Feed me!

Hai folks! It's a very beautiful day up here in the lowlands, a very welcome spring sun shining through. It all sounds just like music to me... just one week and ....12 songs will be caressing your ears...or not!
Here's a little update, just before I'll release a second promo.
As I've released my first promo (Fly Talk) into the world, my curious eyes are always wondering how people react to my new ditties. I'm not interesting in millions of listeners, quality counts in the end my friend. The song has already been picked up by a few online radio stations now. One of them is this young, music platform (Drooble) for musicians, listeners, sharing insights and giving feedback to eachother. And there are the charts, not to be taken all that serious, mmm... or do we?
I hope I'll get a few reviews for the new album too in the future, it's so gratifying, so any support (reader can you write?) on that is welcome!

Charts Drooble 20 april 2019 (genre "Funk"):

The Vanished Drooble Charts

And there are a few who have taken time to listen and appreciate what I do! Thanks U!

Melvin Brown at 00:58

Great vibe! Nice vocal. Tight instrumentation. Makes you want to get up and dance. Sweet track!

14d2

Giorgio Finetti at 02:18

Cool rhythm, wonderful use of el piano and percussions

5d2

Paul Whitwam at 01:15

Cor TVD you turn out some stellar stuff .I'm loving this one. You grabbed me from the first measure. Really interesting arrangement . Top of the funk... More

5d1

Marcelo Obregon at 01:37

Dig the progression! Smooth...Very nice!

Next: The next promo will come, promise! Now behave!

Let Us Hear/Watch A New Tune! (Promo 1)

The song
"Fly Talk" is the first song that kicks off the brand new album "The Fly On The Wall Routine", release 30th april 2019. The first song that kickstarted the process.
The fly on the wall in this song you can often recognize in the way they position themselves. Maybe a bit like a bystander, watcher, observer (me included). But they talk too....and sometimes they break with that stereotype. Here It's about the stressed out famous, introverted one, who just wants out, escape!  The line "the fly on the wall routine" I picked up (combining "routine" with "fly on the wall") reading one of those autobios about the once so rich and famous.

The video
Did it myself again, low budget. That's the way I like it. It's done with a monk's patience though to get it "right". So, No I'm not a professional, but I like it like that!
A lot of rhythmic breaks and pulsing going around in this song, so I put pictures/ lyrics/ coloured effects on the tempo of the beat to support that. It's a lyric video by the way, so you'll be able to sing along. Enjoy!




Fly Talk (Lyrics/Music: JoosTVD)

Roll up that red carpet
And let's get out of here
You know you're playing against type
All you want to do is disappear

So we rolled up our sleeves
And dropped the fly on the wall routine
And we walked a few beats downtown
And shaked our tambourines

I have to talk to you...now!
Don't look surprised I had to call
I have to talk to you
We have to clear the air somehow
Don't want to talk

A trail of clouds in the sky
Is spelling out your name
It feels like ripping off the band-aid
you blow the blues away


This is the first promo of two. The second will be released when the album drops!

Next: Let Us Hear/Watch A New Tune! (Promo 2)

Show Us The New Stuff!

It will take a while before you can hear my new songs (soon...soon), so let's reveal the new album's title:

                          The Fly On The Wall Routine

I always try to pick up colourful words or sentences that blow the ordinairy way of thinking away.
Yep, I can identify with the fly on the wall routine. 

Covers:
First, I took a lot of "selfies" (chosen snapshots from a video made by phone), just hanging out in different positions. Just to get the idea, sketching. So I didn't chose any of them for the front cover, but they ended up in the promo video's.
Here's my fly on the wall routine, posing in pictures: leaning against my wall of cherished music!

Different poses of The Vanished Fly

The next was the break-through: a selfie snapchot session in my backgarden. I liked the B&W version, but the end version was a compromise of a coloured effect on the right side of the picture, while the left side remained B&W.

The Vanished Waiter

The end versions/ results:

Backcover B&W, songtitles

Backcover Colour, songtitles

Frontcover B&W without alias (for online distribution)

Frontcover colour without alias (for online distribution)

Frontcover B&W

Frontcover colour

Front and backcover colour, songtitles

Next: Let Us Hear/Watch A New Tune! (Promo 1)

Sent Away, the digital way: Q&A

Ok, here's a Q&A with me and myself.

Gimme proof!

 
As you can see, you'll be able to stream my new album officially 30 April 2019. Check Spotify regularly, it takes often only three weeks over there.
AMAdea, who again handles the distribution, notes:
"It takes from 3 weeks minimum, to 7 weeks maximum to get it up and selling, once you've given us ALL the info we need. (Usually 4 weeks) Once we send it to them, it's out of our hands and they do what they can to get it imported and active in their service. We push them to get it added as soon as possible, and they always do it as soon as they can."

I was wondering, how many years...?
Ah yes! This is my 40th (!) year in the, ahum, "business" as songwriter, I guess you'd be expecting a "Greatest Hits" or another sort of a celebration box by now, do ya? Well, all of my works have been the "Greatest Kicks" I've had in my life anyway, so I don't need to be that nostalgic. I'm just glad to release more new stuff. Prolific guy!

1998: my first self burned cd!

What can we expect?
Tunes. 12 songs (two instrumental) with my stamp of typical energetic flavor of melodic pop songs with grooves, influenced by jazz, funk, R&B, latin, cabaret and humour.


