By Sergio Vilar

Could you give a brief review of the history of the group?

Halvard: The first steps were taken when I met Øystein, a former school friend, to discuss musical ideas back in 1994. We bought a PA, and then we brought in other members that we already knew, but the final setup was in fact a bit by chance and fortune. The setup of “Brennende Drømmer” was settled just before the recordings in 1999, and the members are still the same today: Rune Forselv (drums), Atle Bye (bass), Øystein Larsen (Hammond, Mellotron, piano), Ståle Roar Leirtrø (guitar, vocals) and me Halvard Jackobsen (lead guitar).

Ståle: We spent a lot of time to find a personal expression for our music, because we didn’t always agree on the music. We don’t have any leader or dictator in the band, so we have to try different musical solutions till we find something that appeals to all of the members. This process is also one of the main reasons to be in a band, in my opinion.

Why and how did you choose the name of Mikromidas for the band?

Halvard: We were called “Nocturnal Sea” originally, but we changed as we went for a more Norwegian profile with Norwegian lyrics. The name Mikromidas might give associations in Norwegian and other languages as well?

Atle: Mikromidas is a catchy name. Isn’t it?

Ståle: Yes, and I think we wanted a name with no particular meaning or significance. We thought of many different names, but it was important for us to avoid any references to other bands. We just wanted a name. “Mikromidas” is a kind of nickname for a small person in Norwegian. We like myths and dwarfs, but we are not particularly small ourselves (he-he!)

Which have been your main musical influences through the years?

Øystein: I prefer to listen to old progressive rock. Many quite unknown bands and records from the 70’ties are re-released now, but I’m also very fond of the classic bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and Gong, and even some real classical music like Edward Grieg, Phillip Glass, Ärvo Part or Gustav Holst.

Atle: I used to listen to hard rock like Deep Purple and Rainbow. Roger Glover is the bass player in both bands, so he can be called my favorite.

Halvard: I love Landberk and “Nucleus” by Anekdoten is a “must”. I like the melancholic mood combined with riffs and rhythm by Landberk or raw power by Anekdoten. I would also mention Frank Zappa and Neil Young, talking about guitar players, even if this source of inspiration might be difficult to trace in our music.

Rune: As a drummer I have to say that King Crimson and Led Zeppelin have been the biggest sources of inspiration for me. John Bonham of Led Zeppelin is my favorite drummer of all times.

How would you describe the live band? How do you prepare your shows?

Ståle: We have kept a low profile as a live band lately, because we are not really in a position to travel around too much, and the market for shows in our hometown is not too big. Anyway, I think our CD “Brennende Drømmer” gives you a good idea of our live expression, because it was basically recorded live in the studio. We did some extra keyboards and song tracks, but it is basically a live recording.

Seeing it at the distance… were you satisfied with the final result of “Brennende drømmer”?  

Halvard: There are all kinds of songs and music on the album, and this might confuse the listeners, but it is also a bit typical for the band. We want the band to be a melting pot for music of all kinds. The sound of the album is a bit raw. That might be both good and bad, but maybe we’ll go for a more sophisticated sound next time?

Rune: We had a limited budget since we had no record company behind us. Studio sessions are not too cheap, so we had to finish the recordings as quickly as possible. I’m sure we could have made the album even better if we had more time to fix up mistakes and polish everything, but on the other hand this one is more authentic.

Øystein: We will probably spend more time in the studio the next time, even if we always want to keep the feeling of a live performance. I think we will make the dynamics of the music more obvious to the listeners on our next album.

Which are your favorite songs?

Rune: "Nostradamus"!

Atle: "Nostradamus" is the funniest song to play, because it is full of different musical themes and variation.

Ståle: I think we all keep “Nostradamus” as a favorite track. This is the longest and most epic song of the album. “Jublende rekker” and “I tåketimen” could also be mentioned, but I think the preferences changes from day to day, it depends on your mood.

Have you already begun to prepare material for a new album?

Ståle: Actually we are planning to release a six-track vinyl EP these days. The songs are not on the album, but they are from the same recording sessions. This will be a very limited edition released on our own label. For the next album we will try to get a bigger distribution, maybe through Musea Records.

Atle: And we are going back to the studio in June, so we will probably have a new full- length album ready in 2004.

What difference will there be to the previous disc? Which novelties will be on the album?

Atle: I think the new songs are even more mixed what concerns the style. Some songs are long, epic and dynamic like "Nostradamus", but we also have some short and easy pieces ready. The style is pretty much the same as on "Brennende drømmer", but maybe a bit more complex in parts.

Ståle: And we would like to spend more time in the studio this time to get the recordings as good as possible. The songs deserve a good treatment after all.

How is the scene in Norway in these days for shows, new bands and diffusion?

Rune: Our hometown Stavanger is small, and Norway is a small country, so it’s hard to find a big market for our music here around.                It’s hard to make commercial success with a non-commercial product, especially in a small country. I think the entire progressive scene in Norway is based on idealism. The only way to survive financially is to join the mainstream genders.

Øystein: The Norwegian scene is dominated by mainstream pop music, recycling old ideas. Little is new or impressing. There are some enthusiasts in Oslo (The Capitol) though. They are making the Tarkus magazine for progressive music, and they have also made progressive festivals lately.   

And in the rest of Europe?

Ståle: Hopefully the situation for alternative music and progressive rock is getting better both in Norway and in Europe. It seems to have been a growing interest through the nineties and it seems to blossom right now, even if it will remain a sub culture forever.

Halvard: I think Internet is useful for new bands to spread their music around the world, and that makes it possible for bands from small countries like Norway to find a market. Our CD was released on a French label, Musea Records, and it is mainly sold through Internet. 

Lastly… what could you tell to our readers?

Rune: Music is a state of mind, not a state of perfection. If you can define the music 100% it’s not 100% music!

Atle: I hope that your readers will get the chance to hear our music.

Ståle: Your readers will find samples of our music and more information at our web site www.mikromidas.com