Daniel de Boer ‘Out of Shadows’
Out of Shadows see a blossoming sonic exploration of the different shades of pop. From soft cottagecore ballads to forestry jungle phantom to tribal jazz and filmic epic, the album is a collage of vibrantly unique experiences. It reminds you of abstract paintings and story-soaked impressions that conveys mood, sophistication and the exchange of cultures and ideas into a sonic form. Out of Shadows is truly charismatic and mystical.
“Fly Away” spirals into the subtlety of pop and jazz. In the melodic ringing and soft groove of instruments, Daniel de Boer’s smooth and expressive is somewhere between spoken and sung words, between Thom Yorke aesthetic and Nina Simone’s soulfulness. “Closer” stumbles into the exuberant hidden corner of diverse landscapes with luscious world influences coming together. The track delivers quite a mind-opening experience with refreshing soundscapes and mystical phantoms in the recurrence of haunting, hypnotic backdrop. It’s interesting how smoothly difference influences are brought together, like a melting point, a bond is being discovered, as if an universal language that has always been in each and every one of them.
“Don’t Hold The Line” evokes a filmic, theatrical experience. The wonderful pop ballad is both cinematic and intimate. “Circles” swings back with even more fascinating jungle-esque groove. “Out Of Shadows” then tunes into its folkloric side, beaming with jazz aesthetic. “Mother Earth” returns with the familiar touch of cinematic ballad. Daniel de Boer takes you on a wild sonic adventure, yet at the same time, with so much comfort and and intimacy.
“Remember” ends on a hauntingly stirring note, threading through dance and film. Like poems made of sounds, the songs on Out of Shadows evoke those foreign yet ancient feelings that have been sleeping inside of us. Something you can’t quite pinpoint. The album delivers a mystical and shocking experience, connecting you with a side of yourself you don’t even know existed.
Punk Head: I love the diverse sonic adventures Out of Shadows takes listeners onto. What inspired you to create this project in the first place?
Daniel de Boer: Thank you so much. It had been a dream of mine for years to make an album with my own songs one day, but I never found the time for it due to my busy schedule as a freelance bass player. When the situation in the world changed drastically in 2020 I suddenly had a lot of time and in the summer of that year I started writing material for the album. The inspiration for the music came from events in my personal life and from what was happening in the world.
The vision to make a world music inspired pop album came one year later, in the summer of 2021. I had just moved to Valencia, Spain, to start my masters in contemporary performance at Berklee College of Music and that same summer I started working with Indian producer Shakthi Prasad. When I met him he told me he had just returned from being part of recording sessions for world music formation Bokanté, led by Snarky Puppy bassist Michael League, and his head was still full of the sound of instruments like oud and oriental percussion. I showed Shakthi my ‘poppish’ and ‘rockish’ demos and he suggested to try out a more ‘classy’ approach, as he called it, by for instance replacing drums with darbuka and frame drum and guitar with oud for certain songs. I liked the idea and we began approaching my musical friends from all around the world to ask if they wanted to record for us. All of them said yes and now musicians from thirteen countries play on the album, partly on traditional instruments.
PH: Is there any challenges you encountered during the making of this album?
De Boer: The process of making the album was rather smooth in general, but there were challenges for sure. We started the recordings in August of 2021 and it was still in a time of isolation and lockdowns and all that. Many of the recordings happened remotely, which in one way is convenient, but it also made it hard to create a cohesive sound for the record. Because the musicians were not in the same room when they recorded, it came down to Shakthi and me to bring all the different interpretations and sounds of the individual musicians together.
PH: Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
De Boer: For me, “Mother Earth” and “Closer” are standout tracks. “Closer” is probably my favourite song on the album, although it was the hardest one to finish. Shakthi and I didn’t really know where to go with it, until we had the chance to work with Nic Hard, producer and engineer for artists and bands like Snarky Puppy, Michael League and Becca Stevens. Nic suggested to keep the instrumentation very simple and add layers of tribal female vocals. We tried it and it worked.
“Mother Earth” also features a lot of female vocalists, but it has a more intimate and serene atmosphere. In many ways “Mother Earth” is the Polar opposite of “Closer.” The composition starts very small and gradually builds and opens up completely. The addition of the lyra and some subtle oriental percussion give the track a slightly unusual sound, which I like.
PH: What motivates you as an artist?
De Boer: I love being creative, whether it’s cooking, writing or making a painting. Music has always captivated me the most as an art form as it is so directly linked to our emotions and it can go straight to the heart. So, I guess the rewarding feeling of being able to express myself trough writing and playing music motivates me the most.
Besides that music has the incredible power to connect people. Even though we don’t always speak the same langue, we can all can understand the language of music. Connecting people from different backgrounds and cultures has always driven me and this is also an important facet of the Out of Shadows project.
PH: What would you like to say to your fans out there?
De Boer: Thank you so much for listening to Out of Shadows! I hope the music brings you joy, comfort and inspiration.