When will you be famous?
When I'm dead and done of course. Legend in my own time. I'm happy with that, haha.

How do you write?
Mostly with a pen; everything that widens my eyes and opens my mouth I'll write down. I often start with the music, mostly late in the afternoon/ evening. The best songs come, when I've got a positive energy. Explosive jamming. I play around on acoustic guitar or bang on the piano. Combine a few funny or heartfellt sentences, words that fit the vowels. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes, sometimes 2 years to get to the end result.

Tell us about the recording process
Guts, sweat and beers. And a monk's patience.

When can we see that promo?
Ah, I've got two promo's for ya, they'll be up on Youtube in no time. All to watch before bedtime, before the official release, 30th april.

What are the covers and title? 
I'll show them all in my next blog.

Well, anything else to declare?
Um, well, yeah, no, um....CU.

 Next: Show Us The New Stuff!

I.Am.Working.On.It!

Short. Update:

Shoot or Vanish!

I. Am. Almost. Satisfied. Then. Will. Sent. Tunes. Away. For distribution. Worldwide. Working. On two video's also. Great. Fine. I. Am okay. Doing it. So. Coming up. 12 songs. Titles. Sleeve design. Pictures, covers. Promo's. One. Man. TVD.  Pop grooves. Jazz. R&B. Funk. Latin. Cabaret. Slapstick. Melodies. It will be fun. Smooth. I. Am. Cool. Right. On.

Sunday Findings

Hey Folks, here's little visual-in between- post about two different things, although they do/ can relate to eachother. One picture (1) reflects the old way of scribling thoughts on paper, the other (2) reflects the modern way of connecting with the digital highway by clicking and scrolling.

 

 

1.The old habit: Lyrical Painting

I do love both ways though. They are both means to the same end.

Picture 1 shows all my latest lyrics of my new album. Free expression of mostly specific or remarkable words and sentences, one-liners that I've  heard.

2.The modern communication: my new Trackball Mouse

Picture 2: I wish you all the best health possible, hope you wish the same for me. This modern way of scrolling is my latest addition to keep my workflow (yes on the musical side of editing) happy!

In the Zone with Ozone

As I reach the finishing line with mixing and mastering my new tunes, I want to share the new Ozone series. Great insight in what sound really does and what you can do with it. So I have to get into this zone, I'm still learning you know. I'm using a lot of Ozone plugins these days, so great to find all of these tuturials on youtube.

Izotope Ozone mixing and mastering series

The shape I'm in...

The energy flow

The title refers to a lyric of one of my new songs: how to express oneself freely these days with all the social media that crawls around ya. The daily routine. Questions. Does it make me feel good or bad? I don't follow easy, you know, don't conform to the hype of the day. I kinda keep up with the news, without taking topics or VIPs even for one second serious. It's still fascinating to know what's the new hype though. I always think about  the words Frank Zappa used to say: "there's a song in this", after watching another stupid, motherf..king asshole making a fool of him/herself on TV. There you have it! Enough topics to write about without pointing the dirty finger directly. Swearing is easy, writing with wit and selfreflecting spirit will get you much further in the end, I dare say. Imagination. I'm not a storyteller though, like a, say Ray Davies. I too observe almost obsessively, but the words that I write on paper are mostly fragmentic stuff. Ironic one-liners. I just need to touch some keys or strings to get the energy flow going. What's the shape I am in? There's a sudden burst of absurd energy that makes me wanna run through the jungle strip-naked, do a John Bonham drumsolo on piano and get away with it. Or scream without making a sound. Or keep silent with an all well-known nod on my face. People gotta move. That's my kind of music man. I want to join the circus...in my mind. Shape it up!

Homecooking

Here's a songlist with snowballs throwing in including "Not Now", chosen by (Homecooking):

Homecooking says "If you have not had the time to listen to everything this month, we give you a little help. Each month, a 15-track summary of what happened here will be proposed

The methodology of choosing the 15 titles is obscure and can not be explained. In no case the unsorted tracks would be worse (again we are not there to judge the quality).

At the limit, if a track meggles the cat, it can influence the final choice.

Enjoy!"

Playlist January 2019

Putting Dots On The I

Staring Dutchman

Hai folks, glad you're here... A new year brings new possibilities. See the grey hair? Well, I've been working my ass off and I guess the labour on my music has taken the original colours away, but... I always feel like a mountain though, rocking fiercely at these times.
Ok, for me it's mostly the music that gives me the ultimate satisfaction. What's up then? I am deep into the final stages of mixing my new songs. Excitement in the air. A few brushes here and there. It takes time to smooth the rough edges out of my way though. So far, I'm very happy with these tunes: they funk me right in the gut. I'm getting better bit by bit. That's the road I'm traveling on... I have to do this alone. Am I arrogant, narcistic, ego-centric? Yes, just like anybody else, haha! Whatever you do, how important you think you are for any community, you do it for yourself first. I'm just more aware of what I can do and that gives me the confidence that I've never ever had before. I also need some distance from the predictable sound, so I distract myself with housekeeping, family get togethers (mostly my own children, wife and my mother by phone), reading, watching TV series and the lot. Inspiration. Just live my life, stay healthy. keeping it up, just we all try to do. CU TVD