Hi Terje, here i am with my questions. The album is really good, and I'm sure it will get excellent response from the public.
Thanks ! Glad U like it ! The respond has been amazing. So many wonderful reviews, comments and emails from people around the world already.

Dream Zone is going to see the light of day six years after the highly acclaimed On the Rise debut album. Did you deal with music during this very long period, or made something different?
The time hasn’t been standing still so to speak. Lots of stuff to do like writing for others as helping out with other projects as well. Time consuming but quite rewarding and interesting process to follow.  So I’ve been pretty much back and forth by writing for a new ON THE RISE album in between.

Such as on your debut album, almost every aspect of this project has been personally cared by you, even though your Label usually promotes collaborations among their own recording artists…So was that an operating choice of your own?
Yes, it was my own choice to collaborate with others on the new album. It’s always a pleasure to work with collegues and musicians around the world. I love challenges in life and it became natural for me to write, sing, play, arrange and produce the second album. I've got the patience for being particular, enjoying the time and the process of making music.

Among the guests that appear on your brand new album, we should mention the very active keyboardist Eric Ragno and the songwriter Christian Wolff. How did these contributions grow up? And, in general, is there any particular artist that you would you dream to work with someday?
Me and Christian Wolff have been back and forth by co-operating on a few tunes for a long time ago. Eric Ragno offered his enthusiasm and musical service through the net. And all of a sudden a great team was born.  Robert John "Butt" Lange, David Foster & Steve Lukather are the ones I would love to work with someday. They're the best there is when it comes to musical expertice, experience and they've been delivering one of the best albums in its genre of pop & melodious rock, music and written songs that we all have had the pleasure of enjoying around the world...and still are !

Your new album Dream Zone delivers some pure and excellent AOR, even though I wouldn’t personally see the similarities to Journey which a few reviews depicted at the time of the OTR debut album. To my own ears, the track “Alive” sounds somehow like Saga, as well as one of my fave tunes of the album, I mean “Why wait another day”. Most of the songs, starting from “Lost your track”, are instead close to the finest Scandinavian musical tradition, and remind to me the sound of such cult acts as Da Vinci, Skagarak o Great King Rat. What’s your opinion about?
I never compare or make any comparison when I write or listening to music in general. I leave it all to the ones who love to do so. J  Every artist/band have their own inspiration in life. It can either be recognizable in the music or the way they act on stage. Even though they’re making it by developing their own style. There will always be someone or something to find that sounds or looks familiar in any creativity or process of making music as it is in the movie business. I don't think anybody would be able to re-invent the wheel again.

I know that you even take personal care of backing vocals…Do you feel more comfortable in singing or in playing your instruments?
I love doing both.

Is there any particular inspiring reference for your guitarplaying?
I’ve been having the privilege to grow up and listening to great guitar players as Steve Vai, Brian May, Steve Lukather, Ritchie Blackmore and many more...So it’s never been difficult to be inspired and enjoy playing guitar by having these unique guitar players around.

Sweden is full of rising stars, not just in the melodic rock scene… What’s the situation in your native Norway, besides TNT and Jorn Lande?
There are lots rising stars and good acts in Norway.  Great talents. Quite colourful and good invironment. Stage Dolls are still going strong with a new upcoming album and Wig Wam is even doing the same. So there's no doubt about it that AOR/melodic rock is still out there. As long as the mainstream music will go away and AOR/melodic rock will get enough airplay, 'cause the hunger and need of its genre is still there for sure. Easy to see and easy to hear. Even the younger generations love it when they get their hands on a CD or two.

Frankly speaking: is there any italian rock band that you know and admire?
I'm sorry to say but I haven't got the chance to look around for any kind of band or artist lately. Just bits and pieces in between. Especially when I’m too busy by making music. But I will definitely check out the Italian scene soon. I know there are some great acts.

I know you as a true fan of melodic rock even before than a great musician…Would be interesting to know what releases and bands did impress you the most over the last five years…
There are so many albums. Difficult to chose, but these are one of my favourites that I Iove among bands and artists like Deep Purple – Machine Head, Bryan Adams -  Reckless, Journey – Raised on radio, Van Halen – Van Halen & 1984, Mr.Mister – Welcome to the real world, Toto – Isolation & IV, The Eagles -  Hotel California & Hell Freezes Over, Def Leppard -  Hysteria, Foreigner – Vol.4, Whitesnake – Trouble, Slide it in & Whitesnake…just to name a few.

Do you happen to have many chances for performing your music live, or is On the Rise just a studio project?
So far it's been a studio project, but never say never about getting out there and enjoy the music together with the audience someday.

About the songwriting on Dream Zone…Did you create these tunes over the years, or were them all created in the same period of time?
Some songs were written and made over the last couple of years, but most if it were written a few months before I ended up in the studio to complete the new ON THE RISE album -  DREAM ZONE.

I guess you’re totally satisfied with the overall final result of Dream Zone, but if you had to mention some track which you consider as the most representative of your soundstyle, which ones would you pick up?
LIFELINE, DREAM ZONE, HOWLING AT THE MOON and ALIVE. Yes, you're totally right about me being satisfied about the new album. No doubt about it. There's been so many great reviews, wonderful comments and emails from music lovers around the world already. So amazing to see and hear. It's very much appreciated for sure.

What’s your ambition with this brand new album? Do you aim to reach a stable role in the music scene, starting some intense activity with professional purposes, or just to offer to the world another recorded proof of your artistic expression?
My ambitions will always be about making good music, and the need of going on stage and to enjoy this ride as a professional musician will always be there as well. Let’s see what the future may bring. I’m enthusiastic and inspired by all this. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to share the music with as many people as possible.

The first album was hailed as one of the best debut releases ever. Do you think that Dream Zone has matched its same quality of has even improved it?
There's no doubt about it that the new ON THE RISE album - DREAM ZONE has improved, matched and passed the debut album. It's much better in so many ways. Definitely ! It’s been an amazing and fantastic respond to it!

With my sincere personal compliments for this new record
Thank you very much ! It's appreciated !