Interview: holen (Written)

Carl Fisher 11 min read

Holon is a solo diverse music project led by Ronny Pedersen currently working on a new two-part album titled Love & Behold. In this interview we get to know more about the project and the artist behind it.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

Holon is a solo music project led by yours truly (Ronny Pedersen). The project was born out of necessity after having spent years playing and writing music in various bands that either broke up or reached a standstill. Frustrated by this, I decided to take matters into my own hands and release my songs as a solo project.

The first holon album, The Time Is Always Now, was released in 2016. It was produced and mixed by Rhys Marsh, who was impressed by the songs and agreed to help bring the album to life. The record featured many guest musicians, including drummer Geir Anfinn Halland Johansen, who played on all tracks. Me and Geir hit it off well, so for the upcoming releases me and him are the primary contributors.

While holon started as a collaborative project with guest musicians, I have since taken on more responsibility myself. For the upcoming album, Love & Behold, I am handling recording, producing, mixing, and mastering myself. This shift reflects my desire to be self-sufficient and fully involved in every aspect of the music creation. For now holon remains primarily a studio project, as I prefer the creative process over live performances.

The name holon comes from the term coined by Arthur Koestler in The Ghost in the Machine and later explored by Ken Wilber. A holon is something that is both a whole and a part of a larger whole. This concept resonated well with me – seeing it as a fitting metaphor for music and life.

I am currently based in Trondheim, Norway, a city with a vibrant music scene, particularly known for its jazz conservatory that has produced some of Norway’s top musicians.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

I see my music as a genre-blending mix of progressive rock, folk, jazz, fusion, world music and singer songwriting all shaped by my diverse influences. At its core, the music focuses on strong songwriting, philosophical lyrics, and intricate arrangements that often evolve dynamically within a single track.

The style is eclectic and layered, often featuring a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, Mellotron, odd time signatures, and atmospheric textures. While some songs are melodic and accessible, others take on complex, evolving structures akin to progressive rock and fusion.

Thematically, the music explores deep, introspective, and philosophical topics, with The Time Is Always Now reflecting on existence and purpose, and the upcoming Love & Behold focusing on love, relationships, and personal transformation.

Overall, I think the music is a thoughtful, progressive fusion of styles, blending catchy melodies with intricate compositions and deep lyrical themes.

3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.

I am currently working on a new two-part album titled Love & Behold. The first part is almost complete, with only a few final touches and mastering left to be done.

This album is a concept record that explores themes of love, relationships, and self-discovery. The project was inspired by personal experiences, including the end of my marriage and the journey to find love again. It reflects on love in different forms—romantic relationships, personal growth, and emotional resilience.

I released the first single from the album, “Samsara,” in December 2023, which deals with the emotions surrounding my divorce and the loss of my father. The next single is set to be released soon.

4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?

The most positive experience in making music has been the creative process itself – particularly the sense of fulfillment that comes from taking a song from an idea to a fully realized piece. I am deeply intrinsically motivated, meaning that my greatest satisfaction comes from the act of creating music rather than external validation.

Another key highlight is the dopamine rush of discovery, when experimenting with musical ideas and suddenly finding something that clicks—whether it’s a melody, chord progression, or arrangement. I can liken this process to cooking with musical ingredients, where trial and error can lead to unexpected brilliance.

One of my proudest moments was working on the upcoming album, Love & Behold, where I have handled almost every aspect of the production myself – from songwriting and arranging to mixing and mastering. This is a major personal achievement, as it has allowed myself to grow as an artist and develop new skills in music production.

Collaborating with other musicians has also been a rewarding part of the journey. Meeting Rhys Marsh, who helped produce The Time Is Always Now, and working closely with drummer Geir Anfinn Halland Johansen have been significant experiences that helped me bring my music to life.

Ultimately, I find the most joy in the freedom of creation—learning, experimenting, and crafting music in a way that is true to myself. If others enjoy it, that’s just an added bonus.

5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects and how have you overcome them?

Since holon is largely a solo project, I have had to take on multiple roles, including songwriting, arranging, recording, producing, mixing, and mastering. While this gives me complete creative control, it also means the workload is immense and decisions can sometimes feel overwhelming. I have embraced the challenge as an opportunity for growth, learning how to produce and mix my own music. I am also trying to use my nack for structure and my engineering mind to improve the process to come up with a workflow that can be used to handle future music creation more efficiently.

Another aspect that will probably alway be there is struggling with self-doubt, questioning whether my music is “good enough” to be released. With experience, I have learned to trust my instincts and develop music that I am personally proud of, rather than worrying about outside opinions. Also, all the kind reviews and feedback from the first album has helped here.

