Infinite Ceiling: An interview with Tides of Man

I befriended Florida-based Tides of Man last year when they played a handful of shows with the band Ranges, who I was on tour with. We fast became friends, and hearing them play unreleased songs every night raised my expectations of upcoming album, Every Nothing.

They called me by my nickname of Baggins – a New Zealand/ Lord of the Rings reference that Ranges started – and we shared some great times on the road. It was a ridiculously fun week involving lots of beer, Taco Bell, sleeping in tour vans and listening to great music. I was fortunate enough to see them again half a year later, when they played dunk!festival in Belgium this May.

Their last album, Young and Courageous, stands as one of my favourites. And Every Nothing follows suit as a well-crafted, emotionally charged masterpiece.

I interviewed guitarist Spencer Gill to find out what Tides of Man have been up to in recent years, and to learn a bit more about the new record coming out.

Spencer at dunk!festival 2018

Joseph James (Baggins) – Will Not Fade: First up, congrats on the new album. I know you’ve put a lot of time into Every Nothing, so it must feel good to see all that effort coming to fruition.

Let’s go back a bit to start with. Tides of Man started off as an entirely different sounding project. To me, your earlier albums sound like Coheed & Cambria. Then Tilian (vocals) left, and after failing to choose on a new singer, you decided to continue without one. How did your old fans react to Young and Courageous being an instrumental album?

Spencer Gill – Tides of Man: Our old fans were very open to our new sound. We had overwhelming support on our crowdfunding campaign from our existing fanbase and a lot of people were very happy with the transition. Of course there were people who didn’t appreciate the transition, but that’s completely natural in any big change I think.

How does writing instrumental music compare to writing music that features lyrics?

It’s definitely different. You can’t rely on a Verse/Chorus structure, and you have a lot more space to fill than if there were vocals there. I think each part has to be chosen carefully and you have to keep the melody interesting. The feel of a build, or the tone of an individual instrument suddenly becomes very important when it’s not sitting back in the mix underneath vocals.

Does your music have a message? What inspires the songwriting process?

We like to be subtle with our message. We feel that music (especially instrumental) has a lot to do with the listener’s personal connection to it. We definitely have a certain theme in mind for each album, but we like to leave a little interpretation there for the listener.

Inspiration for us comes from so many different things. Dan could be listening to a new record and really like the tone of some guitar and then we kind of pull from that and write a whole new song. We could be jamming in the practice space, and all of the sudden Alan and Josh just lock into some cool groove out of nowhere. A lot of our songs start off like this, then we quickly record them and rework them until we are completely happy.

I know that a lot of people I’ve talked to discovered Tides of Man through Audiotree. Tell me about the experience of recording an Audiotree session.

That was full-on nerve racking. But the guys at Audiotree made it so smooth, and were very nice to us. They guided us through the whole thing.

We thought it turned out great, and the recording quality was unreal! We are super thankful to Audiotree for having us on there, and we have definitely noticed that as one of the top ways that people have discovered our new music.

It has been four years since you released your last record. Talk me through what you’ve been doing since then.

Writing, jamming, re-writing, scratching everything all together, fully second guessing all of our ability to write anything again, then re-writing again. In the end, we are finally happy with our new record and proud to put it out. We have put a lot of late nights into this album and we made it a point to never compromise if we didn’t like something. We kept working at it until we were happy.

Dan at dunk!festival 2018

This is your fourth studio album. How have things changed since you released your first EP ten years ago?

Ha! We are better musicians for sure. We know our way around a studio now, and can really focus on getting great tones and making the studio make the song even better. Before, we were scared of the metronome, and had no idea what we were doing as far as amp selection, drum selection, production, etc. But I think every band goes through that transition of getting familiar with the studio and then using it to their advantage.

Are emo fringes ever going to come back in fashion?

Did they ever go out of fashion? Is this because we used to rock that haircut?

Haha maybe…

You used crowd funding when recording Young and Courageous. Why didn’t you opt to do that again for Every Nothing?

