2017

So this must be my last blog of 2017 already...! A few last words then about what I've been doing those 12 months.
Guess you have witnessed the silence on this blog lately ("Vanished" remember?), but that will change in 2018 with the release of my new album, that's now almost finished. All the music has been recorded. I have just a few lyrics to complete that will take it to the final mixing and mastering stage. Excited times ahead......

Back to 2017 then.

Vanished in Sicily

- How to vanish...a bit of a relaxation will do. Really enjoyed Sicily (heart of the old maffia monopoly, but with a beautiful  greek scenery), a welcome and much needed vacation to recharch the batteries.


- Happily released another bunch of songs last may. Worked hard on those, but the pleasure and pain was all mine. What? You didn't hear Sagitario ?

Yeah that's the one

Nice reviews and more airplays followed. Also nice to know that a lot of my songs have been used as a license and heard in more instore- video projects. And I don't even have to sell myself or make compromises! No pressure, so it's great to be an organic musician on the digital highway!
By the way, the next one will arrive....in 2018.

Music I've heard in 2017:

- In between these recording sessions I've listened to a lots of tunes again, like the unavoidable, but loveable reissues of David Bowie, Queen, Doors, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa and quite a few new releases, some I like but in a "nothing really stands out" way (1,2,3):

1.Not bad, Ok..
Roger Waters (still angry, but too much "deja vu" Animals), Curtis Harding (good atmosphere, but totally retro pastiche), Michael McDonald (too heavy, too serious), Leon Russell (post R.I.P., nice arrangements, but too overblown), Neil Finn (organic production, but too lowkey), Stephen Stills & Judy Collins (organic feel, a few nice melodies, but Stills' voice is shot), Bruce Cockburn (intense), Gizmodrome (Copeland dominates, sometimes funny, but his irritating busy drumming spoils it), Todd Rundgren (return to songwriting, but predictable melodies) Santana & The Isley Brothers (Carlos is too much the guest here), Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie (better call it Fleetwood Mac without Nicks, what's the-sigh-point?).

2.Really?
Some artists I've admired for (quite) a while and some dissapoint for much too long now:
Beck (what the heck..? reminds me of Bowie goes commercial), Bjork (dork, irritating), Neil Young (songs mediocre again, where is the production?), Robert Plant (vaguelly annoying), Hue & Cry (simply boring).

3.Yes!
So what is it that ticks? Groovy, intense, but also melodic, focused, selfreflecting, funny stuff that wiggles my toes.
These albums did that trick this year:

Thundercat - Drunk (hilarious, funky, smooth, funny)

Jamiroquai - Automaton (infectious melodies, funky disco retro circa 1978-1980)

David Crosby - Sky Trails (sophisticated, jazzy, intense, Steely Dan)

Dean Friedman - 12 Songs (SONGwriter, funny, lyrics, eclectic)

Randy Newman - Dark Matter (hilarious, sardonic, funny)

Benjamin Clementine - I Tell A Fly (daring, beautiful, piano, quirky)

Nate Smith- Kinfolk Postcards From Everywhere (organic, soulful jazz)

Books I've read in 2017:

Art Garfunkel- What Is It All But Luminous
Amy C Beal- Carla Bley
Michael Nesmith- Infinite Tuesday An Autobiographical Riff
Jimmy Webb- The Cake And The Rain
John Fogerty - Fortunate Son; My Life, My Music
Michele Kort- Laura Nyro Soul Picnic The Music and Passion
Howard Kaylan- Shell Shocked My Life with the Turtles  Flo and Eddie and Frank Zappa
Phil Collins- Not Dead Yet
Dylan Jones- Mr Mojo Jim Morrison
Maurice White- My Life with EWF
William Shatner- Leonard
Grace Slick- Somebody to Love__ A Rock-And-Roll Memoir
Carol Ann Harris- Storms My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac

Best Movies of 2017:

Get Out
Baby Driver

That's a dutch review for ya!

Another nice review from Music World (source: https://goo.gl/gy84HQ)
Auteur: Fred Pach

"Ongeveer een jaar na zijn vorige album Open My Parachute bracht de Nederlandse multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Joos TVD (alias van Joost van Dinther, met als muzikale bijnaam Joost The Vanished Dutchman) een nieuw album uit, getiteld Sagitario. En ook dit keer stelt hij de luisteraar niet teleur. Wederom een aangename, dansbare mix van r&b, funk, pop en cabaret en een jazzy sausje, waarmee een aantal nummers wordt opgekleurd, is hoorbaar.
In het eerste nummer Private Scene zingt Joos TVD op grappige wijze dat het toilet onderhand de enige plek is waar men tegenwoordig alleen kan zijn. In andere liedjes komen onder andere aan de orde hectische vriendinnen en het leven van de rijken in Hollywood. Rode draad in de liedjes zijn de humorvolle teksten en de grote afwisseling tussen de twaalf nummers was voor mij evenals op zijn vorige album ook een aangename ervaring.
Het is opnieuw nauwelijks voor te stellen dat we hier te maken hebben met een puur soloproject. Van Dinther bespeelt alle instrumenten en schreef alle liedjes zelf. Zijn muzikale projecten zijn dan ook uniek. Dat het album je het gevoel geeft naar een voltallige band te luisteren, komt mede doordat hij gebruik maakt van ‘drum samples’ met als prettig gevolg dat de organische waarde van het album op peil blijft. Sagitario is wederom een geslaagd muziekproject van JoosTVD".

