Ruud Voesten brings the best of jazz and world music together with his impressive knowledge. His range, style and compassion towards the genres is not only commendable, but a lot has to be said about how he arranges music. Instrumental tales weave their way through invisible characters. Maybe you’ll never know who it’s about. Maybe sometimes it’s about you. This is his latest single, Goesting.
What are some themes you like to obsess about with your work while composing?
For ‘Ambrosia’ it’s all been about Dante’s Inferno and my associations with the sins, the sinners and their punishment. This story gave me clear input and brought me a lot of ideas to communicate through the music, but I’ll probably take different subjects the next time i’m composing a repertoire.
When writing I was able to connect elements to the story, which became key features of the songs. Sometimes this was a groove or meter, other times it was the melody, harmony or orchestration.
This starts off as a sombre track, a tale of dire circumstances. Ruud Voesten makes sure his composition prepares you for the sorrow, heartbreak and pain of this protagonist. The strings start off slow, melting into the background while they tantalise you, moment by moment. The 7 and a half minute epic takes you chapter by chapter, while the bass enters and plays with a groove. Stories unfold quicker, creating complicated webs to follow.
Are there any artists you idolise on the kind of connection they have with translating emotions with clarity?
David Bowie’s ‘Black Star’ had a huge impact on me in that sense. Just the mere fact someone was able to use his own terminal illness as inspiration for his art was unfathomable to me at the time. Adrianne Lenker also comes to mind.
Ruud Voesten and the essence behind Goesting
In Goesting, you layer instruments to flow between genres as per the theme. What is the overarching theme that this song is inspired by?
Goesting is based on the ring and sin of ‘lust’. In this ring you find mostly adulterers who are being buffeted back and forth by a terrible storm. This symbolizes the power of lust to blow needlessly and aimlessly: “as the lovers drifted into self-indulgence and were carried away by their passions, so now they drift for ever. The bright, voluptuous sin is now seen as it is – a howling darkness of helpless discomfort.”
Most musical elements are loose associations to this part of the story. I choose the rhumba-esque drums for their associations with romantic music. The melody which is being played by the double bass and later the horns were built on a strong romantic but longing characteristic. And the interplay between the horns in the middle symbolizes the ‘dancing’ lovers in the storm.
The saxophone and brass section make for a compelling case. Ruud Voesten switches scales to make something in the pondering realm. Interactions feel like rendezvous between lovers, like Ruud explains. It is very interesting to hear and observe, especially given the level of detail with the piano. You feel like you’re part of the rhythmic interaction, though you might just be an observer.
When lacking lyrics in songs, where do you think the most effective part of narrating lies in making instrumental music?
It’s hard to name just one element, because harmony, melody and rhythm feel so connected. But for me harmony probably ties all three together.
The shifts in music
Since Inloopmuziek, what do you think has been your biggest leap forward in creating and composing?
Starting a new project with a clear storyline in mind helped me tremendously with composing all the music. It gave me a clear frame of reference to relate to while writing and making decisions. So making a plan before starting the record has been very important.
As the song ends with a melancholy string section, you’re left a little broken. It is the hallmark of a great musician and storyteller, pulling you into a story without words. His single Clickbait Merchants is something you need to absorb for every second. I would want to hear this in Guy and Madeleine on a Park Bench (2009), a brilliant movie by Damien Chazelle. Follow him for more music like this!
What can we expect next from Ruud Voesten? Any album with an interesting theme in mind?
Second half of this year will be the official release of the full record ‘Ambrosia’. We’ll be touring the Netherlands and we’re working on some shorts stints abroad. Early stages of a new record will probably happen in beginning of 2024. Another cool record i’ve been a part of that’s coming out is ‘Die Traumdeutung’ by RHEIN.
The lead singer Reinier van den Haak started writing down his dreams during the last few years and used this as inspiration for his songs. The first single ‘Open Dak’ was recently released and new releases will follow the next months.