Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here's how KATLA was made - recorded at the Synth & Pedal Expo London (plus sounds at the end!). Katla is a unique synth - inspired by a titanic volcano in Iceland, with a huge gritty vibey sound. It literally has volcano in it(!) And after this interview, I thought about it a lot. Because behind the scenes, I've been working on a product and so much of what Óli said here resonated with my own experiences. I was really struck by how open, candid and frank Óli was, and I think there's huge value in learning from their journey. Hope you find this interesting!
Note that there was the Hackney half marathon happening in the background with people shouting and whooping constantly throughout the chat - but Izotope RX to the rescue!
MORE ON KATLA
▶︎ It's since sold out, but there is a waitlist! https://genki.is/katla
VISIT THE LONDON SYNTH & PEDAL EXPO NEXT YEAR?
▶︎ synthandpedalexpo.com/london-synth-pedal-expo
CHAPTERS
0:00 A Volcano In A Synthesizer?
01:03 Depression, Iceland & A Big Idea
02:11 Nobody Knew What They Were Building
04:31 Fake Deadlines & Soccer Moms
06:09 The Godfather Of The Project
08:00 How Do You Sound Like A Volcano?
09:32 Spending Big & Hoping It Works
11:20 Linux, ARM Chips & Why Digital?
12:45 Who Actually Has Final Say?
15:50 4:30am Hack Sessions In Iceland
18:16 Trusting Creatives When Life Hits
21:28 We Were Beginners. We Didn't Know.
23:48 The Secret Ingredient: Grease
26:16 Where Does The Lava Come From?
29:23 Why Does This Cost £5,000?
34:11 Two Years, 100 Units, A Baby
36:50 Mylar Playing Katla Afterwards
SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL:
▶︎ Patreon: patreon.com/c/mylarmelodies (Help fund more podcast episodes, videos, join a community of music makers and ask me questions directly!)
▶︎ Buy some music on Bandcamp: mylarmelodies.bandcamp.com
▶︎ Buy your gear thru these affiliate links:
👉 SHOP AT KMR AUDIO AND GET 5% OFF ANYTHING WITH CODE MYLAR5 👈
➡️ KMR Audio: kmraudio.com/?ref=mylarmelodies
➡️ Signal Sounds: signalsounds.com/?ref=mm
➡️ Perfect Circuit link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-312335-9759?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perfectcircuit.com%2F
➡️ Sweetwater sweetwater.sjv.io/DKnn6y
➡️ Thomann: thomann.de/?offid=1&affid=845
➡️ Plugin Boutique: pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=642c4629ec8ef
▶︎ Make a one-time donation via Paypal: paypal.com/ncp/payment/KNLRQUDAUDUUJ
▶︎ Subscribe to my podcast Why We Bleep: whywebleep.com (...and rate it on your favourite app!)
Here's how KATLA was made - recorded at the Synth & Pedal Expo London (plus sounds at the end!). Katla is a unique synth - inspired by a titanic volcano in Iceland, with a huge gritty vibey sound. It literally has volcano in it(!) And after this interview, I thought about it a lot. Because behind the scenes, I've been working on a product and so much of what Óli said here resonated with my own experiences. I was really struck by how open, candid and frank Óli was, and I think there's huge value in learning from their journey. Hope you find this interesting!
Note that there was the Hackney half marathon happening in the background with people shouting and whooping constantly throughout the chat - but Izotope RX to the rescue!
MORE ON KATLA
▶︎ It's since sold out, but there is a waitlist! https://genki.is/katla
VISIT THE LONDON SYNTH & PEDAL EXPO NEXT YEAR?
▶︎ synthandpedalexpo.com/london-synth-pedal-expo
CHAPTERS
0:00 A Volcano In A Synthesizer?
01:03 Depression, Iceland & A Big Idea
02:11 Nobody Knew What They Were Building
04:31 Fake Deadlines & Soccer Moms
06:09 The Godfather Of The Project
08:00 How Do You Sound Like A Volcano?
09:32 Spending Big & Hoping It Works
11:20 Linux, ARM Chips & Why Digital?
12:45 Who Actually Has Final Say?
15:50 4:30am Hack Sessions In Iceland
18:16 Trusting Creatives When Life Hits
21:28 We Were Beginners. We Didn't Know.
23:48 The Secret Ingredient: Grease
26:16 Where Does The Lava Come From?
29:23 Why Does This Cost £5,000?
34:11 Two Years, 100 Units, A Baby
36:50 Mylar Playing Katla Afterwards
SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL:
▶︎ Patreon: patreon.com/c/mylarmelodies (Help fund more podcast episodes, videos, join a community of music makers and ask me questions directly!)
▶︎ Buy some music on Bandcamp: mylarmelodies.bandcamp.com
▶︎ Buy your gear thru these affiliate links:
👉 SHOP AT KMR AUDIO AND GET 5% OFF ANYTHING WITH CODE MYLAR5 👈
➡️ KMR Audio: kmraudio.com/?ref=mylarmelodies
➡️ Signal Sounds: signalsounds.com/?ref=mm
➡️ Perfect Circuit link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-312335-9759?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perfectcircuit.com%2F
➡️ Sweetwater sweetwater.sjv.io/DKnn6y
➡️ Thomann: thomann.de/?offid=1&affid=845
➡️ Plugin Boutique: pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=642c4629ec8ef
▶︎ Make a one-time donation via Paypal: paypal.com/ncp/payment/KNLRQUDAUDUUJ
▶︎ Subscribe to my podcast Why We Bleep: whywebleep.com (...and rate it on your favourite app!)
