ON THE RISE - DREAM ZONE

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Hey friends and foes;)

Hey friends and foes,

Everything is fine at the moment apart from my fuckin' arm that's a bit better by the way since the last time i posted a blog.

Still waiting to do this MR Scanning to find out if there's something the doctors can do to get it 100% back on tracks.

I've been very careful to not overload it with work and I've also tried to rest as much as possible.

It's very hard to say no to artists that usually keeps me busy with work, but my health comes first  and i want to stay in this business and be able to play for the rest of my time on this planet.

I still hope for the best and i guess everything is gonna turn out fine in my favour.

A few gigs is comin' up and I really look forward to play at Norway Rock Festival in July and hook up with a lot of friends...

A European tour is confirmed in November as well but I'll keep you updated with dates and countries as soon as i got all the information.

A new release is just around the corner with Terje "On The Rise" and I'll upload the new album when it's ready so you can have a taste of it.

I hope to be fully recovered in a "few weeks" so i can sign up more work to my schedule with studio sessions and gigs.

I wish you all a great summer and i hope to see you out there.

I'll keep you updated regularly.

Be safe, take care and don't let anybody make you afraid.

Wish you all the best....Erik.E

Hey friends and foes;)

Time for an update again i guess.

Nothing much has happened the last 2 months.

I got the results from my doctor that i need an MR scanning of my arm also after they checked the x-ray pics.

Apart from that i had perfect health and I'm ready to go 30 more years at least he said, so I've got to keep on running and eat healthy);)

The arm is bothering me due to the facts that i can't go on playing as much as i did the last 4 years....(100-120 gigs a year and studio recordings in between)....so until the last scanning is done I've got to relax and play only a few gigs now and then.

It scares the shit out of me not to know if I'll only be able to play a few more years and then the curtain falls for the last time....I don't like it at all...It's actually my life to play drums....so I'll fight it to the end!!!!

The new Cd "On the Rise" with Terje Eide is soon to be released and I'm really looking forward to that one.

I'll promise you a great record!!

I'll share it with you on my site here A.S.A.P.

Everything is great apart from my troubled arm....My beautiful girlfriend Linda light up my days like an angel..and i truly love her with all my heart.

My "kids" are the best gift ever and i love them to death and beyond.

That's it for now....I'll update you as soon as i know something more.

Be safe, take care and don't let anybody make you afraid.

Hugs and love to you all....Erik.E

Hey friends and foes;)
Just wanted to give you an early update in 2009.
Nothing much is happening at the moment but it's really good to enjoy some lazy days off playing...i needed that for sure.
A lot of work is ahead if i can manage to lay the puzzle right....that's the most tricky shit in this business.
3 studio sessions is booked and I'm looking forward to both co-produce and play on 1 of them.
A few clinics and a few weeks of teaching the young upcoming drummers as well is on the stairs and hopefully booked by the end of this month.
I'm kind of tired doing' live gigs at the moment so I've said thanxx but no thanxx to a lot of it the last 3 months.
I'm only gonna play a few local gigs the next 5-6 weeks and stay home with my beautiful girlfriend Linda:)
I'm probably playing a few festivals in England UK this summer if everything turns out right..(you'll never know).
The Norway Rock festival i booked and confirmed so I'll guess I'll see a lot of my musician friends there and throw a huge party that weekend.
I did a photo-shoot with Linda a few weeks ago, and a lot of pics is now ready to be uploaded...probably already later today;)
I'll keep you posted on my life and career soon again.....like i said-I'm happy to stay home right now and enjoy life...long time since i did that:)
Be safe, take care and don't let anybody make you afraid.
Peace and hugs to you all.....EE

Hey friends and foes.
2008 is finally over in a few days...and I'm deeply thankful for all the shit some people gave me this year.
They deserve some respect and love for making the effort just to fuck up.
Without you I would never have had all these amazingly stupid and fucked up moments.... BUT 2008 is so far the best year ever and the main reason for that is my girlfriend Linda.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my life complete and my days so much brighter.
The love you give me and the way you support me everyday is amazing.....Love you always!!!!I'll update you soon about my schedule for 2009....a lot of news;)
Soooo...I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW CRAZY BEAUTIFUL 2009.
Be safe, take care and don't let anybody make you afraid.

