Part 1

Name: Netherlands
Members: Timo Ellis (guitar, vocals, keyboards, instruments), Damien Shane Moffitt (drums), Josh Musto (synthbass)
Interviewee: Timo Ellis

Nationality: American
Current release: The new Netherlands full-length Severance is slated for release March 31st 2023 via Svart.
Recommendations: FREDERICK DELIUS - "Florida Suite" (1888) - I have been deeply geeking out about this piece constantly for the last year, and I still can't get enough of it = IMO this is PURE AESTHETIC PERFECTION, and palpably humble, sweet and sad. 10/10!
EARTH, WIND AND FIRE live in Oakland 1981 - IMO up there with the best things humans have ever done, on every level!! heart, soul, technique...and outfits!! haha ... it's ALL HERE 

If you enjoyed this interview with Timo Ellis of Netherlands and would like to stay up to date with the band, visit their official website. They are also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

I started playing the drums at age 11 and the guitar at 13. But it wasn’t until college that I really started “songwriting“ in the traditional sense (*prior to college I was more focused on developing technique, as distinct from songwriting, primarily due to my obsession with both Eddie and Alex Van Halen.)

My earliest musical influences were The Jackson 5, The Cars, Van Halen, Earth Wind and Fire, and Black Sabbath from hearing them on local NYC rock radio stations, starting from when I was 8 or 9 years old; and IMO on a certain level, the “genetic” influence of all these artists still is evident in a lot of my “pop” and rock music.

Music, in the simplest sense, was (and still is) extremely exciting  / psychologically enchanting  / emotionally moving to me.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

I think I've always had deep color associations with music, and occasionally imagery too. Mostly music provokes a large range of visceral  / emotional responses for me, like it does for most people.

Personally I'm not sure if this influences my creativity, as I have been making music for so long that at this point it's like a regular practice / second nature to me. My entire approach to creativity is mostly based on improvisation and endlessly returning to the "blank canvas"; in other words, semi-constantly creating the conditions to channel musical ideas and feelings, and then recording / refining everything.

For me making music is a discipline / life practice, and "inspiration" Is not something I'm particularly hung up on (or believe in, especially). Although obviously it still happens from time to time!

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

I think the main challenge to my development as an artist was being totally unsure about whether or not it was a viable (or um, sensible?) way to live my life / thing to pursue professionally …

When I was growing up in the '70s and '80s it wasn't clear, whatsoever, how to get into the music business (the only options seemed to be either "studio musician" or "rock star", both of which seemed completely inaccessible / totally abstract to me.) It was only when I got to college in 1989-90 that I discovered the nationwide punk rock circuit of local clubs and promoters where artists / bands could seek out a (modest!) professional life playing music. (And thankfully I was passionate enough about it from the beginning that I was probably going to see it through no matter what!! haha)

In terms of breakthroughs, I would say the most profound part of my musical development was developing facility on the Tascam 424 cassette 4-track recorder in high school, which was essential to me learning how to create ensemble / multitrack recordings, within strict limits; In other words it taught me how to ruthlessly EDIT my work, which I still believe is one of THE most important skills of any artist.

And in terms of my personal voice, my biggest breakthrough was a result of quitting drugs and alcohol in 2007 after many out of control years of addiction, which dramatically cleared the way for my authentic narrative / writing voice to emerge. Getting and staying sober was a HUGE psychological catharsis for me and the best possible thing I could have done as a human, and therefore also as an artist.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

I think growing up in New York City in the '70s and '80s had an indelible influence on my psyche, in terms of music and culture, and just style overall; it was such an insane, chaotic and vibrant place.

In general I feel like people might be more likely to have a wider range of musical interests, and generally an open mind about "difference", growing up in a super culturally diverse atmosphere like the one that existed here back then (and still does to a large degree.)

And in terms of creativity, there were so many amazing hybrid and radical forms of art and music being created, that IMO generated a sense of basic creativity, deconstruction, destruction, and endless possibility.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

Life on Earth is beautiful, miraculous, terrifying, and mostly strange / mysterious / totally incomprehensible. I personally believe that music is THE best thing the human "species" has created … almost by far. IMO developing one's music and artistic vision IS a noble pursuit / practice / quest, and eminently worth pursuing in this one brief life … given the opportunity!

In terms of my own approach to making music and art, I think it's extremely important to be totally brutal in one's self-appraisal, so that one's work actually fundamentally grows  / improves. My basic feeling is that my work totally sucks, is actually terrible … until it's fucking amazing (to me.) For me there's no in between, and it's always emotionally brutal, but this kind of pain tells me that I'm actually doing it fully / properly.

That, and as much as possible to endeavor not to repeat myself / get stagnant within genre(s) / to always keep trying new things / get out of my creative comfort zone / constantly venture back out into unknown waters, etc.

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

With NETHERLANDS I have always tried to be as musically adventurous as I can within the genre (IMO all the NETH records are actually very different from each other!)

In the last few years I've realized more fully that the "hard rock / sludge / metal" musical culture really has deeply established formal genre rules, and in certain ways … is actually extremely conservative. However I still love playing this kind of loud rock music so I'll continue to try and expand the possibilities with an evolving range of sounds, moods, vocal styles and narrative album arcs.

For me "originality" is most meaningful when an artist is as fearlessly authentic and daring, as is humanly possible for them, in their conception and delivery of their work … regardless of genre, or style. In other words, when someone is TOTALLY real, their music feels completely original, and often timeless, regardless IMO of whether or not they're "breaking new ground" musically (*and obviously, when artists are completely real AND successfully experiment with new forms / create new hybrids, it can be even more exciting, etc.)

IMO "tradition" is fine / cool … until things start getting musically rigid / when people sometimes start getting completely close-minded / dogmatic / toxic about their "musical beliefs" ... then tradition should go! And "innovation" in general sort of leaves me with a bad taste, as these days it's always invoked by big businesses / the big tech companies and generally reminds me of the out-of-control, ecocidal ignorance and hubris of our techno-industrial civilization; IE our obsession with the "future" … at the (mortal) expense of the present, and everyone / everything in it!

So I'm not particularly keen on either notion, necessarily; IMO it just depends / is contextual / case specific.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

The chronology of my development could be described as "first learning how to play the drums, then the guitar … then the studio." Initially with the aforementioned Tascam 4-track, and then in 2001 with Pro Tools, which radically revolutionized the entire process, and is still incredibly amazing and fun to work within.

Personally I have some tech-phobia, and learning new programs has always been (and still is!) a little intimidating / daunting to me. And these days all the possibilities with looping, the more and more advanced DAWs (with their mind-bending, ever growing array of plug-ins!) provide more or less endless creative possibilities; BUT in the words of the great Yuka Honda, my old friend and mentor in Cibo Matto, always remember; "NTG!" = not TOO good!! In general I took this to mean "don't get too perfectionistic / know when to quit!!"

IMO being ruthlessly aware of the (easy) possibility of overcooking / overthinking / overworking things is extremely important, especially now with "forever overdubbing and processing possibilities." again, limits are GOOD.