VAN ELST
Frank van der Ploeg, otherwise known as VAN ELST is a Dutch musician with big projects coming out this month. His debut single, 'Gold Waves' was released on May 16, which is the first single off his upcoming EP. I was able to interview him about his passion for music, incorporating his culture in his music and what he hopes for in his career.
How would you describe yourself as an artist, and where do you see your career going as a musician?
As an artist I would say I'm often lost in time; a sensitive dreamy soul who expresses and channels his deepest emotions, memories and experiences through gloomy melancholic electronic music. When creating music, I strive for the ideal mix of organic with the more abstract modern world.
Where my musical career is going? In these uncertain times it's hard to say but I hope to find myself being successful in a sense that I can release more music, bring the project alive by gigging in vibes venues and build a following wherever possible. It would be satisfying to witness people finding a musical home in my creations to consolidate their hearts and fulfill their unknown desires.
How did you come up with your stage name?
My stage name came to me rather than me coming up with the name. It is something I have carried with me all my life but only appeared in my mind after a series of events. People close to me will know where it exactly came from. It is definitely made out of many important life factors such as love, passion and experiencing getting lost in mystical forests combined with a drift across dark gritty urban landscapes. As far as I know the meaning of the name is continuing to shape itself. Until when? I don't know.
Talk about how you incorporate your Dutch roots with living in London musically.
I'd like to think my Dutch roots made me absorb things in life with an open mind. Having travelled and lived in several places, including China, shaped me as a person as well as an artist. From every single one of these places I have taken a piece of experience and its culture with which I then constructed my own perception of
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