All the best to you.....Erik.E

ITALIAN DRUM CLUB MAGAZINE INTERVIEW SEPTEMBER 2008 (ENGLISH)

1 - When did you star to play drums? Who were your early influences?

That was ages ago..haha...I started playing a kit when I was 7 or 8 cause they had an old Tama Superstar standing I the basement of my first school.
It was the rehearsing place for the local marching band I joined around that time..i guess it was around 1974-75.
My beloved Mum who actually is the reason that I play drums told me that I hit pots and pans before I could walk.
She used all her savings and took up a loan just to buy this mayhem of a kid his first kit when I was 13.
Influences were more the music than any drummer by name I guess.
I listen to everything from ABBA to AC/DC back in the late 70's early 80's
Deep purple - Iron Maiden - Genesis - Kiss..etc... and musicals—I love West Side story...What a masterpiece!!!!!

2 - How could you describe your attitude on drums and on the music?

 The drums are the only instrument in a band that actually can ruin everything.
Because it's so powerful and stick out the most in a band..for example:
A guitarist can miss a cord, play a slightly different riff or not be spot on time...nobody will hear it.
Miss one beat on the snare, bass drum, or drag or speed up on the tempo....Everybody will hear it.
So my attitude is to keep good tempo and groove, do not overplay your band mates and have big ears.
I love throwing sticks and twirl and be a clown on stage—But I do it when it's called for.

3 - What about your drum-kit? How do you choose your gear?

You need a lot of experience and understanding to choose what's right for a session or live gig.
I need a big tuning range in a drum and that takes a few years to accomplish
Don't be afraid to experiment with you drums....Try to tune them a lot and hear how it resonates.
I've got 4 Tama kits at the moment that I use in different settings.
It depends on what I need to bring to the table actually.
In studio I love my Tama Starclassic Custom Maple and Starclassic Custom bubinga kits because of the tuning range.
I tune the kits in so many variations sometimes and the secret is to make the whole kit resonate as one item.
You can record a whole drum-kit with only 2 condensator microphones if its tuned correctly.
Live I use the Tama Custom Acrylic Mirage at the moment...They just sound beautiful no matter what. I may change kits though..I'm never locked up to a certain kit.
I want to send my biggest thanks and deepest respect to the Tama Family for their support and brilliant drums.
Tama celebrates their 100 years anniversary this month so I Salute them. A new custom made kit is coming up early 2009....I'll keep you posted with pics and set-up;)

4 - How many cymbals do you play? How do to set them for your sound?

In my regular set up I use a combination of Meinl MB 20 and Byzance and that contains:

Check this site for details

http://meinlcymbals.com/artists/artist/ARTIST/erik_engebretsen.html?cHash=9a5024fe3a

I use almost the same set up in Studio as I do live.
The cymbals are matched equally in the same pitch category.
I own at least 30-40 cymbals from Thin to Heavy in both brilliant and regular finishes.
I was so lucky that I was invited to the Meinl factory for a few days and used several hours to find the perfect match and to see the whole process of making them.
I want to send my biggest thanks to everyone in the Meinl family also for the support and beautiful sounding Cymbals.

5 - What does it means for a drummer to play in a melodic hard rock band? What is the most difficult aspect of it?

First of all always play for the song and let your fellow musicians and artist feel relaxed and be safe on what you do.
In my case I'm a hired cat most of the time, so a record has already been released with a different drummer.
I copy the drums first and then I apply my own style during the rehearsal period and try to put my own signature on it without stretching it to much.
The difficulties can be many but as long as you keep your shit together and keep a professional attitude...there's actually none..haha.

6 - Who are your favourite drummers today? Do you like players outside the rock scene? Who? Why?

I'm afraid to mention names in case I forget someone...There are so many of them.
BUT i remember the first time i heard the "Rainbow on Stage" Live album...With Cozy Powell on drums...Wow..he blew me away back then and still do when i listen to his recordings...RIP Cozy;)
I'm more influenced by him than I was aware of..i can put on the album at this moment and say to myself " Ok, so that's where you stole the drum-fill, double bass-drum pattern , etc.
So here's a few anyway....John Blackwell jr - Phil Rudd - Virgil Donati - Tommy Lee - Tony Williams - Simon Phillips - Steve Gadd - Wolfgang Haffner - Jeff Porcaro - Todd Sucherman - Benny Grebb ...The list is endless.
There's so many Brilliant drummer in this business so it's scary...Ask me tomorrow and the list will be totally different.
I pick up so much from drummers in every genre and i love to check out new ones on Drummerworld.com when I've got time.