As a solo musician focused primarily on studio work, I can admit that marketing and promotion have been difficult. In today’s digital age, where social media presence is crucial, I find it challenging to constantly promote myself and capture attention in a fast-paced, short-attention-span world. I am trying to improve on this, but it is hard to find the time given all other things I have to do in my daily life.

Lastly, I find streaming services a bit problematic, as they provide very little revenue for independent artists. And I also feel that the way people consume music has changed, with shorter attention spans making it harder for long, intricate compositions to get the attention they deserve. Remember that in 1974 Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ reached number one in the UK album charts. This was an album with one instrumental song! I am not sure this is something I will be able to overcome other than just spreading my music out there and enjoy the creative journey rather than focusing on money and fame.

6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, your success measured in likes and follows?

I am trying to adapt, but it is hard as a solo artist without a whole machinery behind me to handle such expectations. I am moving to a model where I release one song at a time and then eventually I will release the album. When it comes to likes and follows I try not to care that much. If only one person likes what I have created that gives me joy. Happiness for me does not come from the number of likes and follows. Of course that helps on the sale and income, but fortunately I am not reliant on that.

 

 

7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days and what would you propose is done to combat it?

One of the biggest frustrations I have with the music industry today is how streaming services devalue music. I think platforms like Spotify pay artists unfairly, with the majority of the revenue going to major labels and top-charting artists, leaving independent musicians with barely any financial return for their work. I think streaming services are too cheap. In the past, I would spend much more money per month buying CDs, whereas today, people pay around $10 for unlimited access to music from around the world. While this is great for listeners, it’s terrible for artists who earn fractions of a cent per stream. Also the industry favors major labels: The big players in the industry dominate streaming algorithms and playlist placements, making it extremely hard for independent musicians to reach new listeners.

So how could we overcome this? One thing could be fairer streaming models: I believe there should be a “Fairtrade” model for music, similar to ethical consumerism movements for coffee, chocolate, and bananas. In this model, listeners would pay higher subscription fees, and artists would get a much larger cut of the revenue.
We could also have better revenue distribution: Instead of the current model, where most streaming revenue goes to the top artists, a system could be introduced where each subscriber’s money is distributed directly to the artists they listen to (a model some platforms like Tidal are experimenting with and I think it is referred to as user-centric distribution model).

Also, I would encourage people to buy physical albums or digital songs and albums rather than streaming so that the artist gets more money per song.

8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?

There are a few things that could help.

Buy physical copies of my music. You can find it on Amazon, Burning Shed and even at the webshop for my local vinyl shop here in Trondheim https://www.allgoodcleanrecords.com/

Stream on artist friendly platforms such as Tidal or buy the music on digital platforms such as Bandcamp or even Apple, Amazon or Google’s shops.

Engaging with me on social media would also help as well as sharing and recommending to others and adding my songs to playlists. I also really appreciate reviews of my music.

9. Outside of the music, what’s do you do to relax?

I have quite a variety of interests and activities that help me relax and stay balanced. I like most things that have to do with tech and engineering. Being an engineer working on designing GPUs for the mobile market I get some of this out in my day job, but I also have projects at home be it programming my home automation system or making guitar effects pedals.

I also try to stay healthy and get exercise by doing things like weight-lifting, yoga, cross-country skiing (yes, that is probably very stereotypical norwegian). I enjoy watching movies and TV shows and reading books. I was very into self-help books for a while – which, together with Yoga, is what brought me into lots of the Buddhist philosophies that have inspired me in my music as well.

I like travelling and seeing other cultures and I love exploring new places. I have had some incredible trips backpacking through India, but that has been a while since now. I tend to go on more relaxing holidays with my family now – or travel to attend festivals and concerts with my girlfriend.

Last but not least I enjoy hanging out and spending time with my family. Even if there might not be that much time to do this with all my other hobbies. Luckily I have a very understanding family, and we all have our hobbies and projects that keeps us occupied.

10. Where can people find you?

You can find holon on various platforms, including streaming services, social media, and physical record stores. Here are the main places where you can listen, follow, and buy the music:

Streaming & Digital Music Platforms:

Physical Copies (Vinyl & CDs) and Merch:

Social Media & Official Website:




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  • Owner/Administrator/Editor/Writer/Interviewer/YouTuber - you name it, I do it. I love gaming, horror movies, and all forms of heavy metal and rock. I'm also a Discworld super-fan and love talking all things Terry Pratchett. Do you wanna party? It's party time!