Metal'Art Interview

Greetings! I present to you the original English version of my conversation with those fantastic fellas over at Metal'Art (Belgium).
 

In 2017 during the album launch weekend of '1755' by Moonspell, we got to know the virtual orchestrator, Jon Phipps (Moonspell, Amorphis, Angra, Hatesphere, Kreator).
 

In the time it took to drink one beer, we had already had the opportunity to gain awareness of the depth and professionalism of this talented artist.
 

An interview to learn more about this shadow trade was necessary. Thanks to his passionate and complete responses, our thirst to discover his work and his persona as a musician is finally satisfied.
 

By Sach and Hielkin

You are a virtual orchestrator - can you please explain what that involves?

Being a virtual orchestrator is one of many sides to my musical personality - it requires me to make creative and expressive use of both sampled orchestral instruments and synthesizers to compose and enhance symphonic arrangements for bands and producers on the international metal scene.
 

Virtual orchestration is often part of either the band or the producer’s creative process, however, it is not a skillset that all music professionals possess, so in those cases, it is outsourced to specialists such as myself, to assist them in realising their artistic vision in higher definition, and to greater effect when it comes to combining their musical palette with the kaleidoscopic colours of the orchestra.  
 

Additionally, I strive to make my symphonic contributions feel stylistically and idiomatically authentic, from both a sonic perspective, and also a performative one. This requires an in-depth appreciation of the language of both metal and classical music, which has to be applied with good taste, both musically and production-wise.

What is the necessary curriculum / knowledge required to become a virtual orchestrator?

Having both theoretical and practical knowledge of writing and arranging music for orchestra, as well as experience as a multi-instrumentalist and performer in metal bands greatly informs this occupation, however, it is equally important to be skilful and fluent in the functionality and possibilities of creating music within a digital audio workstation (DAW), and being able to convincingly use software instruments in combination with hardware midi controllers to create organic and exciting music.
 

One can either acquire these skills academically or through experience - in my case, it is a mixture of both, in that a lot of my grounding and initiation into the dark art of orchestration occurred whilst studying music at university, whereas my understanding and fluency with the digital implementation of those skills is something I developed off the back of making band demos, conjuring up virtual versions of my modern classical compositions, and then being plunged into on-the-job development, when I started producing library music alongside my virtual orchestration work several years ago.
 

You have to combine some modern production know-how with the more traditional skills of orchestral arrangement and composition - at the end of the day, you’ve got to deliver something engineered to a high enough standard that it sounds like it belongs alongside the bands music on the album. This doesn’t matter so much if you’re making dungeon synth though, as in that case, having as lo-fi an aesthetic as possible with the orchestral sounds is intrinsic to the style!
 

Joking aside though, I actually really love listening to dungeon synth - it’s so creepy, and evokes dark fantasy worlds with very limited resources quite vividly!
 

It is greatly beneficial to understand both the timbral characteristics and performance limitations of all the orchestral instruments, and how they relate in either contrast or similarity to metal instrumentation - this network of connections between the instruments greatly informs my creative choices, whether it’s to do with how I will respond to the band’s parts at a given point in a song (making the most optimal use of the pitch-space available around the guitars, bass, and vocals) or how I will develop an idea over time - there are many questions to consider (here are a few examples, to give you an idea): Do i repeat this motif as it is, or develop it over time to keep the listener’s interest? Should its character get brighter, or darker throughout this section? Is the music rising towards a climax, or receding away from one? Which instruments in combination best express this motif, in addition to complimenting the band’s music at this point in the song?

How does one become a virtual orchestrator? Can you please tell us about the path that led you to become one?

I came to virtual orchestration for metal bands as the focus of my music career through my mixed background both as a progressive metal guitarist, and avant-garde composer. My experiences writing and performing in a variety of heavy bands on the local UK scene (ranging from progressive alt-rock to blackened death metal), combined with my academic training as a composer (wherein I graduated with a master’s degree in 2009) led me to explore combining both passions, and to integrate these two sound-worlds and disparate disciplines into a cohesive whole.
 

