a-ha-net Interview from June 24th, 2009 Erik Ljunggren, born in 1971, is a Norwegian musician, producer and programmer. From the early nineties he has played in various bands, including Seigmen, Satyricon and Zeromancer. For a-ha, he worked on the current album “Foot of the mountain” as programmer and technician, and is named as producer on the tracks “Riding the crest”, “What there is”, “Real meaning” and “Sunny mystery” along with Steve Osborne and a-ha. His background and his experience as rock and metal musician have had an audibly positive effect on the songs. Furthermore, the exclusive digital UK version of the single “Foot of the mountain” includes an “Erik Ljunggren Remix” of the title song.
The Norwegian is not just involved in the album - since the South American concerts in March 2009 he has been with Morten, Magne and Paul as a new background musician. Along with Karl Oluf Wennerberg on drums, he supports a-ha as programmer, on the keyboard and bass.

We are delighted that he took the time to answer some questions on his work and the new album.

a-ha-net: First of all we'd like to know how you came to music?

Erik Ljunggren: I started playing brass instruments at a very young age. Then classical guitar. Buying an Atari computer and a sampler opened up a new world to me and since then I consider the computer my main instrument.

a-ha-net: Who or what are your musical influences?

E.L.: First album I wore out as a kid was "Switched on Bach" by Wendy Carlos. As a teenager I was through several stages. First Beatles, Bowie. Then Duran Duran.... Depeche Mode, New Order etc. I guess that is my musical roots.
Nowdays I listen to a lot very varied music. Everything from from classical to extreme metal.

a-ha-net: You are not just a programmer and producer, but also a musician, playing keyboard and having toured with the band Zeromancer. What do you enjoy more? Playing yourself and performing on a stage, or working with other bands and sequencers or computer programs?

E.L.: I think I enjoy more working in the studio. But there is also a certain excitement to performing live that I like. I like the process of preparing the studiosounds to make them work as best as possible live. I also find getting the machines interact in the live performance interesting. I thought I was done with touring but when A-ha asked me I just could not miss that opportunity.

a-ha-net: What does the job of a programmer entail?

E.L.: That is a good question. Most of the time you work on a computer software or program old synthesizers. Making sounds or creating patterns.
It can be everything from just being responsible for the operation of the computer program, to working on musical ideas that sometimes ends up as being composition.
What I do depends on the project and what the producer wants me to do. And working with A-ha my role changed depending on when we were working with a producer or if I was just working with the band alone.

a-ha-net: The song "Shine on" from "Apoptygma Berzerk" that you mixed made it into the top 20 of the German singles charts, and was the band’s biggest German success to date. How important are chart and international success to you?

E.L.: You need some success to be able to continue doing what I do I guess..... Saying that there is a lot of great music that doesnt make it to the charts.

a-ha-net: How did you and a-ha get together?

E.L.: I was hired as an engineer on the demos more than a year ago and then it just evolved from there.

a-ha-net: What is the work with a-ha like? Do you have much freedom and can you bring in many of your own indeas? Or does the band have its own fixed ideas of how the end product should look?

E.L.: They have been open minded very cool about me bringing in ideas. But they are very honest and will let you know if they dont like the result.

a-ha-net: You’ve also worked with German bands like ‘Wunder’ and ‘L'Âme Immortelle’ from Austria. What were your experiences with those bands? Are there differences between the countries in terms of ways of working?

E.L.: I have not really noticed any difference from country to country exactly.

a-ha-net: What is your taste in music? Zeromancer’s roots, so we’ve read, are more in the metal area and represent synth-rock. Are you try to influence the bands you are working with in that direction?

E.L.: As a producer or programmer I really think it is important to do what is best for the band and try to leave your own musical taste aside as much as possible.

a-ha-net: Do you have a favourite song on the new album?

E.L.: All of them :-)

a-ha-net: How long have you been working on this project already?

E.L.: I was working with A-ha on and off for about a year.

a-ha-net: What are your goals? What would you still like to achieve, musically and artistically?

E.L.: If I could keep having one foot in the music business and the other in sound designing for movies that would make me happy.

a-ha-net: Is there anything else you'd like to tell the fans?

E.L.: I hope to see you all on tour with A-ha this autumn!

Read also the interview with a-ha.com from July 19th, 2009.