you like to accomplish as an artist this year? Is there something tangible you’d like to go for?
Niilas: I would like to establish my new live show and take it to new places, and experience how it is to play with a group. One of my more abstract goals is to have a higher level of activity in general, be more social, and go head first into new situations, plans, projects, and ideas.
“This album is a lot more social and extroverted than my earlier work and has opened up a new perspective on my practice and career”
EG: What’s next for Niilas? Where can your fans catch you next?
Niilas: Up until May, I’ll be very busy with music, projects, performing, and preparing here in Oslo. After that I’m going to Paris for a two-month residency stay, which is going to be amazing. I’m really looking forward to springtime in Paris and experiencing what a city like that can offer in terms of art, culture, and music. At the same time, I’m kind of lowering my expectations for work during that trip. Since I’m going to be so busy up until then, it might be smart to use the stay more as a vacation or a time for curiosity instead of intense work. It will probably be something unexpected either way, and I’m very much looking forward to it.
Niilas’ ‘Nama Haga’ is out now. Stream and download here.
Follow Niilas: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