The last crowd funding campaign was awesome, but we always intended to make the band support itself as a business. Putting out Young and Courageous on our own without a label allowed us to make that a reality. We wanted to make the band do Every Nothing on it’s own dime. It forced us to make decisions with our money and be responsible not only as musicians, but as a business.

Alan at dunk!festival 2018

On a related note, how does recording and releasing an album independently compare to when you were signed to Rise Records?

There’s a lot more work involved to be short. When you are on a label, you get booked in a studio and show up to record your album. They take care of marketing, packaging, design, distribution, etc. That’s all on us as an independent band.

We are involved in every aspect of the release of the record, right down to arguing about what exactly should be on the center label of the vinyl.

A Thousand Arms are awesome, and I love those guys so much, but is there an easier option for ordering the record for those of us who don’t live in America?

We are in the works of setting up European distribution of vinyl.

Every Nothing sounds a lot heavier than Young and Courageous. Was this a conscious decision you made when songwriting?

I think it was a natural progression that just sort of happened. The quiet parts are quieter, and the loud parts are louder. That’s how we felt at the time of writing these particular songs.

Tides Of Man setlist from their US tour last year

I notice that the song names written on your setlist from tour last year differ from the new album track names. Have you renamed them, or are there some b-sides in the works?

We have horrible working titles for our tracks, and we have them for so long that we tend to remember them as that title rather than the actual title on the record. A B-Side or two may be in the works, but no promises.

Joel Frieders discovered that on your last album, the track “Hold Still” starts like the Yo Gabba Gabba song by the same name. Have you hidden any Easter eggs like that on the new record?

Ha! That was an absolute coincidence. Someone told me the other day that it apparently has a train noise in a section of it too.

As far as we know, there are no similarities to any children’s tv shows in our music, but we would be happy to find out after the fact that we accidentally ripped off Barney.

Many of you work as studio musicians. Which has more pressure: playing for other musicians, or working on your own project?

Playing for other musicians is definitely a job in and of itself, and we always want to deliver exactly what each client wants, so there is pressure for sure.

But writing your own music has so much more. It’s hard to explain why, but it feels like you are laying your identity on the line with each note, and if you mess it up you’re done for.

I know that the artwork was one of last things that you sorted out for this album. Would you care to talk about the album cover and general art direction? I know that Dan does design, and Alan is a photographer, so the visuals must be important to you.

Design is definitely important to us. As an instrumental band, all we have to communicate the feel of the record is the design and song titles, so we spend a lot of time throwing ideas back and forth on the direction and how it fits the album. On this one we wanted something that showed mundane everyday existence against pure nothingness. The album is really about the interplay between our fixation on mundane, meaningless things and the bigger picture that we forget to look at.

I should also add that the video for “Static Hymn” is great.

Thanks! Stephen Mlinarcik brought that idea to life! He was awesome to work with.

Tides of Man is based in Tampa, Florida, but Josh lives in London, and last I heard, Alan lives in LA. How do you make it work with such big distances between you all?

Luckily we all enjoy traveling. We always have a home base in Tampa, and Josh and Alan never hesitate to fly in and stay for a while. We’ve never had a problem with the distance.

I’ve seen you play at dunk!festival in both the US and Belgium and you have Arctangent coming up. Does your approach change between playing festivals and standard shows?

We try to simply play our music well and feel it with the crowd. I don’t think that should be any different between festivals and standard shows.

You’ve played with some great bands during your career. I can imagine that the Karnivool tour would have been incredible. And you were all buzzing when I last saw you in Europe after playing with EF and aswekeepsearching. Which bands have you most enjoy playing with, and who do you still to aspire to share a stage with?

Karnivool was definitely a treat to watch every night. We also really enjoyed playing with Rare Futures (formerly Happy Body, Slow Brain). Of course, touring with Covet and Vasudeva was awesome! Those guys are super talented. Ranges was also awesome to tour with. There’s too many good times to pick and choose which tour we were most grateful for. We have made amazing friends from all over the world because we are able to go out and tour. It’s just been amazing from the get go.

