In the sprawling landscape of music, some artists stand out not just for their melodies but also for their profound understanding of the industry. Talee, hailing from Rotterdam, embodies this dual essence.
With his captivating track “My Mother Was A Synthesizer”, he has not only showcased his musical prowess but also marked his space in the global music arena, especially after his collaboration with Anjuna. This association brought more than just recognition; it was a learning experience, a dive into the intricate world of music production and industry dynamics.
In our exclusive interaction, Talee unravels his post-Anjuna journey. He sheds light on the highs and lows, the lessons learned, and the behind-the-scenes stories that have shaped his tracks. It’s a deep dive into the insights and wisdom of a musician who has experienced the transformative power of a major music label collaboration.
Can you describe your journey from emerging in 2020 to now signing with Reflections?
It feels like it took me a lifetime to make the music I’m making now. What’s different now is that I’m not afraid to use my voice in a literal sense and in a symbolic sense. Before emerging in 2020 I had already tried a lot in music, however I had never tried just to be as honest as possible and use my voice.
In the early summer of 2020 I had a life-changing experience with psychedelics which put me on a path to connect with my own body and discover more about my psychological reality. Where at first I was so driven to make a living in music production, I have learned now that for me it can be such an intoxicating thought. All I know is that I like to make music and it makes me feel good so I’m gonna do as much of it as I can, in any situation. I can’t help myself, so everything that sprouts out from that is just good luck really.
What changed for me is that I now just focus on making music a priority in my life in any situation while keeping the bare necessities and that’s all I can do.
What were your first reactions when you found out you’d be joining the ranks of artists under the Anjuna umbrella?
Haha, the first reaction was very physical. Right after the call with the A&R team, I just started jumping up and down in my room.
The thing is, the whole Anjunabeats/Anjunadeep label is one of the main fire-starters that got me into electronic music. I proclaimed about five years ago that when a record got signed to Anjuna, I’d get a tattoo of the logo. Still haven’t gone for that tattoo, though.
What themes inspired the project?
So this EP really came about by Anjuna’s team just signing the single ‘My Mother Was A Synthesizer’ and asking me if I had any more ambient tracks. I pretty much sent every decent ambient track in my bounces folder which were 6 in total.
After scrapping just one we were left with this EP, and what happened then is pretty amazing. I started looking at the tracklist and saw a very cohesive storyline from moments where I’ve made these tracks.
They all have to do with family in some way, for example the track ‘Avalon’ is about a family member which I had a really complicated and distant relationship with that passed away that day. ‘My Mother Was A Synthesizer’ obviously draws inspiration from the rekindling of my relationship with my mother, and ‘No Place Like’ is about connecting with the family I found on the dancefloor and around club culture. It’s very affirming to me how this all came together.
What has been the most significant lesson you’ve learned since signing with Reflections?
At the moment that I’m writing this the full EP has not been released so I think I’ll have a better answer in a couple of months. But I can already say it has taught me a lot about translating my artistic vision to other people in a team setting and constructing a narrative around the music that translates well to the audience.
The thoughts I’ve got in my head around the music are a lot more ‘all over the place’, so it’s great to get some practice in communicating these ideas.
Who are your biggest musical influences
In the stuff that I’m making now there’s been a lot of influence from Moscoman, who I’ve been working with on some releases in 2022. When I listened to his album ‘Time Slips Away’ it came at the perfect timing for me and I listened to it over and over.. in that moment I knew I wanted him involved in my music in some way, and from that experience I’ve learned a lot.
Other than I listen to a lot of; King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, PC Music label, Coloray, LA Priest, The Doors, Red Axes, Kev Koko, LCD Soundsystem. Also James Blake latest album is just amazing!!
This might seem counterintuitive – but I’d advise to never think of making music to sign to labels. Just make the most authentic, out there product which you just love and can listen to all day – get some feedback from professionals (which in the digital age is pretty easy). Take what you like from the advice and don’t mind about the things that you don’t want to change because of personal musical reasons. I would say, get to the point where you are able to get a track done within 1 or 2 days, once that point came for me the creativity starting flowing even more.
Once you have a consistent catalogue, check which label you’d like to send it too strategically. I really think at that point, it should be the easiest part of the process.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
