Inside story! Questionaire

Sometimes you meet the most couraging people without seeing them face to face. Modern times I guess. Had a lovely "encounter" yesterday with a music writer (and other nice music enthusiasts, like Wim Oudijk!), who asked for an interview, well sort of..more like a questionaire. Thanks again for the nice puttings! His blog is HERE


POP'N'ROLL THE FUSION IF YOU DARE 

Thunder and lightning... A fusion you just can't ignore... He's back with a full length album... JOOSTVD is bound to get you smiling whatever style you're in... Welcome...

Sometimes it takes an orchestra,
sometimes a band,
sometimes a duo, every time it's the love for music
and this time it's just one man...

JOOST VAN DINTHER

The disappearing and reappearing
Vanished Dutchman is back with a full length album
and he made a really enjoyable music fusion

that can be tasted HERE
but you should take five to read what the man himself
had to say in his defence:

A short story about who you are and what you do...
I’m now an old(er)looking guy with a kid’s attitude.
Growing up in the seventies (listening to Roxy Music, Can and David Bowie e.a.), I followed in the footsteps of my father, whose collection of history, art books and music inspired me to make music. Now I‘m living the dream of creating songs, recording and spreading them.
I’m collecting myself too of course.

A new album every spring... What's the trick?
I love the album concept. Regular life. Breathing in and out.
Being a family man, trying to enjoy the little things. Boring maybe, not the obvious too much sex/drugs/rock’n'roll lifestyle I guess. I like the working pattern I have developed. It’s like a cycle: ideas pop up, I bring them to life and then hopefully this very intense process starts over. I’m already busy with new songs now this new album is out. Guess you have to be (and I am) kinda disciplined. Work to make it work!

Doing all this work by yourself... You must be a little crazy :) 
Why are you crazy about music?
Yes you have to be crazy! I’m addicted to sound and the “what will happen if I push this button or play that chord the whole time” method. I’m also a fervent listener and a fan of lots of great artists, like Todd Rundgren and Frank Zappa, whose individuality have educated and inspired me to do this
DIY thing.

You can take only one instrument with you. Which one? Why?
To an island? Drums (that’s maybe too heavy to carry with me, but still).
I started out as a drummer. That was the first  reall kick and my direct connection with playing an instrument. Around 1979 Stewart Copeland (Police) provided the stimulation. O my god, I can’t write songs on a cowbell! Maybe an acoustic guitar will do then.

 Admit something that makes (made) you blush?
A lot of people watching at the same time…. at the introverted me.

It's a sunny day, you feel good but real hungry, walk into a restaurant... 
What's your order?
First I’ll take a cold Belgian beer (Palm) to cool off.
If I’m really hungry I’ll order pizza… Hawaii.

How do you perform a live show?
I don’t anymore. I did with a few bands in the Netherlands from 1980 till 1995. First as a drummer, later as a frontman performing my own songs. Acting like a clown on stage. I do like performing, though I don’t see myself as a “good” performer. Not by technical standards I’d like it to be.

 Message for our viewers?
I’m always grateful to new and loyal listeners and as a musician it’s even more rewarding to get feedback on your stuff. It all helps to get better and to keep this “cycle” going. It’s an acting- reaction thing I guess. Just like this interview. Thanks for asking me!

***

Promo video of the new album
starts with a small provocation
but hey... if life gets too complicated...
and you feel screwed up... well... unscrew yourself!

Remember that!

Thank you for visiting!

Q & A: JoosTVD vs Orson Nietes

There he is. The guy who has VANISHED, claims to be JoosTVD and IS problably dutch. So why doesn't he come closer? HE CAME BACK and he agreed on this conversation himself. Ok, relax. Be careful what I say now.
But what the...he's trying to vanish through that door....heey...
"heey......wait........HEEY José!"


Q: "Are you THE Vanished Dutchman?"
A: "Mmm, it depends on what to think of me: an artist or a musician? I prefer to be the prolific latter. My main thing is songwriting, trying to develop that with my own hands, heart, mind and soul. There are so many artists who prefer a quick career in the spotlight. So yes, I'd rather be the creative vanished one. Guess I'm a slow burner with a long, strong breath, mostly keeping myself anonymous happy. Too many have vanished from this flath earth already..."

Q: "Well, who is Orson Nietes then?"
A: "We all know Orson Welles, do we?  Nietes (pronounce as NIETUS, it's dutch slang for NOT) is the opposite of Welles (pronounce as WELLUS, it's dutch slang for YES or ABSOLUTELY).
Sometimes we all want the Orson brilliance: to be the talented genius, to have the fame and to find his road to Xanadu, Citizen Kane...What we don't want is the anti-climax that followed and swallowed up his career. The only way to top the top is just the road back down. Is it Welles? Or Nietes? Confusing eej? Talking about the self-obsessed ego, the narcissus in us all and the social media that makes us feel so bloody important. Tweeeeheeet me! I am...
Guess I was and still am fascinated by his lifestory (I like to read detailed biographies) and with a little bit of puzzling and joking I came up with this title ORSON NIETES, which symbolises the overall sense of the new songs. It just sounds funny: Orson Nietussss, Orson Wellussss!
Just to play with the combination of words, the double meanings they can evoke, 24/7, that's my verbal combat".

Q:"Why, o why are there so many songs on this album?"
A: "I just can't help myself. That's not what I had in mind at first. So why not? It's the comfort zone of my musical environment. In the seventies they would call this a double vinyl-they smell better than cdboxes- album. Too expensive, too much indulgement, too long to listen to. Sure, but that's up to the listener. Nowadays, we've got enough space on digi-galaxy, talking terrabytes. You can skip wathever bit/byte you like. I still believe in the whole concept of a finished album, just like a book.
A lot of these tunes took form whenever I was in a joyful, free mood. Sometimes I had so much confidence and bursts of positive energy and maybe paradoxially-especially after my father died (sept.2010)- I had to let it go, let it out! And I'm glad I did. Thanks to the strength of daddy, I guess.
So much inspiration I didn't expect occured, that it became an addiction you just wanted to dwell on to.
And sometimes I fell into a big black hole of human doubt. The crazy thing is, that these songs are mostly very UP. I mean, they- hopefully- will not depress you".

Q: "What do you do exactly on this album?"
A: "As I said before, I am not the greatest player around. The high standard of today playing provides for great organic sounding soundloops, samples and effects though. I used to play it all basically, tried MIDI, but what I CAN play is not the standard that I hear in my head. Especially the drums. Apart from orchestral stuff and woodwinds (although I have to adjust, fit them in the songs), I play the rest mostly myself, like keyboards (electric & acoustic piano), organ, guitars, bass & percussion. For the singing, well, I do the best I can, I am sort of a struggling belter, not even fit for all the styles I do, but slowly, slowly, I'm getting somewhere. Recording I do with an instinct feel. At the moment I'm in the middle of working out the last finesses".

Q: "So where are the songs, are they already vanished?"
A: "Ha ha, totally! No, shall I play them for ya to prove it?
Well, the first thing that I'll do is, I'm gonna use the digital platforms that can spread these songs all over www, so you can buy (ha ha, ahum, I'm not interested in the commercial side of it, just the distribution-spreading the word-side of it). I will also release it as a stream and download on this blog, soundcloud and.. for FREE. And when you play them for the first time, a songguide on this blog may take you through the looking glass to Alice's magical Wonderland!
Poeh, strong stuff......
A=Q: Now I have a question: are there any more questions?"

Q=A: "No, that's enough for now you chatterbox you, pffff, I gotta pee".
A: "Allrighty then mate, me too!