Within Norway’s vibrant Progressive Rock scene, a new voice is emerging — one that promises to capture the attention of listeners worldwide. Agropelter, the instrumental project of multi-instrumentalist Kay Olsen, is set to release its debut album “The Book of Hours” on July 25th via The Laser’s Edge. This work masterfully weaves together the traditions of classic Progressive Rock with influences ranging from classical music to ambient, creating a sonic universe of rare beauty and complexity. We had the opportunity to speak with Kay Olsen and explore the creative depths of this ambitious project, which features internationally renowned musicians such as Jonas Reingold
(Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings), Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, White Willow), and Andreas Sjøen.
Hi Kay, let’s start from the beginning. How did the Agropelter project come to life, and what inspired you to create this instrumental musical universe?
The project started to come together on the keyboard/synths back when the pandemic hit in 2020, and I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. Music has always been one of the most important things in my life, so isolation came at the perfect time so I could explore this new approach to writing and arranging music. I wanted to write music without regard for the traditional instrumentation normally found in progressive rock, so rhythm guitars are almost non-existent on the album. Ironic really, since my main instrument is the guitar. I was heavily into Eloy, Rachmaninoff, John Coltrane, and pastoral stuff during that time, and I think that shines through. All of a sudden, I had enough material to put an album together.
The project seems deeply personal, especially considering that you perform most of the instruments yourself. How did you approach this compositional and technical challenge?
A lot of experimenting, improvising and just having fun! Most of the songs have been revised multiple times – most of the time I just wanted to get the main idea and feel down, then I would try and improve it. Some of the finished material is almost unrecognizable from the early demos. I have learned a lot along the way, especially when it comes to orchestration, arranging, and most of all, recording.
Your influences range from Genesis to King Crimson, from Rachmaninoff to Vangelis. How did you manage to integrate such diverse elements into a coherent sound?
I’m glad that it is perceived as coherent; it was not necessarily important at the time of writing – I just wanted to do whatever felt right to me. The influence of Genesis and King Crimson is hard to escape in new progressive rock in general, I think – both groups have been immensely important for the genre. Rachmaninoff is obvious in some of the big chords and classical chord progressions, where Vangelis is more evident in the choice of synthesizer sounds on some of the songs. There is a duality in terms of the 70s and also 80s prog influence on the record – two eras that often divides the prog fans. I think both eras sound cool, so I wanted to bring elements of both into the sound.
Tell us about your approach to vintage instruments: Mellotron, Hammond, ARP, Minimoog. What do these sounds represent for you?
There’s no denying the impact vintage analogue instruments have had. The Mellotron works extremely well as a “filler” or an expander in an arrangement. I’m having a harder time listening to very early prog rock because of the instrumentation. All the guitars and bass just make my ears tired – the Mellotron made everything more interesting and opened up for more possibilities in terms of instrumentation and creativity when it came on the scene. Mattias uses it expertly on the album, he has a lot of weird sounds and alternative frames that gives both a haunting and different feel. He owns two original M400s, which I’m very jealous of! I have also used some good Mellotron samples on the stuff I have played. Samples of a sampler, how weird. The idea was to ditch the rhythm guitars as previously mentioned, so the Hammond took over the job. Nothing beats a distorted Hammond through a Leslie! I played a friends A-100 on this album, great fun!
I own an ARP Pro/DGX, the successor to the classic ARP Pro Soloist, that I used a lot on this album. You get that instant Tony Banks sound with it that I like. Since it only plays one note at a time, it was used mostly for leads – something that presented a learning curve for me. The Minimoog is such a versatile instrument. Mattias used a real Minimoog for various noises that contributed greatly to the atmosphere on some of the songs. I used a Behringer Model D on some other things – which is considered heresy by some of the purists. I’m happy to repent by buying your original at a fair price! And don’t forget the pipe organ. I waited a long time to be able to play and record the 53 stop Harrison & Harrison organ in Frogner church, Oslo at full power. Unreal experience!
“The Book of Hours” is structured as a multi-part conceptual work. Can you share the philosophy behind this artistic choice?
I wanted an extended piece of music that fits together, but also that the parts work on their own. I wanted to explore multiple themes and settings, and also different stylistic expressions. It was intended to contain all the stuff I wanted to do musically. The opening track, Flute of Peril, is also a part of The Book of Hours in a way, given that it introduces the theme that is also played in the finale. The main inspirations for the BOH-tracks are medieval times and adventure books.
“The Book of Hours Part II” is the first single released from the album. What makes this track stand out compared to the others?