English: About a year after his last album Open My Parachute brought the Dutch multi-instrumentalist / singer-songwriter Joos TVD (aka Joost van Dinther, with musical nicknamed The Vanished Dutchman Joost) a new album, entitled Sagitario. And once again he does not disappoint the listener. Again a pleasant mix of danceable R & B, funk, pop and cabaret and a jazzy flavor, which some songs are tinted, is audible.
In the first issue Private Scene Joos TVD sings funny way that the toilet by now the only place where one can nowadays only. In other songs will include raised frantic friends and the life of the rich in Hollywood. Theme in the songs are humorous texts and the large variation between the twelve songs for me as well as his previous album a pleasant experience.
Again, it is hard to imagine that we are dealing with a purely solo project. Van Dinther plays all the instruments and wrote all the songs himself. His musical projects are therefore unique. The album you hear makes you feel a whole band, is partly because he uses 'drum samples' with the pleasant result that the organic value of the album is maintained.
Sagitario is another successful music project from JoosTVD.

Ready for the download

Yes It's ready! For a few words I've got a few downloadcodes left for ya....from Bandcamp.

Released "Sagitario" and where?

Here we go then. Choose...links will be updated!

Some online services even offer 16-or 24-bit flac.

Official:

Spotify

Deezer

iTunes

Qobuz 

Technics

Google Play

iHeartRadio

Amazon

7Digital

KKBox

Rhapsody/Napster 

Emusic

Xbox Music/ Microsoft

Aspiro/TIDAL

I-Classical(!)

Onkyomusic 

Openlive

Youngonesrecords 

Music dmkt (Japan)
Juno
Recochoku (Japan)
Artistxite

Onemusic

Other platforms:
Bandcamp
Bluesgambler blog
The Rthm 

I just came home from the dentist....(promo 2)

To celebrate the new release "Sagitario"
(13 april 2017!)
I've got another promo for ya
with lyrics:

 
                          

                   Private Scene (music & lyrics JoostVD)

I just came home from the dentist
He drilled so many holes in my teeth
I couldn't talk to anyone I couldn't stand the heat
So I went to the only room for some well deserved privacy

I go to the toilet that's my only scene
I go to the toilet you can keep me under lock and key
So if you have a problem don't come to me
Just go to the toilet for your selfreflecting needs

Despite bad weather important matters and public inquiries
In the end we all have to wipe our asses and clean up our filfthy deeds

Oehoe I've got a premonition
Coming up

So if you want a riot go to the toilet
You can be a pilot with a private seat

Tou can talk to anyone but there's no guarantee
The toilet is the only healer for your maladies

Oehoe I've got a premonition
Coming up

O my god....I forgot something
....mmm toilet paper

Link up!

Busy working out details on Bandcamp and here's a soundcloud link with a download option of

Happy Pills. Keep a close watch on the release of a another video and the whole album. CU!

Happy Pills....Promo

Not that happy? Play this "Happy Pill" and you're happy happy.

A new song for anyone who likes to share a new song with anyone.

From the new 2017 album "Sagitario"

12 arrows included, ready for a kill!

 Happy Pills

So you've finally found a corner

Where the funky moon is shining bright

The happy pill is inside

Sometimes you need the wrong thing to feel allright

Suddenly you feel a hand upon your shoulder

A voice said: "I need a fix my friend"

Here's a happy pill again

Sometimes it's allright to do the wrong thing

Put the nasty bits under the rug and sing

Nanananananah

We're all so very happy with a happy pill

Sometimes when you wake up in the morning

The mirror shows a beggar not a king

What happy pills can bring

Sometimes it takes all night to slipp them in

wowowowowowow

Put the nasty bits under the rug and sing

Nanananananah

We're all so very happy with a happy pill

(Lyrics and music JoostVD)

Show us your new work!

Voila!
It has just been confirmed that the album is in the distribution process. It takes approximately 4 weeks to appear online, but keep a close watch, some online services are very quick. now i'm gonna take a breeeeeaaak.
 

Proof! Distribution date confirmed

No pressure. Fingers crossed, legs spread. In the meantime I'll keep you updated if there's any change and as I'm working on some visuals, that tasty promo is on its way too. So now you know.
Now let's see where you have to look at this year and the rest of your life.


The artwork.

The original "selfie" pictures have been chosen from some amateurish mobile phone footage, filmed in the bathroom by yours truly. No. 3 became my ultimate frontcover as I liked the welcome sign in my sort of "I invite you all" atitude and the mirrored spotlight above the "starstrucked" me.

1.Here

2.Here!

 3.Here....

Here's the original for the back cover with mirror reflection:

Spotlights!

On the net you can find all kind of photo design editors.
I especially liked the paint department from Lunapic. All kind of echoes of Van Gogh and Kadinsky art that fitted well. Here are a few choices, eyes open or eyes closed:

Close my eyes...

(Starry starry night......) Sagitario!

The title. 

I know it's a bit pretentious...to say Sagittarius, so it became

                                                       Sagitario

It's spanish- which sounds so cool- for  (english), boogschutter (dutch). It happens to be my sign. I guess you'll hear a few characteristics of those on the new album. Playful sounding and with the extra bonus of the word siguitario in it. I'll explain in a later blog all bout it.

The final result (or insult).

Well, we've got that title, the art, so here's the design. I was switching between black or white for the background, both choices eventually made it.

Final frontcover result

for disribution purposes only (only one name prohibited)

We've got the frontcover, for the backcover I've chosen the same design but as a whole in contrast.

A few choices

Kadinskish smile

A white background with all the information you need. Now, what does it sound like? Soon...

Final backcover result with songtitles and credits

Next: promo video/song