1.) WHICH RECORD HAS HAD THE MOST PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON YOU?
Starting off with the most difficult question of all time then, are we? It could be several! Damn, it could be “Wish You Were Here”, it could be “Presence”, it could also be “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” or even “Live In The Heart Of The City” for that matter. Impossible, but today I’ll go with “De Mysteriis…” by Mayhem. Mostly because those riffs were all over the place in our formative years with Enslaved. Several songs were already performed (and released) on several tapes and compilations in 1990, and the rest of the songs were recorded in 1992 and “all of us” had that instrumental tape, and it was spinning all the time. When Attila was recording the vocals a year later or so, I was blown away. It was so ahead of its time. So unique, and still is.
2.) HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU SPEND A WEEK RECORDING/PLAYING/CREATING?
I’m afraid it boils down to the boring answer; “It differs a lot” haha. Sometimes a lot, sometimes zero. Usually in between though. There’s usually some songs I have to prepare for live performances, songs we dig up from our archives, some material we haven’t been performing for years, old album sets etc. Then there’s lyrical lines and ideas, and those are spinning around in the so called brain constantly. I’ve had ideas processing in that mess for, sometimes, more than a decade before I finally use them. So, I guess there’s always something cooking, although perhaps not efficiently or very productively.
3.) WHICH OF YOUR OWN CREATIONS IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
It’s easy to say it is “the last album”, and in many aspects that is the truth. Then again, that’s often because you tend to forget the efforts you have put up earlier.
So, if I try to make justice to myself and to the younger versions of yours truly, I have to go for our very first album release 32 years ago. In 1993 we released our first vinyl, a mini album called “Hordanes Land”. That is the biggest milestone, not by far our best work, but it meant the world to me and still does. Back then, getting a record deal, recording and releasing a physical album was a lot different than today. It was nothing but huge.
4.) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?
I shan’t claim I don’t have any and that I haven’t committed anything very very stupid, hahaha. But, I rather not dwell on it too much. I fear I would become a very depressed middle aged man if I did. I’ll give you a cliché instead; “I did my best” or “I thought you wanted me to do that”.
5.) WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
Since I was a little kid, even before I could speak properly (some would claim I still can’t), I’ve been fishing. That’s my ultimate “get my mind off things” approach. Whenever I have a chance, I’ll go by a lake, a river or by the sea to catch some fish, or just be there focusing on something completely different. That has contributed to a somehow better mental health. It brings out both adrenaline and removes any stress at the same time. I simply can’t live without it.
6.) OTHER THAN FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION?
Now, that’s easy! My records, my instruments and my fishing gear.
7.) TELL ME THREE OF YOUR HEROES/HEROINES?
I could pick a favourite musician of course, but I’m landing on the last pagan ruler of Norway, Håkon Ladejarl! Long story short; Håkon could be a very powerful ruler, in alliance with Harald I of Denmark, if he accepted Christianity. But, he didn’t. He knew this would lead to a terrible end for him, and he was ultimately murdered by his own servant and his head was finally put on a stake. Still, it’s a pretty rock ‘n’ roll thing to do; he was steadfast and didn’t back out. A true underdog. I also descend directly from him, hahaha. That’s pretty cool.
8.) WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?
At the bank of my favourite lake, after putting out and arranging my rods, and opening the first cold beer. Preferably after a successful concert and preferably without wifey and the kids thinking I’m an asshole for preferring an evening in solitude by the lake instead of giving the exterior of the house a lick of paint.
9.) IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE YOUR ART WHAT OCCUPATION DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING?
I’m pretty sure I would have studied history at some level if I didn’t become a touring musician back in the days. My ultimate plan is to pick it up after the music career is over and jump straight to a professor emeritus engagement and pretend that this is something I’ve been doing for 50 years.
10.) IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT YOU HAVE NEVER CONVEYED IN AN INTERVIEW BEFORE WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
Haha, I want the world to know less about me in fact. I’ll give some real dry trivia instead:
I once played a veteran ice hockey match and I was facing former Manchester United defender Ronny Johnsen. So, now (maybe not the whole world) knows that I used to play ice hockey.