It was one of the first tracks that I started working on, and it ended up a lot different than the first iteration. I think it has a little bit of everything. It is also somewhat more approachable than some of the other tracks. There’s a mid-gain guitar solo at the end – and I can’t make up my mind if it’s a bit cheesy, or great.
How would you describe the narrative arc that runs through the entire album?
In the beginning stages of the album, I thought about doing some kind of concept with extended drawings and writings but dropped it. I think it’s more about feeling than it is a narrative. I want people to create their own associations while listening, instead of being guided through lyrics or pictures with too much information.
Did collaborating with musicians of the calibre of Jonas Reingold and Mattias Olsson influence the musical direction of the album?
Not directly, I think. The album was basically done when they laid their parts. But Jonas Reingold took the quality of the songs he played on to a whole new level. I played the fretless bass myself on the demos, and he did elevate it to a level that made my playing laughable. I have been a big fan of his since I first heard The Rainmaker by The Flower Kings. What an exceptionally tasteful player and musician. I’m truly proud to have him leave his mark on this album. Mattias Olsson contributed on every song on the album – he is shockingly creative, even if you’re aware of his background! And completely unapologetic in his approach – nothing seems to be off limits. He fits the project so well in terms of what he brought to the table – atmosphere, percussion, weirdness, unusual sounds, very unusual flee market synths and instruments. He just expanded the sound and character a lot. The album would have been flat and boring without his awesomeness.
Did the mixing and mastering process with Jacob Holm-Lupo shape the final sound in any particular way?
Jacob was very supportive of the project from the beginning. I tried my best to lay out how I wanted the album to sound and feel, and he really understood from the jump. I think my recordings were of good quality, and he managed to make all the individual instruments have a space of their own. And it sounds huge – especially when that bass pedal hits! My rough mixes sounded OK, but the big picture snapped into place with his fantastic ears. It’s just a great sounding record now. Ken Golden (The Lasers Edge) still raves about the audiophile qualities of the album. My weakness in the process, is that I’ve heard the songs so many times that I become numb to it in a way. But without Jacob, I don’t think there would have been Agropelter.
Do you have plans to bring ”The Book of Hours” to the stage? How do you envision translating this instrumental complexity into a live performance?
No immediate plans, but you never know. There are lots of instruments that needs to be figured out, but it is very doable. I’m not ruling in out.
How do you see the evolution of the Norwegian Progressive Scene in recent years? Do you feel part of a broader movement?
It seems like there has been a surge of bands and interest for some years – which is very cool! I’m not really sure why, maybe as a response to the popular music of our time? I think Norway always did have a very strong music scene, both in jazz and rock etc. It seems like people are opening up to a broader palette of genres these days. If it’s a movement, I will gladly be part of it. It seems like the timing to release an instrumental symphonic progressive rock album is better than ever!
Progressive Rock seems to be experiencing a new renaissance. What role do you think this genre can play in today’s musical landscape?
To me, progressive rock now represents a return to realness. The genre is very much based on creativity, competence and exploring new things. It seems to me that todays musical landscape (what appears on the charts anyway) is all made by the same recipe. It also motivates people to pick up an actual instrument, instead of using digital modelers etc – I think people take pride in standing out. Hopefully we will see more prog rock in the future.
Are there any contemporary artists you are following with particular interest?
Wobbler from Norway might be the best prog band in the world right now – and to me, they are just getting better and improving. Lars Fredrik Frøislie is also putting out very strong solo material. I really like the prog era of Opeth, but their latest record was a turn for the worse for me – but Mikael Åkerfeldt is unable to make bad music. There’s also some great jazz albums being released – my old friend Gard Nilssen is unstoppable these days. I really recommend Bushman’s Revenge and Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra. Susanne Sundfør is also an artist I really love. All Norwegian artists, but Norway is really on a roll these days!
What are your plans for the future? Do you already have the next chapter of Agropelter in mind?
I have lots of material that needs to be reworked for a new album. I also need to write new music, but time is the difficult part! Hopefully I will have a new album in 2026/2027. Stay tuned!
A final message for our readers who will soon discover “The Book of Hours”?
Hopefully, the readers will discover something that sounds new and original with this record. I know instrumental music is a little different, and maybe a bit more demanding for the listener – but I hope people will enjoy it. Thanks for listening!
We thank Kay Olsen for his time and for sharing his artistic vision with us. “The Book of Hours” will be available from July 25th via The Laser’s Edge on CD, LP and Digital formats.
Pre-Orders are now live at The Lasers Edge webshop HERE and Bandcamp, the standard audio HERE and the 24 bit hi-res HERE.