Some folk fear change. Many people demand change. A few lucky people have vast amounts of spare change. Others ARE change.
Others like Posij. An upwardly mobile moustachioed man about Groningen, you may recognise him from such blunderbusses on Division, Shogun Audio and Neosignal. He’s been especially active this year, having released an impressive total of 18 tracks throughout 2019. They’ve been delivered by a series of EPs that arc in a theme: Cocoon, Pulp and now Chrysalis.
The clue is in the titles; the EPs capture the momentum of a huge period of personal change in the dapper Dutchman’s life during which he amassed 130 demos and became the producer for Noisia Radio, among other things. They range from the most alarming, grotty and uncompromising halftime cuts (Alley Oop) to strange tracks about automobile problems (A Car That Cranks) to emotional whirlwinds (Bolt) and every shade of sonic strange between. They also forecast what’s to come.
His metamorphosis still very much in process, Posij’s triple-figure demo-stack is still healthy and he hints there are other labels involved in his continued and ever-increasing musical onslaught. We caught up with him to understand whether he’ll eventually emerge as massive hairy (and possibly volatile) moth as his music might suggest. Or if he’ll flutter out as some type of beautiful studio butterfly, as his attitude and energy hints. Either way, something cool is happening here…
What’s your beef with cats?
I love cats!
Well there was the No Cats track on this EP. Laser Cats a while ago. I just thought you hated cats?
No, totally the opposite. But I worried people might expect another cat thing from me so it’s me saying ‘no cats this time.’
Too busy for cats when you’re undergoing some type of transformation this year. There’s a nice story to the three big releases. Cocoon, Pulp, now Chrysalis…
Yeah it’s kind of the metamorphosis of Posij. My biological transformation. I basically had these big piles of demos stacking up and I kinda forgot I could send the music to labels. I’d been in ‘music mode’ but I hadn’t been in ‘finishing music mode’ then I had this idea… Why don’t I go to Noisia and play them some of these tracks? They said ‘how about a release?’ So we planned some. It’s an exciting time.
‘Finish music mode’ is the mode a lot of producers don’t enjoy as much!
It’s frustrating from the other side, too. I had around 130 demos and they were all just sitting on my computer and no one was getting to hear them. It was like I was harbouring this secret stash of music for no one to listen to. So it’s actually super nice to get them out there and to get myself in the zone of finishing them all. It’s a different type of mode. It’s a challenge and I enjoy that part of the process, too. It doesn’t stop there either, I’ve got EPs for different labels coming, too…
So what is this metamorphosis of Posij?
Well I have a moustache now.
Snazzy!
Thank you. But I personally have gone through lots of changes, too. I came out of a 10-year relationship, which ended very fairly and we’re still good friends which is really nice. I also got a job and now I work for Noisia as their production assistant and I’m the radio producer for Noisia Radio and Zone Radio. I felt I had to earn that as well, so that was a good feeling. Then the last six months I’ve been back on the music grind. It’s been a cool period of changes and I guess developing as a human.
We last interviewed you when you released your Neodigital EP in 2017. You’d just moved into the Noisia studio at the time. Maybe this whole transformation started from then?
Yes that’s true actually. That’s quite a nice circle. Now the transformation is complete.
I bet you learn loads from the Noisia lads?
We’re all busy getting on with our own things so maybe less than you’d think. Of course we do Noisia Radio every week so we work on that and it’s fun. I sometimes have to make stems for their projects, so remixes can be made. That’s a learning process, seeing how they build their tracks. But that feels a bit like cheating. Like seeing a recipe or something. So I tend to respect that and just do my work and be amazed by what I hear from them later.
Props on being part of Noisia radio. I’ve been very vocal to the guys about the important role that show plays…
Yeah I’m very happy to be involved in it and be part of something that’s helping artists and that people listen to it and find new music from. Actually, that’s something I learnt from the Noisia guys; In the first seasons we’ve play a classic track on each episode. I knew all the songs but I originally thought a lot of them were actually by Noisia because the first time I heard them was on their mixes. So when listening to the classics I’m like ‘well guys, this is a bit of a disappointment, I thought you’d made this!’
Ha! Looking at the artwork on your Attention EP, I reckon you inspired their Outer Edges outfits!
Oh I guess maybe it kinda does look a bit like that. That was done by my friend Jasper, who you know as Former. He also did the artwork for the EPs this year. He’s very talented. We’re actually working on an EP together for Division right now.
Big up Former. You’ve collaborated before. Studio soul mates?
Yes that would be a nice description. When we collaborate it always feels like a 50/50 collaboration. It goes very naturally. I love working with him and he lives in my hometown so we just hit each other up and make some music. It’s very easy.
Nice. So how many of those 130 demos do you think will see the light of day eventually?
Maybe a quarter of them, throughout the next year. Not everything is final and signed officially yet but I think it’s okay to say that there’s some cool things on the horizon. My metamorphosis will continue…
Posij – Chrysalis EP is out now
Follow Posij: Facebook / Soundcloud / Twitter
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