In the future we’d love to tour with This Will Destroy You, Russian Circles, Mogwai, Circa Survive, Thrice, and many more.

Vinny with Tides of Man dunk!festival 2018

Vinny Capitani playing with Tides of Man at dunk!USA festival 2017

We’ve all spent our fair share of time sleeping in vans. Do your wives/girlfriends get jealous that you sleep beside Vinny Capitani on tour?

They were absolutely jealous until he removed his beautiful locks. Now, not so much.

What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learnt about touring as a band?

If you don’t constantly try to improve as a band, and tackle something bigger you end up nagging at each other over stupid shit. We’ve learned this from personal experience. You always have to be pushing yourselves towards being better as a band, and you can never get stuck on the losses.

You’ve all eaten a lot of taco bell in your time, having been sponsored by Taco Bell through the Feed The Beat program. What are your top tips for making the most of the Taco Bell menu? I’m happy to hear vegan options too, seeing as a few of you are vegan.

Order anything grilled “extra crispy”
Add a lot of Fire Sauce
Get that creamy jalapeño sauce too
If you’re vegan, get on that Fresco menu. It’s great.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dan Miller (@tidesofdan)

My favourite memory of the times spent with Tides of Man was when we went on an adventure in New Jersey, exploring the “Gates of Hell” during the time between load in and sound check. What are some other memorable adventures that you’ve been on as a band?

So many amazing memories as a band! Driving all night to see Moab, Utah at sunrise. A day off at Cedar Point Park back in 2010 when we rode coasters all day with the entire tour party. Sky Diving at sunset on the coast of California. No A/C in the van for 5 days in Texas. Holding up signs at shows to find a place to stay for the night. Seeing Europe and the UK for the first time. Taking shots of “Red Death” in Tours, France. These are just a few.

Every Nothing is due out in August. What upcoming plans do you have for the band?

We are playing Fete De Lion festival August 3rd, and then ArcTanGent festival August 18th, and we plan to do a Europe/UK run in-between the two. Later in the fall we will be doing a US run.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. I’m enjoying the new record and I’m sure that you are excited to share it with the rest of the world shortly. Is there anything else that you would like to mention?

Yes, thank you Baggins. Only other thing to mention is that you can pre-order our album now over at A Thousand Arms website. Check it out.

Tides of Man pre-order options at A Thousand Arms: https://athousandarms.store/collections/tidesofman

Josh at dunk!festival 2018

Tides of Man links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tidesofman/
Bandcamp: https://tidesofman.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tidesofman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidesofman/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGu5lp7dVJNbsYCEjN2Mk_A

All photos by Joseph James (aka Baggins) except a few embedded from Dan’s instagram.

Album Review: The Sun Burns Bright – Through Dusk, Came The Light

Bear with me when I try to explain The Sun Burns Bright.

The Sun Burns Bright is a solo project from Chris Garr, of Birmingham, England. It is also a Coastlands side-project.

Wait… what?

Garr contacted Coastlands guitarist Jason Sissoyev when he was writing this album, just discussing music in general. The two became pen pals, trading recordings back and forth as they collaboratively wrote an album over the course of 6-8 months. Coastlands drummer Richard Keefer added his beats, and then other Coastlands guitarist Jordan Patrick created the album art.

So we have a trans-Atlantic collaborative solo side project. Got it?

Through Dusk, Came The Light is an exercise in serenity. Tranquil notes, picked with care and precision.

As one has come to expect from the genre, there are serene passages, later with added percussion, which crescendos later in the piece, only to return to the calm soon after. It’s post-rock by numbers, but that isn’t always a bad thing. We find comfort in the familiar, and the warm tones found within Through Dusk, Came The Light only add to that homely feeling.