Off the back of early adventures as a session guitarist, a band I was working with (Divine Disorder, Kuwait) also needed virtual orchestration on their album. Seeing as I had a keen interest in this, along with the skills required to do it, I put myself forward for the task. The band had been working with a much higher profile musician from an international band on the orchestrations at the time, but due to his obligations to his main band, he had to withdraw his involvement from this album project.
 

This meant that I had some large shoes to fill, which was a challenge, but that was an opportunity for personal growth, and in this case, the potential development of a passion into a profession, so I gave it my all, with the limited resources I had (only having just started my collection of software instruments to create orchestrations with, and not having much more than a laptop setup for my home studio at the time).
 

Fortuitously, this album was mixed by none other than Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, Sweden - my orchestral contributions did not go unnoticed by this prolific producer of worldwide acclaim, and as a result of this, I was enlisted by Jens to work on a variety of releases, including ‘Secret Garden’ by Angra, ‘Extinct’ by Moonspell, and ‘Under the Red Cloud’ by Amorphis.
 

Most of the work on these albums was done on site at Jen’s mastering suite in Örebro, Sweden - this was a very intensely focused work environment, that encouraged me to develop greater speed and efficiency so that I could meet the demands of the tight deadlines and high expectations with regards to the quality of the orchestrations.  
 

The Divine Disorder album was also mastered by another greatly influential and sought-after figure in the industry, Brett Caldas-Lima, who I later worked with on a few other projects, including a fantastic album by Nephylim, a melodic death metal band from The Netherlands.

How do you proceed with the composition of orchestrations?
 

a.       Do you compose the orchestration alone based on the material provided by the artists or do you collectively work on the composition?
 

b.      If both are done, what is then the most common situation?

It all depends on the client - sometimes, they provide me with just the band parts to respond to creatively with the orchestral elements. However, in other instances, the artist presents me with rough sketches of orchestration ideas which I expand and develop into more vividly realised manifestations of their artistic vision.
 

Usually, I am adding orchestration to sections of songs which have band material in them as well, so my creative choices are largely governed by what they’re playing. However, working within these limitations is great for catalysing one’s imagination, so this setup both focuses my creativity in the right direction for the band’s needs, but also encourages me to explore interesting ways of solving that particular sonic puzzle.
 

The more orchestrations I do, the more I am able to largely just intuit ‘what is missing’ from the song where symphonic input is required - over time, you come to know what certain kinds of riffs, atmospheric textures, and band dynamics are calling out for, with regards to what would work well symphonically in those contexts.
 

Usually, there is some ongoing creative discussion between everyone involved, as we collectively strive to steer the orchestrations in the direction of the artist’s style and concepts, so through a series of drafts and revisions to the material, we collectively refine my contribution so that the final version is as polished and effective as possible.

Are you involved in the recording and production stage? If yes, can you please explain how?

As I usually work in triangulation between the band and the producer, recording, editing, mixing, and mastering the band’s material is not usually my responsibility. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, with regards to my second collaboration with Moonspell, ‘1755’, I consulted the band in person at their rehearsal studio in Lisbon, to enhance and refine every instrumental element of the band’s songs, in preparation for the final recording with Tue Madsen, the supremely talented and esteemed producer at Antfarm Studio, Denmark.  
 

My orchestrations were composed between these two stages of the whole production process, having  assisted the band in recording and editing the demo versions of the songs until we were all satisfied that they were ready to commit to memory, so that they could be captured in their most optimal form in the studio.
 

I was also present for a lot of the final production process with the band, as I needed to consult the band members and guest vocalists on the choir arrangements for the tracks. This was great fun, and it was really rewarding to be so involved in the genesis of such a monumentally epic album!

What programs/tools do you use to compose your orchestrations?

I use a combination of hardware midi controllers, each with a different function - if I need to call upon my extensive experience as a guitarist to write or perform parts into the orchestration, I use the Artiphon Instrument One. For more pianistic writing, or for experimental sound design, I use a very flexible MPE (multi-polyphonic expression) midi controller called The Sensel Morph.
 

