I grew up with classical music, and to a lesser extent electronic music, and that's where I belong, so to speak.

I think the "dawning of a new era" sounds a bit pretentious, and to me it's simply a step closer to my roots, and thus yes - I do feel liberated by this. I know many dislike this move, and I suspect that it is not really the dawning of a new era, but rather a move to a style which sells less records

To a large degree I don't even like most metal music I hear.

We pick up the lost bits and pieces, from the grass where we left them, and bring them with us into a future that will be made up of so much more as well.

My own growth comes not (just) individually, but mainly as part of a greater change for the better.

I am too conservative to use another studio than the one I am used to, so I "had" to travel all the way from France to Norway every time I wanted to record an album. That was about 3,500 km each way in a Lada Niva with a cruising speed of 90 kph.

A man can only grow to a certain point when alone; to grow further you need some "irrational shocks", like a wife and children; a dramatic change to your own life.