It’s a beautifully recorded album written with deliberate, exact notes and gorgeous tones. Which is surprising when you consider how it was recorded. That is, on iPads.

Now I know that most serious musos use Mac computers. I’m not a serious musician, so I couldn’t tell you why. But as a teacher, I’ve got very strong opinions about iPads. They’re cameras that don’t capture an image as well as a cheap point and shoot, computers with less functionality than a laptop, and overall horrible devices that create addicts of children in the name of “education”.

I can’t ever see myself changing my mind on this argument. But I cannot argue with the results here. This record sounds great. You won’t ever find me advocating for the use of iPads, but if Garr can create an incredible album like this through the use of Garageband and an iPad then I’ll accept that they have their uses.

Garr proves more then adept on guitar and composition. He explores aural textures with dynamic awareness and subtle layering. And Keefer’s deft drumming perfectly complements the music, adding thunderous energy without overpowering.

Through Dusk, Came The Light takes the listener on a journey. From the epic climax of album opener “The Glass Is Always Full”, to the sweet melody of “Never Departing Shadow”, past the grandiose “Sky, Wand and Waves” to the sweeping solos of “Home Is Not A Place, It’s A Person”, to the final glitch infused pads of “Silhouette In The Shade”, this is an album that continually moves forward and treads the path of beauty.

The Sun Burns Bright isn’t the most original. But nor is it a tired imitation. It’s a solid début that appears to have already earned Garr a decent following from what I see online. And those fans have a lot to look forward – Garr is already working on album no. three, before even releasing his second one!

The Sun Burns Bright links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thesunburnsbright/
Bandcamp: https://thesunburnsbright.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesunburnsbright/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSunBurnsBri1
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thesunburnsbright

Youtube album link: https://youtu.be/JoDhgwX7CsU

Joseph James

Update April 2022: Chris Garr has asked me to clarify that this wasn’t actually a Coastlands project. Garr wrote the album and The Sun Burns Bright is his project, he just had some of the guys from Coastlands help to record it. He has since had a rotating roster of other musicians help to record ensuing records. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to mislead anyone when I wrote this, I was more focused on making my writing entertaining to read.

Album Review: Nihiling – Batteri

Are you the type of person who believes in the album as a whole? Do you listen to music on shuffle and make playlists from the singles, or listen to entire albums as the artists intended it?

The reason I ask is because for the past few weeks I’ve been listening to Nihiling’s new album Batteri out of sequence. When I downloaded the album the tracks arranged in alphabetical order, and not according to designated track listing, and I feel that somehow I’ve ruined the listening experience.

Not that the experience is bad by any means. But I’ve had to reflect on whether listening to the correct track ordering enhances the album listening experience, or if the tracks need be good enough to stand on their own.

I was taken by “Cellardoor”, the first track I listened to. For first impressions, it certainly had me intrigued. It begins with clicking noises (someone playing the spoons?), and drawn out cello notes. As this progresses the music grows more complex, with multiple poly rhythms that don’t fit work in well together. Despite this, it works. I found myself thinking back to Biffy Clyro’s “Living Is A Problem…”. seeing as both tracks are odd, but undeniably technically proficient.

The real first track of the album, “Ottersong” commences with a minimalist beat and singing that reminds me of Bedouin Soundclash’s Jay Malinowski. Slowly other elements come into the foray – toms and tambourines, more singers, weird glitches. Everyone has their chance to shine, with no shortage of talent fond.The guitars are especially great later in the piece , transitioning from effect laden underwater sounds to searing solos.

But like I said, there is no shortage of talent here. As biased as I am, I find the drums outstanding throughout the album – Rhythmically hypnotizing and dynamically diverse. Not to mention the singing. I’m a sucker for good vocal harmonies and Batteri offers this in spades.

But if you want my recommendation for the first track to start on, try “Power Rangers”. THIS. TRACK. RULES. Honestly, even if my review isn’t going to sell you on the album, at least take the time to listen to this one song. I’ve embedded it in the review here for convenience. The song has two sublime elements: groove and harmonies. Just give it a listen. Please.

