http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article347806.ece
Morten Harket is soon releasing solo album for the first time in 12 years. In two weeks solo concerts with all in a-ha. And the attention does not end there.
The release of ”Letter from Egypt” is a happening itself. The sold-out concerts as well. But, there is soon even more attention attracted to Morten Harket’s activities. This time he feels misunderstood regarding wishing to go through newspapers interviews and photos before they go to print. Newspapers usually let interview objects confirm own quotes, but not complete articles and photos. It is easily made a lot of fuss around Morten Harket’s person?
- It is easy to agree when you ask. But that depends on your intention. I have not expressed a wish to intervene the editorial, neither decide what is facts, the singer says.
Easy target -Do you feel you, as Morten Harket is an easy target?
- Everyone moving around in this area, not only me, is exposed this way. What I decline is people putting words into my mouth. I do not mind this interview being about this case, we can just as well give a damn in the album. But, when the album is coming it is naturally for me to make myself available to the press. I tend to say no to such inquiries, I need to regulate how much I am in the media. I am up for this, when I am releasing an album. But not to support my product. It has got my support during the recording. I can make myself available for general consideration. Me, as Morten. As artist do things stand on their own legs. It is just stupid taking about giving things birth help. The album is born, it has left my home. The care time is past.
A grip of today
13 years has gone since “Wild Seed” sold 160.000 copies, and made Morten Harket into solo artist just as big as a-ha. The very Norwegian follow-up “Vogts Villa” from 1997 is he counting as a bracket. An international renaissance for the group in the new century put an end to further drive alone.
- I have been in a continuous creative process. I have had not plan, this album could just as well have been released in 1998, but then it was a-ha instead. “Letter from Egypt” is a natural continuation of “Wild Seed”, with a grip of today.
- There is no agenda for this album. I have searched towards an expression that works… it would be wrong to say superficial, but the music is supposed to be accessible without not necessarily having to deepen into it. One can also do that, if pulled towards it. If music is just a colour of existence it is great. But It does as well invite to a deeper dive. Anyone’s personal experience with music as a meeting with oneself.
Soloconcerts with a-ha
20. of May does a-ha do the first of three nights with solo concerts in Oslo. With London’s Royal Albert Hall thereafter. Is it a coincidence this happens simultaneously with the release of the new album?
- Yes, actually. These are processes emerging at the same time. It was Magne who threw the idea onto the lap to our promoter in England. He immediately received such a good response he had to say, “hold on, the others does not know anything about it yet, they probably don’t want to”. This is just a stunt. But it appears the ones who have worked for this has the finger on the pulse, reactions from England have been clear, not just from audience, but artists and people in the business do say this is something they want to witness.
- Will you do something together on stage too?
– I'm not at liberty to say. I would understand if people found it strange if we did not do anything together as well. But we do not perform in each others solo sections. We do not such each other that way. When doing something solo, it is because of the need not to stamp on each others toes. This is easy to interpret as we do not want to have anything to do with each other. Then, one has to remember how much we have done together. When we pulled the plug in 1993 we were not burned out, we just wanted away from the machinery to a-ha. We had been so intensively implicated into each other we had to live other lives. There were big sparkles as well, but being as a natural part of the tention field we were in. We are just better talking each others languages, these days.
Difficult or demanding?
- Have you made bigger plans for a-ha after this?
- Now I am going out with a solo album. That is what fills my days. I disappeared in work with a-ha for eight years because I did not double drive. But I can see very interesting signals about things coming.
- What do you think explains this continued interest for a-ha?
- We were a lot more than a teenager band. Those who were teenagers back then knew this, and are grown up now. They have got a more compound relation to us. We were celebrated as assorted chocolates, you could have on the go. That is how we looked as well. But the music survives, and has given us 25 years of work so far.
- Anything more you would like to say?
- There is no thing I cannot talk about. Personally I would have found it completely lovely not saying anything at all. But if I had resigned it would as well have been interpreted in all directions. Regardless, I will be considered as difficult here and there. I am demanding, I do expect things to be what they pass themselves off as. There I have a struggle. But in everyday I am a playing figure.
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Morten, you\'re with me, with me, wherever I go <3
