I am a day off today thanks to Memorial Day, so please bear with me. As someone who follows social media and business I have been wondering how the Facebook IPO will effect the sites popularity. I feel like social media’s cool factor is a priority and once that is gone, you go the way of Myspace. My guest today has got the cool factor in his contagious and captivating sound. ThePelsSyndicate is a one man band who resides in the Netherlands. He has got his second album out now ‘Chemical Inconveniences’ and it is 11 tracks of dance music that transcends genres and takes you on a mental trance without the LSD. Join me today as we talk with the man behind ThePelsSyndicate about the album, using Facebook, his other ventures, and much more. ThePelsSyndicate are also offering an MP3 of the single “Chemical Inconveniences” to give you a small taste, enjoy!
Stoli: Where are we talking from today and did you get in on the Facebook IPO?
ThePelsSyndicate: Haha…I am in The Netherlands and no…I did not buy stock in Facebook.
Stoli: In regards to reaching more fans, have you seen Facebook as an effective tool to do that?
ThePelsSyndicate: Yes. Many people use Facebook as a search engine nowadays, so if you are not there you don’t exist for this group. Also it is an easy way for people to follow what you are doing and what is coming up.
“Chemical Inconveniences” MP3: http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/wxamecfc07/2_chemical_inconveniences.mp3
Stoli: Who else is in ThePelsSyndicate besides you and how did you come up with that musical alias?
ThePelsSyndicate: The Pels Syndicate is only me. The name came up during a family party where I was telling about the variety of projects I was working on at that time and with so many people, when someone made the remark ‘it sounds like a syndicate !”
Stoli: How did your upbringing and family/friends help lead you to a career & lifetime of music?
ThePelsSyndicate: First I had music lessons since I was five years old. It started with a basic musical education and playing the recorder, from 7 years old I had classical piano lessons. Later on I got friends who were playing different instruments, and we did nothing else but listening to and playing music. At 16 I purchased my first synthesizer, a Minimoog model D, which I still have and very often use. From 17 I was playing in my first band that quickly became the support act of a well known band, so we played concerts 2 or 3 times a week. Later on I was a guest musician and later a member of that well known band. During that period I was studying at the conservatory/academy of music where I got a degree in school-music. After graduating I played in a band that had a deal with Sony Music, and did a lot of studio sessions as a programmer or producer for various artists, which eventually enabled me to build my own studio.
Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Inconveniences/dp/B0077RYR0I
Stoli: Your new album ‘Chemical Inconveniences’ is out now on your site, Amazon, & more. Tell us how you went about compiling & recording all 11 tracks and where you were?
ThePelsSyndicate: The album was recorded in my studio, which covers a whole floor in my home, spacious and very light, with windows to the outside world :). In between jobs I work on my own music. Because I have to listen to so many styles of music I get a lot of inspiration. I often have no plan really, I just play around in my studio with a beat or sound, or come up with a melody and harmonic structure while playing the piano. Also I just hear something in my head when doing completely different things…. When I came up with the title Chemical Inconveniences, the titles for the tracks became clear. I keep all the songs in my computer and keep on working on them simultaneously until I am satisfied.
Stoli: I love your song “Feels So Good.” What inspired that tune and how do you make the instrumentals speak to the listener without words?
ThePelsSyndicate: “Feels So Good” is actually the last track I composed for Chemical Inconveniences. The CD was getting finished when I felt there should be a positive, relaxing, floating track on the album. It is warm sounding with a build up to a ‘Feels so good’ part that gives you that smile, that happy feeling. There is a lot of instrumental music out there, also classical. The basics are always melody in relation to harmony. That said, a lot of great songs are still very strong in a solo piano context.
Stoli: How has your music evolved since your debut, ‘Cinematic Blue’ and how does this album differ?
ThePelsSyndicate: “Cinematic Blue ” is a bit more experimental cinematic/symphonic. It was composed over a a few years of time, and contains different ideas and angles. I recorded “Chemical Inconveniences’ in about 7 months , and I think it is a bit more coherent album, also because all titles are related to each other. Furthermore I think it is more melodic compared to “Cinematic Blue”.
Stoli: You do a lot more besides being a musician. Tell readers about your licensing, production, and placement and how they can reach you for work?
“The Pels Syndicate” is part of “The Pels Syndicate Music & Sounddesign”. Core business is production music, in all possible fields, but mostly commercials. Also we are busy recording songs for TV placements, classical trailers with a twist, underscores for all kinds of TV programs and films, and at this moment recording and producing an album for a Russian artist. “The Pels Syndicate Music & Sounddesign” can easily be reached via our website www.thepelssyndicate.com
Stoli: What two musicians out now would you like to work with and you respect their craft?
ThePelsSyndicate: I would name William Orbit and/or Trevor Horn, although there are many more. Their sound and arrangements are often very detailed, I like that.
Stoli: Are you planning on touring and what kind of venues would be appropriate to play?
ThePelsSyndicate: Not yet…and I know it would be very difficult to recreate the tracks live. I think I would choose for a more live approach with at least a drummer, percussionist, bassplayer and two or three keyboardplayers. If so, it would probably be electronic music or chill festivals, or clubs.
Stoli: The world is in a crazy state of affairs with too much to mention. Are you an optimist and how can music be a distraction for people from all the hype & madness?
ThePelsSyndicate: Yes I am an optimist. I think time will come when people realize quality is better than quantity, also in music. If people buy only the good quality music they really love and enjoy, they don’t have to follow the hypes & madness, and get stuck with too much unnecessary noise :) I
Stoli: What is coming up for ThePelsSyndicate and where you @ online?
ThePelsSyndicate: Coming up is promotion work, jobs at The Pels Syndicate Music & Sounddesign, and of course the third album, for which I already have 6 ideas. Always online at www.thepelssyndicate.com
