Feature / One Question Interviews
Netherlands

Words: Loren • April 1, 2018

Netherlands
Netherlands

Timo Ellis of Netherlands

SPB: What is the weirdest description you’ve heard others say of your music? Do you think it’s accurate or can you see where the idea came from?


Timo: “You’re like the Sybil of music, with some sort of dissociative identity... I feel like you’re dancing on some sort of “post-sensibility” ledge. Often with regard to visual art, there’s this notion of 'removing the hand of the artist' and those who attempt it, often do it in an overly rational way -- scrubbed and antiseptic. I feel like your musical equivalent is not about removing the hand, it's about having more hands than a Hindu god.” 

IMO, this is kind of the best compliment I’ve ever received in regards to my work, overall. (And perhaps it’s a little grandiose of me to want this uncritically reprinted in full... but hell, why not??) For me it’s an intuitively brilliant and accurate reading of my entire M.O... I have hugely varied tastes, advanced level skills (not expert... yet) and want to comprehensively explore, and express them… so I do (and IMO, not in a fuckin’ dilettantish way, etc.) 

Recently more people are (maybe) more familiar with my work in the context of my sludge-rock band (NETHERLANDS)... but I also have a reasonably gigantic catalog (25+ solo albums, under several different pseudonyms) of other kinds of work, ranging from field recordings, country, noise, Italo-classical, electronics, minimalist and ambient adventures, disco, “pop”, punk/ hardcore/metal, and (so far)... three baritone ukulele records... among many others. And if I may be so bold, NONE of these records fucking suck, aiight??? My point being: check me out! It’ll be well worth the investigation, I assure you! Thank you. #nofalsemodesty #fuckbranding

Loren • April 1, 2018

Netherlands
Netherlands

Related features

Jumalvauhti

One Question Interviews • March 27, 2025

Kalle (Jumalvauhti – bass) SPB: Who is your favorite band/artist from the 2000-2010 era? Kalle: It's hard to say, but Destiny's Child definitely can't go wrong.  Read more

Bronson Arm

One Question Interviews • March 26, 2025

Black Bickel (Bronson Arm) SPB: What is your favorite stretch of highway to drive in the US? Bickel: My favorite stretch of highway is that bit between Milwaukee and Minneapolis, two cities that Bronson Arm always have a great time playing. So if we are leaving Milwaukee, we are usually … Read more

Unstable Shapes

One Question Interviews • March 25, 2025

Kevin Hurley (Unstable Shapes – bass) SPB: What is your favorite Fugazi record? Hurley: While we can debate the best Fugazi record, a personal favorite of mine is The Argument. It was my entry point for the band. I was admittedly way late to the party on them and as … Read more

Retirement

Bike Shop

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • March 23, 2025

How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative process at night. In Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Scene Point Blank looks at how musicians split their time, and how their careers influence their music (or how their music provides escape). In this edition, we chat with … Read more

Let Me Downs

One Question Interviews • March 12, 2025

Paul Levesque (Let Me Downs - bass/vocals) SPB: Has the band ever been in a car/van accident while touring? Levesque: Fortunately, we haven’t! (Knock on wood) We have had our fair share of van issues. Blown tires, A/C going out in an hours-long traffic jam in the Arizona desert in … Read more

Related news

Preview new Netherlands

Posted in Records on July 9, 2022

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025

More from this section

Jumalvauhti

One Question Interviews • March 27, 2025

Kalle (Jumalvauhti – bass) SPB: Who is your favorite band/artist from the 2000-2010 era? Kalle: It's hard to say, but Destiny's Child definitely can't go wrong.  Read more

Bronson Arm

One Question Interviews • March 26, 2025

Black Bickel (Bronson Arm) SPB: What is your favorite stretch of highway to drive in the US? Bickel: My favorite stretch of highway is that bit between Milwaukee and Minneapolis, two cities that Bronson Arm always have a great time playing. So if we are leaving Milwaukee, we are usually … Read more

Unstable Shapes

One Question Interviews • March 25, 2025

Kevin Hurley (Unstable Shapes – bass) SPB: What is your favorite Fugazi record? Hurley: While we can debate the best Fugazi record, a personal favorite of mine is The Argument. It was my entry point for the band. I was admittedly way late to the party on them and as … Read more