Philip van den Brandeler on SoundBetter

I’m an experienced session bassist working from the freedom of my home studio, with unlimited access to the gear I need to create the muted, groovy, vintage and sticking sounding basslines I’m known for.

Hi! I'm Phil. With over 10 years of experience I've learned how to slot into a pocket perfectly whilst creatively challenging myself both on tour and in the studio. Playing gigs with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Dele Sosimi, Charlotte Clark, Pocket Dragon, Shyfoot, Lydia Kitto, Caytra, Gelato, supporting Sting and many others.

I've got enough basses to cover all bases. Whether you're looking for hollow-body 60s fatness, that P-bass sticky gunk for anything funky and soulful or precise and heavy picking, I'm your guy. Check out this playlist for a selection of songs I’ve played bass on: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/some-songs-ive-played-on/pl.u-EdAVVY4CDE6kNW

I've been putting on my producer hat more and more these days, working with artists like Hannah Lou Clark, Shyfoot and my own project Wetsoot. I work from my ever- evolving home studio, which includes a live room as well, where the gear options are varied; from bass- and pre-amps to microphones and guitars, I’ve got plenty. If you’re looking for more information on the studio, check out my website: www.pvdbmusic.com.

You can attend the session in real life or over Zoom. We can use 'Audiomovers' so you can hear exactly what I'm hearing. Lossless streaming audio.

I can’t wait to work with you!

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

8 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients

Endorse Philip van den Brandeler

by Francis L.
Verified
YOU KNOW THAT GROOVE YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR? WELL PHILIP HAS IT. HE IS THE MAN!!
by Francis L.
Verified
Philip is a miracle worker!! He raised my song from the dead with some very creative bass licks.
by Caytra
Verified
Excellent quality production work with great attention to detail!
by Heart Atlas
Verified
Philip played this part really sensitively and delivered some nice takes so there were adequate mix options.

He experimented with a hollowbody before we decided that given the part had been written for a 5 string, that would make more sense.
by Heart Atlas
Verified
Phil has done a very nice job on this track, delivering the part as written together with some lovely embellishments, so there are options for the mix.

Phil's got a really good attitude and was open to revisiting specific sections and motifs that required further attention to detail.
by Heart Atlas
Verified
Phil provided lots of takes to nail this part, experimenting with dynamics and feel to enhance the groove. He was open to revisiting sections that required further attention to detail. The addition of vibrato made the final part more characterful.
by Heart Atlas
Verified
Philip provided really beautifully recorded takes, with nice options for alternative fills and embellishments. He demonstrated a really responsive attitude and excellent communication skills, together with abundant creativity.
by Caytra
Verified
Incredibly professional and efficient.

Interview with Philip van den Brandeler

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Dele Sosimi and the Estuary 21. We went to SS2 recording studio in Southend-on-Sea for a few days to just jam and record some ideas and songs for a collaboration project between Dele Sosimi and Sam Duckworth. The drummer Callum Green and I mostly followed Dele's vision for songs or beats he had in mind and grew it from there. It was amazing to work together with such a legend from the afrobeat scene.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog for the recording stage definitely. I believe you should capture audio as well as you can at the source. Treat it with a nice preamp at least to bring out all the great qualities and only then push it through your AD converters.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I work with the same commitment and attention to detail for everyone.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started out playing a lot of live shows when I finished music school in 2013. That network of bands grew and I slowly started recording more on their records too. I started collecting a nice amount of gear, to the point where I now have a professional home studio, wherefrom I produce, write and record for other people as well as for my own projects.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Madison Cunningham, love her songwriting, groove and little intricate details in her playing. Supporting that as a bass player is a dream.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: A good arrangement is easier to mix.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: A range of neo-soul, jazz, folk, pop, funk and lo-fi bedroom pop.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Whatever you desire. A strong supportive bass part, a focal funky bassline or something that weaves in and out as a counterpart melody.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a live room downstairs where I have my bass cab setup. I usually record through my Eich T500 with its 12 inch speaker cab. Sometimes I go through a deluxe reverb guitar amp for a different kind of sound. Fun with a hollowbody and a pick. Upstairs is the control room, where I'd typically record from. I have a gorgeous sounding Neve 1073 clone by Golden Age projects, modded by Zen Audio with the right Carnhill transformers. If that's too much I can go through my cleaner focusrite ISA 428 or Audient id44 preamp. At the end of the chain I got a Kush Audio Tweaker. A VCA compressor with limitless oppurtunities to recreate 1176 type sounds for example. Hairy and smashed or dirty and punchy, it can do it all. Sometimes I'll run it through a tape machine as well to warm it up a bit. The Revox mk77 ii or Teac 3340s do this really well.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Pino Palldino, Blake Mills, Madison Cunningham, Esperanza Spalding, Nick Hakim. Benny sings, Andy Shauf, Sam Gellaitry, Louis Cole, Toro y Moi, Kenny Beats.