A psychedelic experience for your senses, that's what the artist Gulli Briem presents us on his album "Earth Affair". The Album was released on the 21st of June, 2004 and in only a few weeks the first single "Gildas prayer" will follow. Gulli Briem got distinguished support on that project, Morten Harket lend his voice to the song. He, who already abused mom´s kitchen furnitures to beat the drum when he was just five years old, is an esteemed artist. He conquered the charts with his band "Mezzoforte" and the hit "Garden Party" back in 1983 and because of his talents he collaborated with international stars like Björk and Madonna. In 2001 he took the first steps into the direction of working as a solo artist by releasing his album "Earth" in Iceland. Now he follows up with "Earth Affair - Chapter One".

Gulli Briem was so kind to answer a-ha-net.de a few questions about the working process and the collaboration with Morten Harket.

a-ha-net: How did you get the idea of doing an album like "Earth affair", what  inspired you to mix up several culture´s music on one album?
Gulli Briem: I have been writing different types of music for quite a few years now, which resulted in my first solo album GULLI BRIEM - EARTH, which came out in Iceland 2001. After I taking the album to Skip records in Hamburg, things started to move forward. Thinking about the music and my vision on various issues,people and cultures I decided not to focus on me particularly, but rather the prodject, my thoughts, my musical abilities and the way it feels.

a-ha-net: Are you looking at this album as kind of a symbol? If so, what is the message? That music connects people all around the world or is it even a reminder that people shall live in peace, no matter where they are from? What are your thoughts about it?
G.B.: Hmmm...well, I won´t be staying in bed for a week to protest the Irak war, but seriously, it´s a dedication to my roots, my country and the capacity that we ALL have as individuals and team players. We have so much more to give to each other and to the world, but as someone said once "I'm starting with the man in the mirror". When you take care of yourself, you are much more capable of taking care of others around you... I REPEAT: When you take care of yourself, you are much more capable of taking care of others around you...

a-ha-net: The Cover of the album is interesting. Was it your choice? Does it mean anything? Is there any connection to the title or the content of the album?
G.B.: Yes it was my choice, I´m so facinated by the Northern Lights and Space. Earth affair can mean so many different things.... A connection between a man and a woman, Hurricanes, Blizzards, our existance on earth, or how we CHOOSE to live our lives.... I like to think that we I see the Northern Ligths, God is playing with the light switches up there and some of us up North, stare up to the sky.. thinking it´s the coolest thing, which it is! It´s great lying on your back in the winter on a cool night looking at the sky seeing all the different shapes and colours. Make´s you feel humble. Sometimes I feel like a feather blowing in the wind and sometimes like I can win the whole world, armed with a sword a viking helmet, a computer + two mobile phones...It´s weird.

a-ha-net: Was this project a defiance for you? Isn´t it difficult to produce such different songs and still find a way to make them match on one album?
G.B.: ....I just let my mind take me wherever it wanted to, hip hop flavored grooves, a bit of ambient,keltic-viking nationalistic pride or french disco. I had really a great time doing this although some of the production was more difficult and took longer to do. The idea for "Tunisia" came after a Turkish cab driver gave me a cassette (yes a cassette) of turkish folksongs, there are so many beautiful music traditions that we need to learn about. Yes, it´s hard doing the different moods and trying to puzzle it together, but I guess that´s the sort of guy I am.... with a very broad horizong... sometimes too broad.  It´s hard being me..

a-ha-net: Was working together with many different people over the years an important influence to do this album?
G.B.: Yeah sure, I always learned something new and meet some new people along the way. If I wouldn´t have gone to England in 96' to work on Evita with Madonna,I wouldn´t have met Clive Martin, or Flood and many other important people that worked with me on Earth Affair. Then later Morten came to London and we hooked up with Flood! So it all holds hands and we try to help each other more or less. But basically all my experience with Mezzoforte, making records and touring has been my most valuable experience I guess. I´m grateful...."A grateful grapefruit":-) (I guess this won´t translate very well in german)

a-ha-net: The album is named "Earth affair - Chapter One" - may we hope for a second chapter?
G.B.: My main focus is to see this first born off the ground. With your help, all the A-ha fans, we may well see a chapter two. I have a few ideas floating about.

