Interview with Composer and Guitarist Vandike

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Vandike! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is greatly appreciated.

CV: Do you see a difference existing between an artist who works purely instrumental, such as yourself, compared to an artist who works with vocals? Or is it all just about the music and how it is presented?
Vandike: Hello and thank you. Well I believe composing instrumental music needs more knowledge compared to music with vocals. When composing an instrumental track, the melody played instead of vocal should be significant enough to satisfy the audience and since there are no words, it is even harder to express the emotions in the melody, therefore the artists who wish to compose an instrumental track must have sufficient knowledge of music

CV: As an instrumental artist, does working in such a specific songwriting environment present more challenges to the craft, especially considering that a large majority of popular and mainstream music contains some form of vocal line? Do you find it hard to get your music heard and gain an audience?
V: Well yes, as I mentioned, it takes more time and dedication to create a melody that attracts the majority of audiences without singing it in words. It has been like this from the very beginning. And it is harder to gain an audience because most of the people are so used to vocals in the music.

CV: Are vocals ever a consideration on your part when it comes to songwriting or would they defeat the purpose of what you are looking to communicate musically?
V: Yes of course. Vocal doesn’t destroy anything. It makes it easier for the common audience to communicate with the music.


CV: How do you go about songwriting? Do you create a mental picture of how a song is going to be composed before actually sitting down and writing it? What’s your process of taking the song from concept to completion?
V: That is a hard question to answer. Sometimes yes I create a mental picture as you mentioned. But most of the time I start hearing something with my inner ear, just out of the blue. Then I sing it and record it with my phone and later, I sit down and play it on the guitar. This process continues until I finish the track and it might take a while for me to finish it, because I never just pick up the guitar and start playing to get something out. And of course I will use theory and harmony when needed if I’m stuck somewhere in the middle of the song and don’t know what to write.

CV: You have said that the ultimate goal of an artist is to remind people of the meaning of "True Art." What is that meaning and how would you define "True Art" in your opinion?
V: True art means anything which is not cliché and trite. Unfortunately, nowadays we hear a lot of music which is a total nonsense. These will only lower the artistic expectation and perception of the audience and we can see that has happened now. People enjoy music which is not even comparable with 80’s, even in pop genre. True art is what is born from deep inside of human’s essence, not something which is made just for amusement.

CV: In the early 80's, it was believed that video killed the radio star.  Has digital technology done the same in some regards by making everyone an artist on some level?
V: Yes, exactly. Due to all these developments, it is much easier today to produce music or any other art (movie, painting, etc.). So many people have come out of the nowhere calling themselves artist without having the minimum knowledge of the art they are engaged in.

CV: You believe music should be both emotionally charged as well as technically sound on the part of the composer/performer. This, however, is somewhat in contrast to the writing model of countless popular songs written over the years...many of which are basic in terms of composition, structure and arrangement, lending themselves to a wider audience.  Can a balance be found that provides a blend of technical concepts while keeping listeners engaged and wanting more?
V: I believed that a song should never be technically inept, meaning it has to be filled with technical nonsense. The basic and simple song structures which can also be catchy as well can hardly be achieved nowadays since most of these structures are already made in the past. So now in order to create a masterpiece one should seek simplicity while also incorporating techniques into what he/she composes…which again brings us to the balance you mentioned earlier, and that is exactly what I believe in.

CV: Tell us about your album "4 Seasons"? Is there a theme?
V: I like classical music a lot, and Vivaldi’s 4 seasons has always been one of my favorites. The idea of the album came to my mind when I composed 2 songs which had a lot of spring and summer feeling in them. So I decided to compose the autumn, and as a courtesy, cover Vivaldi’s winter.

The album has 2 themes inside it actually; one is the 4 seasons and the other songs point to a personal affair I faced few years ago.

CV: How would you describe the album to someone who has not heard your music before? What makes it unique?
V: The thing that makes this album unique is that it has several genres of music inside it. You hear “shape shifter” which is progressive metal, and then there is spring which sounds like melodic rock…winter which is neoclassic…unfaithful is more of a prog/fusion thing and so on. So if I want to describe it to someone, I will say listen to my album, you probably will find something you like.

Also, this album comes with a booklet that has pictures designed for each song. I believe it is innovative to make some sort of connection between music and painting…especially about the songs that have more abstract concepts.

CV: What do you want the listener to come away with after hearing the album? Is there a musical message you are conveying?
V: The most important thing I want the listener to understand is the knowledge of music which has been put into the album, as well as the emotions, and the balance you pointed out earlier. I have tried to keep that balance. I’m trying to tell my listener that although many songs can be produced with a computer, the knowledge of music is still necessary.

CV: What's next for you?
V: I’m working on the new album which has a historical theme. There will be decent musicians collaborating with me and there will be vocals for sure. And it’s going to be HEAVY.

CV: Thank you again for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.

Check out Vandike at:
Official Websit: www.vandikemusic.com
Bandcamp: www.vandike.bandcamp.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/_.vandike._/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vandikemusic/
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/vandikemusic

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

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