Silvan van der Zwaag on SoundBetter

Silvan creates entirely unique and highly creative guitar parts that straddle the line between traditional guitar culture and an exploratory, boundary-pushing character. His goal is always to create something with a specific emotional resonance.

With more than 10 years of touring and recording experience, Silvan will add the right flavour to your track.
He is fascinated by different sounds and collected a lot of weird instruments to enrich your production in a unique way. People describe his guitarplaying as: playful, fresh, tight, crunchy, deep and surprising.
You can use the following link to listen to a list of songs he played on:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7vLHmD8NPZpPiqjCWLOdhM?si=eca5eed36dac4260

Feel free to click on the 'contact' button to get in touch.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

1 Reviews

Endorse Silvan van der Zwaag

by Joost Wesseling
Verified
Silvan played guitar on a track that I made. He really made my track come to live. His playing was 100% magic and tasteful.. This was exactly what this track needed!
He sent me a bunch of improvised spacey stuff where he used a lot of guitar pedals and he send me dry tracks with electric and acoustic guitar.
Goosebumps everywhere!!

Interview with Silvan van der Zwaag

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Yes please!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I studied guitar at the Rotterdam Conservatory, where I graduated in 2013. After that, I pursued a master's degree in music technology. I have been working as a professional musician for over 10 years. Since 2019, I have my own studio where I record and produce tracks for various purposes, including media, commercials, podcasts, and producing for other artists
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Emotional and profound, with a nostalgic journey through a spectrum of deep-rooted emotions experienced while navigating the wave we commonly refer to as life. I adeptly balance the urge to explore with the comforting sensation of returning home, drawing inspiration from the serene silence of space to create compositions that reflect both the emptiness and beauty of the void
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Adrianne Lenker --> Hit me up!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: To create a unique sounding part that can serve as 'the hook' of the song. I also enjoy crafting what I refer to as a Chaotic Emotional Solo. Besides that, I am also passionate about experimenting with open tunings. Each song may have its own tuning.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I record in a beautiful studio in The Netherlands, an inspiring space with a specially built live room that is acoustically treated to achieve the best possible sound. All the microphones and instruments are routed through a Studer console to capture the juiciest flavors in the transients. For each recording session, I carefully select a specific instrument and FX setup that complements the song optimally. The room mics receive special attention, providing you with the option to enhance the liveliness of the guitar sound.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: There are to many, but I'm deeply into artists who push the boundaries of the established order. Blake Mills is a good example of this because he is familiar with the old guitar tradition but experiments with more contemporary sounds. Furthermore, I am very drawn to artists who can infuse a strong emotional charge into their work. This brings to mind names like Adrianne Lenker, Big Thief, Bon Iver, as well as electronic artists such as Four Tet, Jon Hopkins, Thome Yorke etc