That’s another thing that threw me – the singing is incredible. .Not only was I listening to this album with the songs in the wrong order, but I went in with incorrect assumptions. The press release called it post-rock, but the best songs don’t fit within this description.

I’d class Batteri as eclectic math-rock. As a general rule, the post-rock genre lacks singing. Whereas Nihiling give us layered vocal harmonies to die for. Odd indie Glitches and effects. You can call it post-rock if you must, because I can’t think of any accurate genre classification.

Upon listening to the band’s earlier releases I can understand the post-rock label better. But the band have evolved and embarked into new territory with Batteri. The first half of the album offers experimental prog-rock, and the latter half gives us the post-rock that was advertised.

“Rope” lurks into trip-hop territory. I’ll give the band kudos for atmospherics. Despite the simplicity of it, there is an off-vibe permeating the track, slowly becoming more unhinged as it progresses. The messiness worsens when a chaotic programmed synth à la The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” comes into play towards the end of the song.

“Idiot” goes heavier, with doomy sludge metal that loses intensity half way through, only to be replaced by a snare drum tattoo and less saturated guitar tones.

I highly recommend that you give Batteri a listen. If you do, you’ll hear brilliant musicianship, interesting experimental sounds, great groove, mathy dynamics and vocal harmonies to die for. The first half of the album stands stronger than the reserved post-rock of the second half, but don’t let that stop you checking out this stunning release.

Nihiling’s fourth album Batteri came out on Kapitän Platte on May 5, 2017.

Nihiling links:

Bandcamp: https://nihiling.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nihiling

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nihiling

Label: http://kapitaen-platte.de

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nihiling_official/
Youtube: youtube.com/nihiling

Joseph James

Live Review: Alcest at San Fran, Wellington

Alcest

w/ Hiboux and Into Orbit

San Fran, Wellington

Sunday 23 April 2017

Teenage Memories

When I was 18 I lived with the guitarist of Wellington hardcore band Declaration AD. Always up for adventures, I jumped at the chance when the band offered me the opportunity to come along with them on their first tour. I took a few days off work and we all drove up to Auckland and Hamilton in a hired van. The first night they played in Auckland at Zeal West. The following night they played a venue called Void in Hamilton.

I contacted a girl I used to work with who was then living in the nearby town of Cambridge. Turns out she was also going to be in Hamilton that night, and she wanted me to come watch some other bands with her and have a catch up.It was an obvious choice. I seldom saw my friend from Nelson, but could watch my flatmate’s band any weekend.

After helping to carry some speakers and amps into Void, I promptly ditched my mates to head to another venue. I don’t remember the name of the venue, but I do remember that it was below ground level. As I entered I was greeted by mesmerizing primal music of an instrumental trio. I liked them, but was confused to see that they had no singer. I was a fan of 65daysofstatic and maybeshewill at the time, but wasn’t yet aware of what post-rock was. Years later I made the connection that the hypnotic trio was in fact Jakob, who are now one of my favourite bands.

I met up with my friend and her boyfriend and we had a great night. The headliner was an Aussie prog-rock band called Butterfly Effect, which was fitting because my friend and I both shared a love for the similar sounding band Karnivool. That night was the first time I had ever had shots at a bar. Before then we had always sculled spirits at teenage house parties.

For some reason the Alcest show tonight had me thinking back to that night in Hamilton – probably because the lineup consisted of brilliant post-rock acts opening for equally awesome prog-rock.

Hiboux and Into Orbit

Having recently reviewed albums from both the opening acts, Hiboux and Into Orbit, I was looking forward to seeing them again in a live setting.

Hiboux were just as great as when I saw them open for Tortoise, and I enjoyed watching them even more now that I knew their songs. As a relatively big band (five members), they know how to do effective layering, and they do it with finesse. Gentle picking, light flourishes on the cymbals, subtle build-ups. But they also know how to give it a nudge, with distortion and washy cymbals and plenty of energy. A great choice for the opening act.

