Eelco van Zanten on SoundBetter

Hi there, Eelco here. Thanks for visiting! I’ve been playing (electric & acoustic) guitar and writing, recording, producing, performing music for 30+ years. Teaching guitar for 20+ years at home & at various institutes, including the Amsterdam Conservatory. I play any style, from rock, funk, indie, soul, R&B, metal, pop, hiphop, dance, u name it.

Will give any guitar part the depth and soul it needs, be it simple or complex, loud or quiet, heavy or sophisticated. I am a team player, reliable, hard worker, can work fast, am stylistically versatile at a professional level. Experienced across the full spectrum of being a recording and performing musician, played all the biggest stages and festivals in the Netherlands. Been a bandleader, arranger in several settings and have been producing in Logic Pro since 2003. Been recording in 'real' studios with 'real' gear since the nineties. With one foot in the old music world and one foot in the new one, I have always kept an interest in modern music technology and the evolution of music production.

In the past decade I've collaborated with various young Dutch artists in pop/hiphop music, as well as doing commissioned and commercial production/composition work, where this flexibility is of great use. You have to be able to create in any style/genre. Be intuitive, communicate about it. From heavy metal, to hiphop, to meditation music. I can handle complexity as well as simplicity. Less is more, and sometimes, more is more as well! :) Also have been the go-to mixing and mastering engineer for various clients in music and podcasts, through the years. Hit the play button to hear some of the projects I've been involved in.

Shoot me an e-mail, and let's talk about your project!

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Eelco Van Zanten

Brainpower
DJ TLM a.k.a. The Last Mohecan*
Various
Donnie (15) Featuring Vjeze Fur*
Donnie (15) Featuring Vjeze Fur*
Nightingale (2)
Brainpower
Bastian
Supermannen
Seymour Bits
Bastian (8)
Donnie (15) Featuring Vjeze Fur*
De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig (2)

Languages

Dutch
English

4 Reviews

Endorse Eelco van Zanten

by Lars P.
Verified
Eelco did an amazing job mixing a song I was working on with a school band! The recordings were pretty rough but he managed to lift the whole thing up to another level and delivered stellar track. It sounds great and the kids are so proud!

Thank you Eelco. I am very much looking forward to working with you again in the future.

Ps. Did I mention he's also a great guy and a true guitar hero?
by Loopro
Eelco has done several guitar parts for songs of mine but also helped produce 2 Tracks. I have never met a more versatile musician. From playing the piano to mastering the art of guitar to mixing, producing and more. I can recommend Eelco anytime, for any type of project. He will give your song that little extra it needs.
by Michel S.
Eelco is hands down the most versatile, melodically gifted, musically knowledgable and soulful composer, producer, singer and guitar player I know. And the greatest fastest shredder I've ever met.

Eelco works insanely fast and accurate. The other day I commissioned a guitar solo for a project. He did it under 2 hours and the result was mind blowing.

On top of that Eelco is a really sweet, down to earth and fun guy to work or hang out with. Nothing but love!
by João Miguel
Eelco is an amazing guitarist with a very unique sound! Very friendly and professional! Highly recommended!

Interview with Eelco van Zanten

Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The versatility, i always try to cover new ground, and analyze all the styles. What characterises this style, this feel, this vibe, and how do they make that sound, that type of harmony, that type of rhythm? Really love getting into that.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: All kinds of stuff, and I'm all in for it. If you're on a budget and it's a fun project? We can talk. Mixing, fixing your arrangement, enhancing your production to a next level, composing for a station, composing a soccer stadium anthem? We can talk. I can process all your wishes into a tune. Making music for video is lovely, backing tracks, making instrumentals for live shows, special sound effects for a video, drum programming, beatmaking, writing music to lyrics, lyrics to music, making a remix of a tune in a totally different genre? Sure, let's do it! I even love fixing/optimalising crappy recordings, cleaning audio stuff up, or getting real creative making a bad singer sound great, and tasty, melodic, or an amateur band sound super tight. :)
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Just because i enjoy creating some pretty complex and advanced music in my own time, doesn't mean i can't do normal and accessible as well. I have done it all, played all the pop classics in numerous cover bands, and have produced disco, EDM, boyband pop, singer songwriter, symphonic rock/metal, math metal, death metal, rock 'n roll, folk, house, electrofunk, country, bluesrock, grunge.. Try me. :)
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Let me know what you have in mind, I will process your request and we will bring it to life together.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: First fix your mix before putting all kinds of plugins on the masterbus
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I love creating melodies, be it vocal lines, vocal hooks, or guitarsolos, guitar parts. I like to focus on making something that stands out, melodically and rhythmically, but at the same time fits in perfectly within the musical context as well. Works as a whole. It's gotta feel right. I have always felt, if it comes from within, from a strong intuition, then it can reach the listener's mind and really stick, be really catchy.