It’s been a quiet week, which means it’s a great opportunity to visit the Profile pile! (And, frankly, give myself a break from the, um, mountain, of FITM photos I’m working through. Pun very much intended.) Today we’re turning the calendar back a couple of weeks to July 25th, when Norwegian instrumental progressive rock project Agropelter dropped The Book of Hours through The Lasers Edge. The creative outlet of multi-instrumentalist Kay Olsen, Agropelter is sure to scratch that prog itch you have. A wonderful blend of instrumentation, fulfilling atmospheres, and a experimental approach means there is a lot to digest in this project, and a lot of ways to digest it. Sit down with it. Immerse yourself in it. And then do it again. As for Kay’s responses to our questionnaire? You can find them below as always.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

It started with the usual suspects in the early nineties – Metallica, Guns ‘n Roses, Megadeth, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, and so on. But in the first year of junior high, my music teacher said I needed to listen to this band he was certain I would like – Dream Theater. I was all over after that. Everything they did in the nineties is sacred to me, and it propelled me towards all the progressive bands I adore today.

I started playing in various bands in my younger days, but this project came about around 2019 when I messed around on an iMac/Garageband that to my surprise had a Mellotron plug-in. And I started to record bits of music that I liked for fun. I wrote a lot of music during the pandemic without any real plans of releasing anything. It wasn’t before I asked Jacob Holm-Lupo at Dude Ranch Studio to mix and master my music, that I realized that this is something I think people needed to hear.

My family have always been very supportive, but I can do a better job of inviting them into my parallel
universe which is Agropelter.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

Agropelter is an instrumental symphonic progressive rock project. Which means that along with the traditional guitars, bass and drums, I use woodwinds, strings, grand piano, large pipe organs, and more which are traditionally used in classical music. There are also Mellotrons, Moog synthesizers, bass pedals, and all that good stuff also. I love blending styles and sounds into what I personally like to listen to. Add a splash of earie soundtrack feeling and jazz into the mix also, and it sounds like Agropelter.

Is there anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

I postponed the record over a year to be able to play and record the great church organ at Frogner Church in Oslo, because the organist that helped me fell very ill for a long time. I wanted to have the presence and power of a real full size pipe organ on the record, so I think it was well worth the wait. You can hear it on most of the songs in different settings. I think it is the greatest instrument that ever existed – nothing beats playing a real pipe organ on full power in a large room!

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

Being that Agropelter is a relatively new project, no shows have been played, and none are in the plans for now. But you never know in the future.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

I like that it has become so easy to record music on your own, which bring out lots of new music and artists. Technology has also evolved a lot in terms of digital plug-ins and instruments, which I know much of the scene uses these days. I use a lot of the digital stuff for writing and demoing myself, but I think the real thing still sounds a lot better. All the instruments on the record, except for a few synth sounds are recorded with an actual microphone and an instrument.

I’m not a big fan of the whole djent genre or where prog metal seems to be going stylistically lately. To me, everybody sounds exactly the same when you play 8 string guitars and identical riffs. But this is only my opinion of course. It also seems like social media is making bands create personas and create conflict to get attention. I’m not sure if that is good for artists in the long term, if they actually want to be respected and known for their music. But it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

It is important to me that people can voice their opinions and beliefs, no matter what they may be, as long as they are not hurting anybody. I think that this applies to the political, social, musical and personal sphere. The whole right/wrong mentality is hindering a lot these days. I think it is a massive strength to be able to disagree or have different preferences and still be friendly.

I see it in music also. Gatekeeping happens in all genres – in prog you have the people that are unable to move past 1971. The genre is supposed to push limits and reinvent itself, not be held back by the comfort of the good old days. My whole philosophy in music, is to do whatever I want and pay absolutely no mind to what others say. If I like it – it works!

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

I’m really into wine and collecting vinyl records. As an audiophile, I spend lots of time in my listening room trying to listen to and discover as much music from all genres as I can. If it’s good, it’s good!

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

I would give you the same advice I would give to myself – really listen and have patience with new music. My biggest issue as a listener, is that I get bored easily and have low patience if something doesn’t grab me right away. Although listening to vinyl helps with that since you cannot switch tracks easily and there is an investment in the record itself. I’m sure I have missed out on extreme amounts of fantastic music, because I didn’t have the patience to sit through the record – or listen multiple times.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

I want to keep making records and experiment even more with styles and sounds. I also want to get more great musicians to contribute to my music. It has been a dream come true to have Jonas Reingold and Mattias Olsson play on my album. Ever since I heard The Flower Kings’ “The Rainmaker” back in the early 2000s, and after my first meeting with the first two Änglagård albums I have been a massive fan of those guys. They really took the material to the next level.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

The latest Wobbler album – “Dwellers of the Deep:. Wobbler are probably the greatest prog band in the world right now
Lars Fredrik Frøislie – “Gamle Mester”
Stian Carstensen – “Musical Sanatorium”. The world’s greatest multi-instrumentalist.
Miles Davis – “Sketches of Spain”
Yes – “Drama”
Novalis – “Sommerabend”
Neuschwanstein – “Battlement”
Susanne Sundfør – “Blomi”
Genesis – “Wind and Wuthering”
Mozart – “Requiem” by different orchestras

What is the near future outlook for you? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

Look out for the new album called “The Book of Hours”, out July 25th. And who knows, there might be a
follow up album real soon.

Summarize your band in one word.

Genrefluid.

Many thanks to Agropelter for the time!

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The Book Of Hours, is out now through The Lasers Edge. For more information on Agropelter, follow along through Instagram.