Despite being a mere two-piece, Into Orbit were still able to command the stage as well as Hiboux. Drawing almost entirely from their latest album Unearthing, they performed a monstrous set. Guitarist Paul Stewart was doing a great Cousin It impression, hiding under a long mop of hair. The tones and noises he can elicit from his guitar are other-worldly. And I’ve always loved watching Ian Moir smashing away at the drums with such force and precision.

I found that with both bands, I had a newfound appreciation for the songs that I had reviewed. It was neat to notice how they played with the dials on the effects pedals, or added parts to craft the atmospheric music we had come to experience.

Alcest.

Ironically enough, it seemed that I was one of the few present who hadn’t come to see Alcest. Don’t get me wrong – I wanted to see them – but I wasn’t actually familiar with their music. If anything, I came based on the recommendations of the support acts.

I had streamed some songs from Alcest’s latest album, Kodama a few times, but in truth was just hoping to be pleasantly surprised. And I was. In spades.

I had expected post-rock that sits on the heavier end of the spectrum. And that’s what I got… in a way… but the band also sat well within what I consider prog-rock.

For one, they had singing. Not something you often find in post-rock. But the singing was fantastic. Don’t ask me what they were singing about. I don’t speak French. But I do know that the singing and the harmonies were excellent.

And they were heavy like I expected, but at the same time had a sweetness to their sound. Serene picking and great vocals added a balance to their sound. I guess that the terms black metal and blackgaze used in their description had me expecting some unpleasant, but I was simply in love with their sound.

The four Frenchmen all sported long hair, and circulation-restricting skinny jeans. Frontman Neige had a bright white t-shirt and a peacock feather necklace around his neck, while the other three all wore obligatory dark colours. They clearly enjoyed their time performing, shyly offering thanks at times throughout the set with coy smiles. It was great to see their long hair whipping around as they grooved along to their own music.

And I can understand why they danced. It really rocked. It was like an arena metal gig, with brilliant guitar solos and pummeling double kick and infectious beats from the drums. I didn’t know any of the songs but I felt pulled to dance along to many of the songs. It me of some recent shows I’d attended like Caligula’s Horse and Opeth, and the aforementioned Butterfly Effect show from when I was a teenager.

All in all it was a fantastic night. Three incredibly talented bands putting on brilliant shows. I was surprised at how packed the venue was considering that it was late on a Sunday night, but after being blown away by Alcest’s set I can understand why.

Joseph James

Interview with Jan-Dirk Platek (We Deserve This)

Jan Platek is a German musician best known for his solo post-rock project We Deserve This. He is widely known within the international post-rock scene due to his prolific output, strong social media presence and of course, great musical talent. As an independent artist and strong supporter of the global music scene, Platek is exactly the type of musician we want to support here at Will Not Fade.

Following my review of Platek’s recent We Deserve This album Smile, I decided that I wanted to learn more about him. I emailed Platek at his home in Germany to ask about his various projects, and to learn more about what inspires and motivates him. It gave me great insight into a man who loves creating and consuming music on a voracious level.

English is not Platek’s native tongue, so his replies were not all entirely grammatically accurate. I’ve decided to leave them as is however, because I think it is important to let him present his views uncensored and unadulterated.

How are you Jan?

I`m feeling good right now, don`t know how long this feeling lasts…but thanks for asking.

What do we deserve?

We deserve pleasure, hugs and love. But maybe we also deserve bad things because of our actions. We are living in a strange decade with lots of trouble worldwide. Maybe our, and I mean the western world, behavior and actions will lead us into something really bad. If so, it’s our fault and we deserve it.

You clearly love photography. A lot of your album art features photos that you have taken. Do you plan to use photos for your music when you take them?

