ViaMedia: crossover prog band new to ProgArchives

Facebook        https://www.facebook.com/ViaMediaBand

Instagram        https://www.instagram.com/viamediaband/

YouTube          YouTube Homepage

Craig Blundell performing our track “Dust” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzpKqTyOso

BIO:

ViaMedia is a British-Norwegian band that writes, records and performs music that is adventurous, creative and tries to avoid any form of orthodoxy.

We are a post progressive / art rock band, inspired also by contemporary classical and cinematic music. 

We are;

• Karl Yngvar Dale – vocals, bass, double bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar

• Tore Dimmestol – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, FX, rhythm programming

We work with some very talented and like-minded people, including

·       Craig Blundell (Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson, Frost*....) – drums and percussion

·       John Mitchell (It Bites, Arena, Kino, Frost*, Lonely Robot, John Wetton Band…) – production, electric guitar

·       Jeff Oster – (Grammy-nominated American musician) - flugelhorn

·       Lyndon Owen (Big Clutch, Plague Doctors...) - saxophones, bagpipes, and tarogato

·       Jacob Lupo-Holm (White Willow, Opium Cartel…..) – production, synth

·       Emma King - vocals

Background:

Karl & Tore are originally from the picturesque Norwegian town of Ålesund

Ålesund’s beautiful scenery and frequently poor weather has provided ample inspiration and time to hone our composition and musician skills.

Karl & Tore have been playing in bands together on and off since they were teenagers, starting with New Wave band Betrayed, releasing records and playing outdoor festivals to audiences of thousands at the age of seventeen. Clearly we believed then that global stardom beckoned!

ViaMedia has performed on Norwegian TV, as ViaMedia and also under the name of Ikea Akbar (our house music pseudonym) and had tracks released under that name on the Rock Furore label

Tore has also released the electronic album “Bird Colony” on Norwegian record label Origo Sound under the name of Eyeman Reel, where Karl contributed a Grieg-inspired track called 'Veil'

April 2024

Introduction

ViaMedia is a British-Norwegian band that writes, records and performs music that is adventurous, creative and seeks to avoid any form of orthodoxy.

We are arguably an eclectic prog / art rock band, much inspired alo by contemporary classical and cinematic music.

ViaMedia has for the last two years been working on a new album which is called “Bridge of Sighs”, which was released April 2024 on all streaming services and Bandcamp.

The album was preceded by the EP “Acres Green”, released March 2024.

Personnel

ViaMedia is:

• Karl Yngvar Dale – vocals, bass, double bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar

• Tore Dimmestol – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, FX

We work with some very talented and like-minded people, such as:

·       Craig Blundell (Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson, Frost*....) – drums and percussion

·       John Mitchell (It Bites, Arena, Kino, Frost*, Lonely Robot, John Wetton Band…) – production, electric guitar

·       Jeff Oster – (Grammy-nominated American musician) - flugelhorn

·       Lyndon Owen (Big Clutch, Plague Doctors...) - saxophones, bagpipes and tarogato

·       Jacob Lupo-Holm (White Willow, Opium Cartel...) – production, synths

·       Emma King - vocals

Background

Karl and Tore are originally from the picturesque Norwegian town of Ålesund

Ålesund’s beautiful scenery and frequently poor weather has provided ample inspiration and time for us to hone our composition and musician skills.

Karl currently lives in the Norwegian town of Molde, Tore lives in Henley-On-Thames, UK.

Much of the composition and recording process has therefore been done remotely, in our respective home studios, collaborating using Logic Pro projects. We have combined this with long stints of rehearsals and time spent recording, mixing and mastering in John Mitchell’s Outhouse Studios with Craig & John.

Tore and Karl have played in bands together on and off since their teenage years, releasing records and playing outdoor festivals to audiences of thousands at the age of seventeen. Clearly we believed then that global stardom beckoned!

Today’s ViaMedia is a reboot of a popular Bergen-based band from the late 80’s and early 90’s. That band was synth-driven and heavily influenced by David Sylvian/Japan, Talk Talk, Ultravox etc. Today’s ViaMedia is far more adventurous and eclectic. More prog.

ViaMedia performed live and on Norwegian TV and radio. We also recorded and appeared  on radio and TV under the name of Ikea Akbar, our progressive house music alias.

In the mid 90’s Tore released the electronic album “Bird Colony” on Norwegian record label Origo Sound under the name of Eyeman Reel (for obvious reasons the record company would not use Ikea Akbar). Karl contributed piano and the Grieg-inspired track “Veil” to the album, production was by the well known New Age artist Erik Wollo.

Links

“Bridge of Sighs” album          https://orcd.co/lnvr57p

“Acres Green” EP                   https://orcd.co/pljqzey

YouTube                                  YouTube home page

Facebook                                https://www.facebook.com/ViaMediaBand

Instagram                                https://www.instagram.com/viamediaband/

Bandcamp                               https://viamedia.bandcamp.com/album/bridge-of-sighs

                                                https://viamedia.bandcamp.com/album/acres-green-ep