a-ha-net: You already collaborated very successfully with stars like Björk and Madonna - on "earth affair" Morten Harket sang "Gildas prayer" - was it your wish to get him singing the song and what was the reason for it?
G.B.: I met Morten through a mutual friend a few years ago. We were then talking about some possibilities of doing something together. I didn´t work out then for some reason, but when I was working on "Gildas Prayer" in 2002 I started thinking about him again and how beautifully he would sing it. We then started working on the track, me travelling to Oslo a few times trying out different things, hanging in Cafe´s, restaurants and getting to know each other, but everything really took shape when we got the verse lyrics from Havard Rem (Mortens co-writer). Yes it was my wish, although he tried to persuade me to sing it myself which I did in the beginning. He liked it, but when he sang it, he totally demolished my vocal performance.

a-ha-net:Why did Morten Harket sing "Gildas prayer" and no other song? Was this your decision, did he like the song most or did it just happen for no reason?
G.B.: He liked the Chorus "Let light from the Source, shine into darkness of earth" ecth.... and he knew and undertstood where it was going and what I had in mind. Morten is one of the few singers in the world that really delivers the words and the song content. We re-shaped it together, words and music to make it work for him, but we actually spent quite a long time on it. Once he sang it in the studio, lying on his back, almost like reading a poetry or whispering. It was very differnt. I would like to work with him again,but under different circumstances, create everything together from scratch.
a-ha-net:How did you experience working with him
G.B.: It´s was a great experience,but hard too. He is very firm on what he want´s out of his carreer and doesn´t jump on anything unless he´s sure it works. I tried to break his popstar eccentric patterns abit, with boxing and wrestling in the studio, but he´s too strong for me, incredibly fit that guy. Makes you feel like your´re 80 years OLD!!!

a-ha-net:Can you imagine to maybe collaborate with Morten again in the future? Are you both still in contact after your collaboration anyway?
G.B.: I hope we will collaborate again as I said, but work more together on the writing and creating a direction....yes I sometimes hear from him, or the usual exting on the phone which we are all addicted to like a drug. We try to hook up if we are in the same country or I come to Oslo. He is a very interesting person and tought me about different things. Morten is a sweet guy once you get to know him and the best singer in the world.

a-ha-net:The single "Gildas prayer" will be released soon. Will it be ain international release, will the single also be available in Germany and  what are your plans to promote it?
G.B.: We are hoping to distribute the album in the biggest territories wehave access to and the single is now being sent to the radiostations starting in Germany. I can´t tell you about any promotion,because it´s sort of on the drawing table now, but we will let you follow any actions there may be, hopefully soon.

a-ha-net: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about "Earth affair" that maybe hasn´t been said yet?
G.B.: I was recently in one of Icelands most amazing places, surrounded by volcanos, glaciers and rivers. As I was looking at this phenomenon thinking about when the earth exploded a long time ago and the heat and the force of the lava burst through the ice... cooling down and settling in these forms of mountains and rocks... it gave me hope for us humans, that how much damage we do to ourselves, the earth and each other physically & emotionally, there is always a way to correct it and heal ourselves, but we need to stop and think how we really are living our lives and how we can improve THE WAY WE FEEL on a daily basis and not being emotionally, spiritually and physically bankrupt like allot of people are. Gildas Prayer is for the whole world, no matter what religion you chose, what colour or what your status is in life we all need to love and be loved. With that, things will heal and we can experience how incredible life can be when you have mastered the use of this tool. If you
don´t know how.....ASK!!!! Go for a walk, feel the FORCE within you, smell the flowers, create your own earth affair and remember to breathe.

a-ha-net: Last but not least, since this interview is for a-ha fans, we would like to ask you: What do you think about a-ha and Morten Harket as a solo artist? Which a-ha song is your favourite one, if you have one?
G.B.: I like "Hunting high and low" he played it to me at home and sang, it was very special. Morten has grown so much as an artist. I´ve been lucky enough to hear him sing some new songs he´s been writing and they are really great. I think his next album will be his best, but "Wild seed" is a masterpiece in many ways, I listened to it allot as well as Vogts Villa.