TBA

                                                                    
                                                                                              Just say NO

I want my Spotify!

Hello there, just a little update for those who can't get enough news. Too much information gets in the way in the end, but hey, don't shoot the messenger!

In between that process of getting my new music together (yes it's getting there, just some finetuning to do and I'll send them babies away), I'm always roaming around the web for new possibilities, curious as a cat as I am. Some of you spotify listeners will surely have noticed a few added changes when one looks for an artist/ band, genre, mood or playlist. Like pictures, a bio and concert information. For the musician there are more tools available to promote yourself. It's all just for fun you know. One in particular is the Spotify Line-In where you can add some functional and personal info to the artist, album or song. More information leads to a better search result in the end. So why don't you try it out? Pick your favourite artist/ band/ musician (me of course), add all the tags that fit, so when we search for a certain mood, style, we always pick the best. Get comfortable.

Searching on Spotify

What's wrong with this bomb?

Well, let me tell ya. I'm against violence. Especially against animals. But human bombs are walking around everywhere, waiting for their moment. But a humoristic song about a bomb or a terrorist? Tricky. Once (in 2009 when I was tricky) I took a bomb. It became a narrated song where we can take a peek through the terrorist's eyes, whose sinister and desperate voice leads us to the unavoidable climax. Not glorifying anything, but it became a bomb for me. The song has been picked up by Tom robinson and various other enthousiastics (radioplays) in 2012 and since then it has served me well during the following years of promoting my music. It's my introduction I guess.
Yesterday I took the opportunity to submit it once again for a so called "secret" theme episode (example B-Side Guys) posting on Reddit. I think the song has a secretive message, so why not submit it again?

Listen to his story:


Today I received a small bomb back (a private message, respecting his/her privacy):

"How beautifully bizarre. Thanks for the submission!"
"Dude, I don't even know what to say about this one. This is so bizarre and so strangely good at the same time. The instrumentation and your vocal pacing is very "Flight of the Conchords," but the songs are more serious. I've listened to/reviewed/critiqued a ton of music, and I've never heard anything quite like this. The problem is that I don't really know what to do with it. I don't think that it makes the final cut into the Secrets episode because of the sheer amount of submissions we had. I want to help promote this, though. I want to use it on our website as an upcoming Track of the Day, share it on our Facebook, something like that. Let me know what you think about this plan. Thanks for the submission. It's truly something unique in the weirdest and best way possible."

Ok, (s)he doesn't know what to do with it....Well (s)he knows, (s)he'll promote it anyway. What the heck. I have to thank him/her for complimenting the song!

Another day in the never ending unpossible way of reaching your holy grail. Say ni!

Q & A 2018

Hello ladies and germs, I've got to get organised now. I'm still working my sorry ass off on those tunes, but hey....they sure give some grooves back to me! So many things to do, but I'm positive. As there's progress, here's what you can expect in the next few days, weeks, months (...?)

Before: Lazy Dutchman

Here's a little Q & A for ya: 

Q: Are you "The Vanished Dutchman"?
A: I'm here, ain't I? I'm more human now. The Vanished Human. Rather that than a chauvinistic nationalist.

Q: Do you like music?
A: No


Q: What are you doing then? 
A: Playing fiddle with a hammer

Q: What's on your mind these days?
A: Trying to be serious

Q: A new album, can we expect something different from the previous albums?
A: I dunno. I guess they all call it music.


Q: Well, what about a promo video?
A: Hey, I'm working on it! It's funky! But first I've got to finish the master of the chosen song, ok?

Q: Will it be you on the frontcover?
A: Well, it's a lucky shot that I've used. Yes, there's me and I've finished the covers already. But I've got to be really sure about the length and the sequence of the songs.

Q: What about a title?
A: Yes, I've got that figured out too. Won't tell you though. It's too shocking...I'll tell you all about it in the near future. It's a very simple one.

Q: Release date? Spring again?
A: Heeey, that's classified information! Gimme a break! Ok, well maybe...May 2018? If everything will go as planned, it will be around april that I'll sent it to AMAdea for distribution worldwide and that usually takes 3 to 4 weeks, so...

Q: The story about the songs?
A: Maaaan, I've got to work on those too! After the release I'll tell all my secrets. The whole world has got to listen first of course. Can you arrange that?

Yes it will happen folks. 

After: Lazy Dutchman

Focused monk

Hai there folks!
Today, as usual, I'm gonna work on my latest stuff again. Listening attentively like a lonely, but dedicated and focused monk minus the bald crown of course. Keep it cool, will ya?
I'd like to share some of that stuff which has helped me through years of struggling in my homestudio. For those who are looking desperately for those educational video's about mixing and mastering and of course there's absolutely much more. Give me those links and I'll add them.
Mostly presented by the professional audio nut and mostly done in Pro Tools with the basic stock plugins to enhance your audio a "little" to make it more "audible".

Vanished Monk

Pro Tools mixing/ mastering video playlist

Mastering it yourself

Mixed Up

So...I'm in the middle of these final mixes. Thoughts are racing all the time: "don't mess with a good thing!" The choices I've made are more or less definite. I mean, the intensity and the emotions (FEEL) of the "first take" makes it mostly the best one to go for. Both the organic energy and the freshness of a new song motivates that. Sure there are the unavoidable overdubs and edits to be done later (only in case if there are disruptive mistakes, all in the name of smoothing it all out).
I've got a lot of ideas while arranging and recording a song. Those filling intervals, melodies come from the piano mostly. Some even counterpoint perfectly with eachother. And sometimes you have to choose, wipe away what's getting in the way.
Every song has got its own personal handling of course. After a few weeks of self-imposed distance I've listened again with "new" ears. Aha. Yes, that distance helps to be more objective about the sound, especially if you work alone (!). Watched a few youtube tutorials of generous sound engineers again to learn more about their professional mixing methods. Let's get it on.

My method? The "meth" method.

 Ok, I need some more distance perhaps haha....CU!

Ok, I did it again!

Once in a while I add one of my songs to a playlist on Spotify and sometimes someone opens his ears for it. This time it was a playlist from Kahsay, a swedish musician, who wrote a few nice words for this song from my 2015 album "Lightning Dutchman". Thank U Kahsay from a fellow musician.

Have a nice weekend every1. Stay humble.....

"I have an collaborative playlist and been promoting that on different occasions and when I scrolled that playlist a song popped out and hit my ears. It' s a dutch songwriter that creates fantastic soundscapes in the area of funk, jazz and soul. I was blown away by the fantastic groove in the song "Don't Do It Again". Give him a listen. He's about to release an album in 2018. I'm looking forward to hear that album."

3-BulletFriday (Don't Do It Again)

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

The new songs I'm into that

"Man I'm really into it...", well what? A sexmachine? Yes, I like the joy of funky hypnotism.
I can't escape from the sounds. It took a while before the floods of creation really went open. I'm in the middle of that now, so that will keep me warm through another autumn and winter. A lot of songs have been building up through the years and waiting eagerly for my my finishing touch. I choose the ones that come naturally and quick. I'm into that. I LOVE what I do. Can you count it off?
Nope...CU.

Vanished again.

Vanish

As you all (yes you too) see, I've vanished, but I'll come back. When and how?
I'm still piling up the usual: songs in a free floating way. It takes time. No pressure.
You'll see..
Have a great, great summer and play me.
Have fun JoosTVD

Songwriting in progress, it never stops