Getting to Know… Minneriket | Interview 🎤

In the 352^nd Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from Norwegian metal artist, Minneriket (Stein Akslen).

“Minneriket is a one-man studio band and does not perform live rituals.” Cool 😎 🤘! In response to our first burning question, Norwegian metal artist 🎙 Minneriket (Stein Akslen) asserts,  “Minneriket is unique, because I play my own kind of black metal which I’ve labeled romantic black metal. [I focus] 100% on atmosphere, on honesty in art, and on a musical expressionism..” Like our many other Getting to Know Q&As, we get the inside scoop on the genesis, goals, musical influences, and of course, current, and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 🎤 Getting to Know… Minneriket: Interview No. 352! 

For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes Minneriket distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks 🧦 off?

Minneriket is unique, because I play my own kind of black metal which I’ve labeled romantic black metal. Minneriket is a one-man band focusing 100% on atmosphere, on honesty in art, and on a musical expressionism. You could compare it to the paintings of early Munch, where all I aim to do is to paint the subjective reality in broad musical strokes.

This isn’t a rock’n’roll band, and I have no intention of rocking anyone’s socks off… I hate feet 🦶 and prefer them all to stay clothed. Please keep your socks 🧦  on.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Minneriket start and what were some of the goals or visions you had early on?

I started Minneriket in the early 2010s because I needed a new and different outlet. After having released albums with other black metal bands, I needed the complete control of creating something purely in my own image. No boundaries, no orthodoxy, just pure individual expression.

Even though I sometimes collaborate with session musicians, Minneriket is 100% a one-man effort, and I don’t play well with others. I appreciate what others bring to the table, but in Minneriket there is only one main character – me.

My early goal with Minneriket was to create music for myself, to not be disturbed by anything outside of that closed sphere, and to never feel the shackles of expectations or genres closing in on me. I dive deep down in the melancholy, the pain of the soul and the beauty of it and bring out songs aching to what I see in silent contemplation.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

There has been a musical evolution of course, as I always bring in new elements or new perspectives into the music. But the melancholic and egotistical core remains the same.

The biggest difference is that as Minneriket has gathered an audience over the years, the expectations of others have been imposed on me – even though unwillingly. So, I work on many levels, both in music and personal, to keep ownership of what I define the band to be. To not have Minneriket defined by others. I don’t care how the essence might be in the eyes of the beholder, as long as I continue this work I will work against all super-imposed definitions and interpretations.

The goal is to continue to push myself, to create more music, explore more musical expressions and create the best art possible while staying true to my own convictions.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

As a Norwegian metal artist, I stand on the shoulders of giants. We have an impressive legacy of creative people and solid album releases, and they should be honored for their work. The minimalistic approach and dense atmospheres in Burzum influenced early Minneriket, and the tight and sharp lyrics of Seigmen deserve a lot of credit for my writing style.

For the last album 💿 Gjennom meg går ingen til hvile, released in 2022, the drums were inspired by Phil Collins, there were operatic vocals, keys and strings inspired by Bach, punk riffs a lot of field recordings. I use what is close to me, what keeps me occupied at the moment, and bring it all into my music – some things more obvious than others.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

Minneriket is a one-man studio band and does not perform live rituals.

Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

I think it’s possibly 🎵 “An All Too Human Heart” from 💿 Anima Sola or 🎵 “Regnbuer i gråtoner” from 💿 Gjennom meg går ingen til hvile. There’s something very right about those songs – they hit the right nerve. To me it might be a combination of the period in time where I wrote them and the mindset I wrote them in, and the appeal of the finished version, but if I were to tell anyone where to start with Minneriket I’d recommend those two.

In fact, there is a Spotify playlist called “This is Minneriket” which includes a curated list of the most essential songs. Worth checking out.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Plenty of them. But they wouldn’t be much secret if I told you, would they? Fun fact of the day: I can’t whistle. Completely impossible. Which sucks when you’re trying to write melody lines over an acoustic guitar. Humming out loud isn’t as cool as whistling, I think.

Closing out, what is Minneriket currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

I don’t have a title ready yet, but Minneriket is working on a new album. I’ve brought back some friends from the last album, and we’ve already recorded the cello and the keys, along with my guitars. The drums are being recorded these days, and from there I’ll keep putting it all together. I have a finished demo version of the whole thing, so I know exactly how I want it to sound.

There’s no release date yet, I tend to work slow, but hopefully I’ll have something to share with the audience early 2024. For official news be sure to check out www.minneriket.com, and follow Minneriket on all relevant social medias for some behind the scenes updates.

Getting to Know… Minneriket: Interview No. 352 [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Minneriket; Tumisu via Pixabay]