“We always strive to create something that hasn’t been done before,” Cologne-based duo 9OASES tells us about the inspiration behind their creative process. Mourad Kehailia and Sebastian Fischer are storytellers of sound, blending their contrasting musical pasts into a collaborative future.
Mourad’s roots stretch deep into the rhythm-heavy terrain of hip hop, while Sebastian’s path was forged in the frenetic pulse of electronic hardcore and rave. Their meeting wasn’t a collision but a convergence—two distinct worlds finding harmony in a shared studio, where their differences became their greatest strength. “Despite our different musical tastes, we spoke the same language in the studio,” they recall.
Their latest release, Streetpoet / New Ballad, blends Prodigy-style breakbeats with a four-on-the-floor pulse, autotuned rap vocals, and chiming bells, while New Ballad experiments with emotional synth textures and evolving lyrics. The Axel Boman Trancehall Mix takes you on a deep journey, letting you lose yourself in both motion and imagination. “We believe that in the future, genres will blend even more, with many more crossovers emerging,” they muse. The result is music that works equally well for dancing or cruising down an open road.
In our interview, we explore their creative partnership, their reflections on genre-blending in electronic music, and how their diverse influences shape their own sound.
photography by Kadar
You both come from diverse musical backgrounds, with Mourad in hip hop and Sebastian in electronic hardcore/rave. How have these influences shaped the 9OASES sound we hear today?
Yes, it definitely did. The main challenge is arranging the productions in a way that both styles are clearly reflected in the music. Ultimately, that’s what 9OASES is all about, so we’ll be releasing some productions and songs that take a completely different direction from the Streetpoet EP.
Also, your Streetpoet /New Ballad EP showcases a wilder mix of genres. Do you think this release speaks to a broader trend in electronic music today, where genres are increasingly blending?
We believe that in the future, genres will blend even more, with many more crossovers emerging. This is not only because it’s the key to creating new styles within different genres, but also due to the growing popularity of electronic music. Nowadays, all it takes is a few viral Instagram videos to make the leap from underground to mainstream. However, there will always be cultural purists who resist outside influences and fiercely protect what defines their genre.
What’s the vibe you wanted to create with Streetpoet /New Ballad?
For Streetpoet, we aimed to blend a Prodigy-style breakbeat with a four-on-the-floor bass drum, modern autotuned rap vocals, and chiming bell sounds, giving it an old-school vibe. With New Ballad, we experimented by recording a variety of random synth sounds in key for the first time, shaping them into the production. Afterward, we teamed up with Yasmin to write some lyrics and later recorded it with Michael. Interestingly, the remix we made actually became the final version. We always strive to create something that hasn’t been done before.
“Clubs are springing up again, perhaps bringing a breath of fresh air to the scene and giving new artists and concepts a chance.”
How did the two of you first connect and decide to start making music together?
We met as DJs in a collective in Cologne. At that point, Mourad was moving away from his hip-hop DJ roots and had started a house music project. We ended up organizing a lot of parties together and eventually played at various events, which led to some back-to-back sets. Later, during a production project in France, we shared a studio and discovered that, despite our different musical tastes, we spoke the same language in the studio. As a result, we started spending more and more time together, especially since our studios were in the same house. Now, we share a studio and have brought the 9OASES project to life.
When you’re in the studio, how do you usually split up the work?
It’s always a bit different. Often, we start sessions together—one of us will jump on the synths while the other focuses on the drums, and we start gathering ideas. But there are also times when one of us is in the studio alone, kicking off a project that the other can pick up and continue working on later.
How do you handle creative differences?
Occasionally, we each have different ideas about how the song should sound or how certain elements should be. But in the end, we both keep working on the project until it’s finished, setting our egos aside so that the best final version prevails. And it’s fun there’s never been a kick drum that Sebastian hasn’t replaced at the very end.
Are there any artists or genres you both love listening to outside of electronic music that influence your work?
I (Mourad) still listen to a lot of hip hop and find inspiration in it. But when I don’t have the energy to keep up with the overwhelming music market, I enjoy revisiting old classics, which can range from Arabic music like Fairuz to Guns N’ Roses. In between, I listen to a lot of electronic music of course.”
My (Sebastian) entire musical cosmos is in the electronic realm in the broadest sense. I am primarily attracted to anything that has electronic elements in it. As soon as you hear synth, I feel addressed. This can range from classics like Depeche Mode to Jungle or even a Post Malone album. We often come together in the studio after listening to music separately and show each other exciting new productions and discoveries we’ve made and think about how we can work with them. Even if it’s sometimes just a special sounding bass drum.
“We both keep working on the project until it’s finished, setting our egos aside so that the best final version prevails.”
Clubs in Germany have been struggling lately, with many facing financial pressures and closures. How do you think this has affected the electronic music scene?
Basically, we think that the closure of clubs for financial reasons depends on very different reasons. Certainly one that leads to financial problems is the impact of gentrification. Clubs are struggling with this internationally. In Germany, of course, we notice this particularly when clubs like Watergate announce their closure. At the same time, clubs are of course springing up again, perhaps bringing a breath of fresh air to the scene and giving new artists and concepts a chance. In Cologne, for example, the club “Fi” recently opened, which has already been praised for its sound system by artists such as Allen Alien and others.
Do you like to go out yourself? (smiles) If so, what are some of your favorite clubs?
We actually rarely go to clubs, we tend to go to bigger festivals or concerts privately. There are artists whose concerts we go to from time to time. Most recently we went to see Rival Consoles or Weval in Cologne, but we also went to see Moderat or Bicep live.
You’re based in Cologne right now. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I’m (Mourad) a child of the sun and would love to live somewhere with more sunlight, ideally by the sea. I could see myself moving to places like Barcelona, Lisbon, or the Arab Emirates at some point.
I (Sebastian) think Portugal has a very interesting mix of good weather, beautiful scenery and electronic music scene. Maybe that would be a place that could serve as a center of life one day.
What’s a non-music-related goal you’re currently working toward?
I’m (Mourad) currently achieving one of my long-standing goals by opening coffee shops, which I’m working on alongside the music projects.
In (Sebastian) the field of education, I try to give students an insight into the world of music. Working with sound is not only important in the field of music but also in the field of art, audio-visual installations or in the field of field recordings or podcasts.
What’s the most important thing in life?
Having an altruistic attitude and being there for others when they need you. At the top of the priority list is family.
Thank you so much for your time!
Follow 9OASES for more:
www.instagram.com/9oases
soundcloud.com/9oases