I`m starting with photography back in early 2015. My wife Karo is a really good photographer so she taught me the basics of a camera. After that I bought my first Fuji Camera. At first, it was difficult to understand all the settings but after I figured it out it was really great. I love taking photos, it`s like living in another world. It`s almost like being a child with a funny toy (the camera). And you know, I love playing…It´s almost like producing music, the same procedure. First you take a raw picture and after it you edit the photo on the computer. Editing photos is like mixing/mastering an audio track. Sometimes I take photos because I can imagine them as a cover artwork for my music. But mostly I find edited pics on my laptop thinking “that would be an awesome artwork“.

I see themes of nature and geometry throughout your album art. Is this deliberate?

Yeah I think so…geometry is a part of our nature. Have you ever seen a little snowflake with its tiny, geometric structures? It`s amazing. I think geometry is a part of our life.

I saw that you were fairly outspoken in response to Easter recently. Do you think that instrumental music can be (or should be) political?

That was on my private account and not on any of my pages on Facebook. Music is not a good tool to transport political views. It`s not my business to tell people political views. I`m pro gay, pro refugees, pro nature – more left-wing than right-wing. I don’t believe in god or in any religion. But does my views really count? Does anyone care about what Jan Platek thinks or believes? I don`t think so. I`m just a musician who wants to create music.

Is there meaning behind the eye with the teardrop logo? Do you ever try writing upbeat or cheerful music?

Yes, there is a meaning in the logo…but I don`t want to tell you which meaning. It`s my secret.

And yes, I often tried to write upbeat and cheerful music but I always failed. There are maybe five or six songs that I never released.These songs sound like Pennywise or Bad Religion with a little Billy Talent touch…I`m not sure if I will ever release these tracks. I think that vocals would make the songs huge but I`m a really bad singer….

Can you discuss the strengths and weaknesses of being a one-man band.

Hmm, I don`t know. I played in three or four bands as a drummer when I was in my 20`s. It was always a pain in the a** how the creation process worked. So lazy and slow. I think a band is a democratic institution with different interest. It takes a lot of time to create something. Being a one-man band is a lot faster. No one tells me “you have to play the guitar like this“ or “make a drum fill here“. I`m my own dictator. That makes everything much easier.

Some of your tracks are live recordings. Do you prefer live performance or studio work?

That`s a good question. I think I like live performances a little bit more than studio work. It`s a really great feeling to see how the crowd reacts even if they don`t know a single song. Studio work is a lonely thing. Working at night on my songs in the studio space is sometimes depressing. I`m alone with a lot of recorded stems and sometimes I want to talk to someone. I often would like to ask someone if the guitar or the bass is loud enough in the mix. But that`s my own choice, I`m a loner.

I know that you buy a lot of vinyl records, purchase albums on Bandcamp and stream music on Spotify. What medium do you use to listen to most of your music?

CD and the Bandcamp app on my iPhone. I have a Spotify account but that account is mostly for my 7-year-old daughter. She listens to Top 10 Charts Hits most of the time…I`m a vinyl collector, that´s true. But you need time to listen to vinyl in its entirety. I have two little kids so there is not much time to enjoy Vinyl records. Family life is wonderful but also sometimes very hectic.

You have two main projects: We Deserve This and Jan-Dirk Platek. Do you approach each project with different mindsets? I understand that the self-titled work focuses more on ambiance and texture.

My solo work is more piano based stuff with lots of electronics. There are no guitars on these songs. It`s more layed back ambient stuff…WE DESERVE THIS is for the Post-Rock heart that`s beating in me. I love to play the guitar and smash the cymbals on my Tama drum set.

You recently released Convex, which you consider your first strictly ambient album. What prompted this?

I discovered ambient music a little while ago and I really love it. Artist like 36, Tale Of Us or Leandro Fresco really blew me away. At that time I also listened to modern classical stuff. It looks like I´m tired of listening to loud rock music. I need the quiet moments right now. So I thought it would fit perfectly to try an ambient album. The strangest thing is, that I`m really overwhelmed by Convex. I usually don`t listen to my own music after its release date. But Convex is another thing…I play it very often right now. Maybe this is because it`s a complete new direction in my work. I don`t know…

You are incredibly prolific. Why do you drip-feed so many unique singles, as opposed to cultivating albums like most musicians?