7 - What about your work with Tony Mills? Are you involved in song-writing for the "Vital Designs" album?

I was a hired to do the Tour so the album was already finished when I got the call from the management.
But both Tony Mills and the guitarist/producer and songwriter Neil Hibbs has asked me if I would do the next Album.
I know that the next album will be a tricky one to play...I got a feeling of that because Neil Hibbs is a fantastic musician and his riffs got signature...hopefully a few more in 4/4 pattern this time than the first record..haha.

8 – Breed is a band so different from Tony Mills and TNT. What difference and difficulties you fond in playing for Tony Mills and Breed?

The difference between playing drums for Tony Mills and Breed is just a matter of attitude.
I've always said to myself since i started playing..."It's not about the style—it's the attitude"
You can pick a pop song with a straight 4/4 beat like Billie Jean with Michael Jackson and then pick Back in Black with AC/DC.
It's the same beat but different tempos though....But it's the energy and attitude you put into it that makes the difference.
Tony has a lot of odd time signatures on the Vital Designs album that's difficult...not playing it as is, but to make the odd time signatures sounds smooth and feel natural.
With Breed it was more of a straight forward thing that sounds easy at first...but mind you...It's as tricky as it sound simple to make that shit groove.
So I have to repeat myself.....It's all about the attitude.

9 – What is your "dream band" you like to play with?

Ohhh that was a tricky question..You can pick out your favourite musicians on each instrument but that doesn't mean it would sound good as a unit.

I have a few favourites though...Steve Vai is the most complete solo artist I've ever seen. To all you musicians reading this..go immediately to your nearest CD/DVD store and buy a copy of "live at Astoria" London.

I love John Mayer.

Prince and Peter Gabriel and Seal are just awesome.

Sting - Tony Levin or Leland Sklar on bass.

Derek Sherinian - Gregg phillingaines or Jeff Babco ..boards.

I can go on and on..........

But i must say that i love playing with Tony Mills and the band he put together...They are awesome musicians and people in every aspect...so i stick with them;)

Best regards...Erik Engebretsen.

Hey friends and foes.

Finally I'm back on tracks feeling good again after a long time of frustration.
The virus is under control and I'm back working;);)
A lot has happened the last month..i just got home from Bergen working with the new upcoming Cd "On the Rise II" with Terje Eide.
It was so much fun recording that album...I quote his latest Blog:

Hey Everybody !
Time's up to share some musical highlights from this week in the recording studio. Well I guess it's nice to know for those who's been waiting and asking for a new ON THE RISE album. It's a long process but we'll get there for sure !

Thanks to my friend and collegue Erik Engebretsen. He's done a tremendously and fabulous work on drums. What a guy. So professional, kind, caring, full of positive spirit and musical support !

Please feel free to visit his site... http://www.myspace.com/ontherisemusic

Apart from that the new issue of Drum club Magazine is now on sale in Italy.
You'll find a 4 page interview and pics of me there;)

A new update on Tama International Artist web page is on the stairs...And Catalogue 2009 as well.

I'm also on the Cover of the new Music Catalogue here in Norway.

The schedule the next 3 months is pretty busy working with lots of different artists. Premiere with the new Tv show to be Broadcasted tomorrow - 3 more Studio Sessions and Live gigs etc.,etc.

I've also joined a new band called Magenta as their Live drummer...actually i was forced to do that...hehehe...Thanxx a lot Anders.

A new Cd release of a Popish Christian Cd i did a few months ago is soon on sale also.

A short Norwegian Tama and Meinl Clinic tour will probably take place in November if everything goes as planned..I'll get back to that later.

New pics will be updated regularly....puuuuh--that's about it for now i guess...I've probably forgot something but I'll keep you updated.

Thanxx a million for all you love and support the last 2 years...Actually 2 years ago on the 9th of September;);)

So....Take care, be safe and don't let anybody make you afraid.
Until next time...Love to you all;)