FH: Why don't you think it was a good idea?

YM: Well, this kind of "hit-music" style, is not really me. I can't deal with that kind of stuff anymore. It was rather an attempt from my side to break into radio and MTV, which actually I succeed with. "You don't remember, I'll never forget" and "Heaven Tonight" were very successful it that sense, and had heavy rotation on MTV and other music-channels, even though it was never the way I really wanted success, in one way.

FH: So the early stuff, songs like "I am a Viking" and "Black Star" and such, is more the true you?

YM: Yeah, that's right.

FH: In the beginning and middle of the nineties, you had a bunch of set-backs. You broke your hand, you had a false arrest through your future mother-in-law....

YM: It actually sounds worse than it was. A couple of bad things happened, but nothing that really affected me very much. My carrier in Japan skyrocketed, where I sold multi platinum at that point. As a matter of fact, I was one of the guys that made it through the nineties "untouched" by the publics changing taste of music, and I never quit when others did. Now, they're coming back, while I was always still there - I've always been very persistent and that paid off. I couldn't care less about what was "in" and what was not. I did my thing.

FH: You've also recorded a concerto suite with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. How was that? It must have been like a dream come true.

YM: Oh, yeah! Definitely! And in June 2001, I'll be playing three nights in Tokyo, Japan with New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. It's most likely going to be released on DVD, so look out for it!

FH: You have a recording-studio in your home, correct?

YM: I actually have two! I just built another one - state of the art, top of the line equipment. Right now were focusing on the tour though, and my latest album is being released in the U.S. as we speak.

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