I don`t know. Maybe that´s because I`m a child of the 80`s. Back in the days we all bought vinyl 7“ singles with only one or two tracks on it. It was fashion. I feel like a 80`s boy without the hair right now…hahaha.

You make lots of your music available for free. What is your motivation for giving away your music?

I think that my music must be available for everyone for a low price or for free. I want to spread my work as wide as possible. I have a normal day job and I don`t need my music to pay the bills. I just want to spread my creations. That`s it. Some people love this – other people hate the high amount of releases. I don`t care, producing music is like breathing for me and I like to give the people lots of fresh air.

You are signed to Fluttery Records, but release a lot of your work independently through Bandcamp. What arrangement do you have with Fluttery?

I can release albums on Fluttery Records and I also can release Singles/Ep`s/Albums on my own Bandcamp. That`s the deal and Fluttery Records is so kind to let me do my thing. Fluttery Records is the best label for Post-Rock and Ambient music right know. They really love what they`re doing. Most important: There are so many talented artists on that label.

You’ve also just signed to Russian label GS Productions. Why so many record labels?

GS Productions signed Jan-Dirk Platek and Fluttery Records signed We Deserve This. I guess my Jan-Dirk Platek stuff is too “electronic“ for Fluttery Records. I also never asked Fluttery Records to release my “solo“ stuff….

You are one of the top-selling artists on Bandcamp within the postrock genre. Why do you think you have become so successful?

I don`t think that I´m a top-selling artist but a lot of people are listening to We Deserve This. I don`t know how I have become “successful“. Maybe I know how to spam the social networks…like sharing links of my music in different groups and promoting my music links through Twitter and Instagram. I think social networking is the best tool to reach new fans. I also must admit that I only use these social networks for music. Exploring new artists, getting in contact with other artists and listening to new music. That`s the only reason to spend time on social networks: Music.

Your grandfather taught you to play music. What does he think of your music?

He died long before my first release came out. But I guess he would be very proud.

What is your main instrument? I know that you started out as a drummer.

My main instrument is the drum set. But I will take piano lessons this summer. I really love to play piano but I think I need to learn to play it perfectly.

Do you ever feel tempted to go back to using vocals or samples?

Hmm, I`m searching for a female vocalist but it`s hard to find her. If you know someone, please get in touch…

You’ve had a few collaborations over the years. Talk me through how you go about writing with other musicians. Do you meet up with them or use the internet?

Mostly everything is created by using the internet. Up next is a collaboration with the Synth-Wave Artist ADAM FORD. This guy from Italy is so kind, good and talented. I feel honored that he asked me to play on two of his songs. They will appear on his upcoming album Dreamscape. It`s a wonderful synthwave or vaporwave album that sounds simply awesome. I really like collaborations and I think I have to do more in that way. It feels good to be a part of someone`s creations.

You are incredibly supportive of the global post-rock scene. I know members of local bands here in New Zealand who have told me that you bought their records. How do you go about discovering new music?

Mostly on social networks like Facebook or Twitter. There are so many people, bloggers (like you) or artists out there and they keep sharing their favorite stuff. Bandcamp is also one of my favorite sources to discover new artists.

What else have you got planned for We Deserve This?

I guess another ambient release. The response regarding Convex is amazing. I reached many new listeners and lost some post-rockers. I love how ambient music slowed down my heartbeat down while creating Convex. Sounds strange but it felt like I`m in another world. Also, there are currently plans to play live in 2017. Not a tour but a small amount of gigs here in Germany. Last but not least: Thanks for the interview, Will Not Fade is also a good source to explore new artists. Thanks for supporting the underground music scene.