photos by Nils Fredrik Wilsløff-Høgestøl
“Levitator” is the latest single from Norwegian instrumental progressive rock project AGROPELTER and the collective’s incoming debut release The Book Of Hours. The new song arrives through another captivating video from the band.
AGROPELTER is the creative outlet of multi-instrumentalist Kay Olsen, a new contender on the blossoming Norwegian prog scene. The music lends as much inspiration from the classic prog groups like Genesis, Camel, King Crimson, and Eloy, as it does from classic composers Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Bach, along with Vangelis and Terje Rypdal.
On AGROPELTER’s The Book Of Hours, listeners will be met with a wealth of lush tones from Mellotron, Hammond organs, ARP, cembalo, Minimoogs, and Taurus bass pedals. With all guitars, bass, church organ, and keyboard leads on the album performed by Kay Olsen, the album also features contributing musicians Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings, Kaipa, Karmakanic) on fretless bass, Andreas Sjøen (Umpfel, VÅDE, Sean Ashe) on drums, and Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, White Willow, Molesome) handling percussion, vintage synth overdubs, and atmosphere, as well as a wide array of classical musicians providing various strings and woodwinds. As the interest in Scandinavian prog rock continues to trend upward, you can count on AGROPELTER being a part of the action.
The Book Of Hours was mixed and mastered by the great Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, Donner, Solstein) and completed with cover art by Dag E. Clausen
The new “Levitator” video was filmed by drone in the Norwegian wilderness by Nils Fredrik Wisløff-Høgestøl. Olsen reveals, “‘Levitator’ was created very quickly – most of the song was written in an hour. The main inspiration was the classic theme songs from ‘80s series like Airwolf, M.A.S.K., and others that I used to love as a kid. The song has that ‘80s feel to it that stands out from the rest of the album. I also think it is one of the more approachable songs on the album – it even has a repeating chorus like more conventional song structures, which is far removed from the other compositions on the album. But it also has an ‘80s/Holdsworth-like fusion part, and closes with the main theme played on a huge 53 stop church organ at full power. Because, why not? AGROPELTER is genre fluid.”
Watch AGROPELTER’s “Levitator” video on YouTube HERE and stream the song at Bandcamp HERE.
And if you missed it, catch the jaw-dropping video for the lead song “The Book Of Hours Part II” video HERE.
The Book Of Hours will be released on CD, LP, and digital platforms on July 25th. Preorders are live at The Lasers Edge webshop HERE and Bandcamp, the standard audio HERE and the 24 bit hi-res HERE.
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