Vandenborre

Vandenborre im Interview „I’m no better than anyone else“

Nicolas Vandenborre im Interview beim Soundkartell; Credit: Credits to Aman Tej Deol

Das Soundkartell hat den Musiker Vandenborre aus London exkusiv für Euch hier im Interview.

Nicolas Vandenborre, please just introduce yourself in three sentences.

Vandenborre: I’m a writer of both music and literature, born and formed in Singapore and now living in London. Vandenborre’s sound is casually related to indie soundscapes, but I’m always aiming to blend between different genres like Funk, Acoustica, Electronica and Rock. I just hope to create something interesting at out of that mix.

You are running your Funk and Acoustic project Vandenborre. As I’ve visited your facebooksite the first time I was impressed by the arty coverwork. It looked like a page of a painter. In which way the first impression didn’t fool me?

Vandenborre: The visual element of the project was crucial to get right. I wanted to convey the depth of meaning these songs have and how they are communicated in a range of music styles, hence the different colours and textures of the paint. Justifying the meaning aside, practically speaking I think people are more easily convinced to give something a go when it appeals on every front, and in a world where I’m just one in a million I have to do what I can to stand out and essentially be heard. The artwork is all the work of my good friend Shirley Cahyadi, if your viewers are interested in more of her art you can find it here: http://www.shirleycahyadi.com

At the end of the year 2016 you’ve released a piano driven instrumental song. When you look back to this release and the new year: How did your sound change over the last 12 months?

Vandenborre: ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ was definitely a big leap from the band’s usual sound, but in the last 5 months, I’ve been exploring more ambient and experimental sounds. It’s music I love to listen to and I was drawn to giving it a go, especially since I feel it captures meaning in a way mainstream structured and flavoured songs don’t. I wouldn’t say it’s a sound change, though. I enjoyed making it as a trial of something new, but Vandenborre as a project will definitely focus on the more indie side for the foreseeable future. The songs I’m planning for 2017 are far more digestible.

In which way this is something you can capture as a musician?
 How was the experience to produce an instrumental track like „Truth and Reconciliation“? And how was the resonance to the track?
 Did you set up some important resolutions for the new year and in making music?

Vandeborre: It was definitely a rewarding experience to produce a track like that, both in terms of the songwriting and production because of aspects like song length and structure. I think trying out the weird and bizarre can only make me a better musician holistically, and it shows that Vandenborre can offer a lot, so hopefully listeners will never know what to expect. As for the resonance to the track, I just worked with a more lo-fi recording approach because there’s a natural warmth you get that isn’t easy to recreate in post-production. For me, the organic crackling in the background and the sound of my somewhat laboured breathing gives the track a lot more personality. For the new year, university takes up a lot of my energy and I’ve not gone full time with this yet, although I can’t wait to. I just plan to keep making music if and when I can, sharing it with the world and hoping for the best. Trying to get a live setup would also be a good goal.

Nicolas Vandenborre im Interview; Credit: Credits to Shirley Cahyadi

You as an independent artists, could you shortly describe how hard it is to work completely on your own and what are the most important steps to bring your music to blog like this here on Soundkartell?

Vandeborre: It’s definitely intimidating and a struggle, because in every modern industry, and with music especially, it’s a question of who you know. Ultimately it’s just a network of influencers who can help make or break careers. Tapping into that is a daily struggle. Like I said before, I’m just one in a million chasing a dream and I’m no better than anyone else, so achieving breakthroughs and getting the music to the right audience is a challenge. All you can do is keep going and not let the rejection get to you, because even if it’s a cliché, there is a lot of that. But once in a while, you get a victory and it keeps you moving. So thanks for this interview Niklas, means the world.

What are your hopes and fears for this coming year 2017?

Vandeborre: My hope is to keep funnelling Vandenborre’s music out in the world, focusing on positive and upbeat tracks and ultimately making myself and everyone around me happy. I’ve got so many more fears than hopes, but I think that’s inherent with a budding artist who is also a maniac overthinker. I’m just grateful for all the victories Vandenborre has had in its first 6 months, and if those carry on in 2017, who knows. Could be a wonderful year.

https://soundcloud.com/nicolas-vandenborre-1/truth-and-reconciliation-ft-izzy-caldwell-extended-mix

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