{"id":363,"date":"2023-07-28T20:10:36","date_gmt":"2023-07-29T00:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.progstock.com\/2023\/?page_id=363"},"modified":"2023-08-31T18:14:52","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T22:14:52","slug":"erik-norlander","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.progstock.com\/2023\/artists-schedule\/2023-artists\/erik-norlander\/","title":{"rendered":"Erik Norlander"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Erik
Erik Norlander, photo by Erik Nielsen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Erik Norlander is an accomplished keyboardist, composer and producer with over 40 album credits including 9 solo albums, 7 with his\u00a0Rocket Scientists<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0project, and 10 albums with vocalist wife\u00a0Lana Lane<\/strong><\/em>. In 2018, Erik appeared on the debut album from\u00a0Dukes of the Orient<\/strong><\/em>, a spinoff of the supergroup\u00a0Asia<\/strong><\/em>, along with former\u00a0Asia<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0frontman, John Payne. The two co-wrote all of the album’s songs and produced 2 videos. Prior to that, Erik toured with\u00a0Asia Featuring John Payne<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0for 6 years. Erik also toured extensively in the US and Europe in 2016-2018 with\u00a0Last in Line<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0featuring original\u00a0Dio<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0members Vinny Appice and Vivian Campbell. Before\u00a0Last in Line<\/strong><\/em>, Erik toured with\u00a0Big Noize<\/strong><\/em>, a supergroup\u00a0featuring hard rock all stars, Joe Lynn Turner, Simon Wright and Carlos Cavazo. Erik also wrote the music and produced the album\u00a0Roswell Six – Beyond the Horizon<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0in 2009 for science fiction author, Kevin J. Anderson, in support of the first of his\u00a0Terra Incognita<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0fantasy novels.<\/p>\n

Outside of the music world, Erik co-designed the\u00a0UNO Synth<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0analog synthesizer for\u00a0IK Multimedia<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0in 2018, carrying on the legacy of his design work on the legendary\u00a0Alesis Andromeda<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0analog synthesizer in the late 1990s. Prior to that, Erik was the first synthesizer product manager for\u00a0Alesis Studio Electronics<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0and presided over the creation of the\u00a0QS<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0series of the synthesizers,\u00a0DM5<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0DM Pro<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0drum modules and several other products.<\/p>\n

Erik has led many other synthesizer and sound design projects for several other major companies around the world. He produced 200 ultra-accurate cover songs for the\u00a0GuitarPort<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>product for\u00a0Line 6<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0in 2001-2002, many of which were licensed to the\u00a0Guitar Hero<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0video\u00a0game. Erik also actively works with\u00a0The Bob Moog Foundation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0to advance the legacy of the maverick synthesizer pioneer. Erik\u00a0performed a 2009 concert along with Keith Emerson to open “The Legacy of Moog” exhibit at The Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, and the epic “Moogus Operandi” concert in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010.<\/p>\n

Erik’s studio and live technique integrate classic analog synthesizers and keyboards with leading-edge modern technology giving his stage and studio productions a signature that wholly his own. Although he is quick to deny that he is a “collector,” Erik curates an encyclopedic array of vintage keyboard instruments centered around his 1967 modular Moog synthesizer that has been nicknamed “The Wall of Doom” by his fans.<\/p>\n

Erik has been featured in the December 2016, February 2013, October 2009 and September 2006 issues of\u00a0Keyboard<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0magazine in the USA as well as four appearances in the Japanese\u00a0Keyboard<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0magazine along with multiple appearances in\u00a0Burrn!<\/strong><\/em>,\u00a0Strange Days<\/strong><\/em>,\u00a0Progression<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Electronic Musician<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0magazines, among others. He has been interviewed on numerous radio shows and continues to receive energized reviews in countless publications around the world.<\/p>\n

Erik Norlander was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up studying both jazz and classical music on several instruments from a young age through his years at university where he also graduated with a degree in English Literature. He abandoned a masters degree program on the road to becoming an English professor when he realized the call of his music was too strong to resist. He remains an avid reader and occasionally writes for both art and technology magazines. Erik currently resides in El Dorado County in Northern California with his wife, Lana.<\/p>\n

Here are some great photos of Erik and his Rocket Scientists<\/strong><\/em> project when they performed at ProgStock 2019!<\/p>\n