Described as Europe’s silver-tongued lounge lizard, Cosmic Crooner allures music and film fans alike with yet another lavish serenade in his newest song, ‘Reflexopolis.’ Leaning into the dogmatic quirks of ’70s psychedelia and vintage decorum, the Amsterdam multi-media artist compliments his latest single with a striking video that reflects the nostalgia and humorous sincerity of the Crooner’s amenable personality.
We sat down with Cosmic Crooner to discuss his most cheerful piece to date, as well as what inspires his intergalactic creations giving context to his otherworldly musical style.
The Indiependent: Okay, so we’re starting off with the hard-hitting question: when did you first fall in love with creating music?
Cosmic Crooner: Yes, that’s a difficult question! I think it was at the age of 15. I realised I couldn’t be a member of the audience anymore, and I knew I had to start creating my own music. That’s also when I wrote my first song… It wasn’t very good, but I did very much enjoy the process.
The Indiependent: What is your process for writing?
Cosmic Crooner: Well, of course, every song is written differently, but I write all the songs by myself and also make the demos and arrangements alone. Then, I like to record the base of the song live with good musicians because I want the music to have a live feel. After that, I start over-dubbing and layering the song with different arrangements.
The Indiependent: Is it a meditative process for you to work alone? Do you find that it’s more intimate that way?
Cosmic Crooner: Um, it’s quite stressful actually! I don’t know if meditative is the right word or if stressful is either. It takes a lot of energy, but I feel like I have the best ideas when I’m alone. It just feels right.
The Indiependent: How would you describe the sound of your music?
Cosmic Crooner: I describe my sound as “doowop space pop.” I’ve always been obsessed with catchy melodies and doowop tunes, and I also really love the sound of ’70s space-related records, such as Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. So, I decided on this sound because it combines those two genres.
The Indiependent: The ‘Reflexopolis’ music video is very cinematic, and you mention that it’s inspired by auteur filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick and Jean-Luc Godard. Can you expand more on how cinema influences your music?
Cosmic Crooner: I love movies, and I love to make them! But the thing I like most about cinema — and music — is that it can take you somewhere you haven’t been before, but it somehow still feels very familiar. A scene in a film can give you a feeling just like a song’s melody can, so I think these two mediums work very well together.
The Indiependent: You can definitely see a connection between Godard’s work and the imagery in the ‘Reflexopolis’ video.
Cosmic Crooner: The thing with Godard, in particular, is that I really like how meta his films are, which is how I like to write songs too. For example, in ‘Reflexopolis,’ I sing about my songs being very slow, which is true, but it’s, generally, a weird thing to sing about. When I listen to this song, I feel the same sort of reflectiveness as I do while watching Nouvelle Vague movies.
The Indiependent: What are you trying to get across in the song?
Cosmic Crooner: It’s my lockdown song. I was writing the song during the first lockdown, and I was watching a lot of movies. All the musicians that I knew were boasting and saying that they were writing tons of songs, and everyone was saying to use this moment to create something. And I didn’t feel very inspired because I was a bit afraid and stressed about what was happening.
The Indiependent: Rightfully so!
Cosmic Crooner: I was scared that after this lockdown everyone would have a hit except for me! But then I wrote this song as a reflection on how it’s okay that my songs are slow. I was very self-aware of the songs I was writing, but at a certain point, I was like “okay, it’s fine that my songs are not at the same pace as everyone else.”
But it’s really hard to say that the song is about just one thing because I think each line tells a different story. But, in general, it’s a reflective, cheerful song that embraces the slowness of my music.
The Indiependent: Where does the title ‘Reflexopolis’ come from?
Cosmic Crooner: Lyrically, I was inspired by the films I was watching. It’s a combination of the movie title Metropolis and the word ‘reflection.’ So for the video, I wanted to be in a brutalist environment with stark architecture, all alone. I felt like that would connect those two thoughts. We shot the video on 16mm around Paris for the specific brutalist architecture to give the video that Metropolis-feel.
The Indiependent: So, I actually have a research background in David Bowie, and I’ve written quite a lot about Bowie’s love affair with cinema. I can definitely see a connection between the visual nature of your videos with that of Bowie’s, who was also inspired by influential films like you.
Cosmic Crooner: Wow, yes, I am very inspired by Bowie! What is your favourite album by Bowie, just to be curious?
The Indiependent: Ooh, tough one! I really love Diamond Dogs. I think it’s an underappreciated album, especially for its lyricism.
Cosmic Crooner: I also always go for Diamond Dogs. For me, it’s the perfect combination between Ziggy Stardust and Young Americans, and I really love Young Americans. And it was recorded in the Netherlands, and no one records here except for the Cosmic Crooner!
[Both laugh]
But, yeah, I always found that very interesting.
The Indiependent: Okay, back on task now! No more fangirling over Bowie! Do you have a visual atmosphere in mind, like maybe a mood board, when you write your music? Or are the palette and visuals of a video inspired by the music?
Cosmic Crooner: I think it works both ways. I want the music and the video to work together to take you to a familiar but unknown place. I want them to transport you to a different space. The music has to give off a clear visual image, and the video has to be musical and almost impossible in a way. The mood board is in my head — both when I’m writing the song and making the video.
The Indiependent: So, what’s in the future for The Crooner?
Cosmic Crooner: I’ve recorded a full-length album, but before I release that I’ll put out some more singles and videos because I really like making these videos. And I also hope to be on stage, crooning, again soon. I’m back rehearsing again, and, at the moment, the future is starting to look bright!
The ‘Reflexopolis’ video is available to watch now. Be the first to know about Cosmic Crooner’s next project by following his social media: Instagram and Facebook.
Interview by Shelby Cooke
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