As well as this, I have an ‘invisible’ drum kit (a combination of reflective sticks and footpads with light-sensing software called Aerodrums), which I use for percussion programming (as well as to practice metal drumming whenever I feel like it!), and finally, so that my feet don’t atrophy and fall off through neglect, I keep them busy with a Keith McMillen 12-step midi pedal controller, which is great for controlling additional layers of expression (whilst focusing on performing notes and rhythms with my hands), as well as allowing me to realise every goth nerd’s dream of playing evil church organ music in the comfort of one’s home studio.
 

As well as all the midi gadgets, I use an extensive range of virtual instruments from numerous manufacturers - one particular sound library probably won’t be as equally useful or effective in every song, so I have to have multiple alternatives, as well as options for layering sounds. This is especially the case when a client wants something even more epic than what I’ve presented them with in the first draft - you always need something extra to throw at the situation, just incase - it’s never good to run out of ammunition!
 

Relying on portable, compact, and flexible hardware and software solutions also informs my choice of digital audio workstation. I use Logic Pro X, as it has excellent midi programming capabilities, easy compatibility with most virtual instruments, and doesn’t cost me extra to carry onto a plane, stowed away on my laptop’s hard drive (unlike some other DAWs that require additional cumbersome and expensive hardware).

How long, on average, do you need to finalize the orchestration of a song?

At times, turnaround on projects has been as urgent as 24 hours - when this is the case, there isn’t time to get bogged down in the finer details of the orchestration, so you have to zoom out, clear your head of clutter, and allow the ideas to pour forth from your fingers in their rawest form.
 

Fortunately, there is often more charm and intrigue to that which is imperfect - perfection is only realistically achieved by machines, and in the context of music, can render the most exciting ideas lifeless and dead to the listener. It is through striving, and journeying towards a challenging goal in which music comes to life, not in arriving at the destination along a smooth, uneventful, and tediously straight road.
 

It often takes very little time for me to come up with the initial ideas for a metal orchestration, as having done over a hundred songs in this genre by this point, you come to just intuitively know what sort of thing will probably work for a particular kind of groove, riff, or atmosphere. Conversely, the development of the ideas as an orchestral arrangement takes a lot more work, as that is all about balancing the texture and combination of orchestral colours with the metal band’s sound.
 

Personally, I prefer to be able to spend days or even weeks exploring the ideas, and refining their execution to the highest resolution of quality that I can achieve with the tools at my disposal. However, there isn’t often the time or the budget to allow for this perhaps quite indulgent version of the process to be realistically possible.
 

With regards to Moonspell’s ‘1755’ album, the work was carried out over a year and a half, taking advantage of breaks in the band’s busy touring schedule to collaborate on the structuring and development of the songs in Lisbon. After our productive and greatly memorable times spent in the studio together, they would resume their life on the road, and I would return home with the song projects and develop the orchestration from there.

Do you work on full albums only or do you also work on single songs?

Some artists just require an orchestral interlude or symphonic intro to their album, or they have a particular song that calls out to them for something extra to be injected into the mix to make it shine - this is often when I get the last minute call, and have to drop everything so that I can deliver an orchestration overnight, sustained by caffeine, snacks, and the pressure of a tight deadline.
 

If a band’s style doesn’t usually call for indulgence, grandeur, or theatrics, then orchestrations will be used  sparingly for thematic effect, or to highlight particular moments when the lyrics or album context cry out for something special.
 

An example of this would be ‘Earth Under the Sword’, by German thrash masters, Kreator - this was a special commission for a vinyl release by Decibel Magazine, which required warlike brass and thunderous percussion to embody and intensify the songs themes of conflict and revolution. Another band I’ve worked with in the broader thrash genre is Hatesphere, who’s album ‘Reduced Flesh’ required post-apocalyptic soundscapes from the orchestra, to bring the nightmare of civilisation’s imminent collapse to life through perpetual dissonance, unconventionally ugly instrumental techniques, and anxious atonal atmospheres.
 

When it comes to working on full albums, that is usually and inevitably a more involved and time consuming process. I often receive near-complete songs, hot off the press from the studio once they’ve been recorded. When I have finished the orchestrations, the producer then mixes and masters everything together to complete the production process.

What was your most challenging project as a virtual orchestrator and why?

My orchestral version of Moonspell’s ‘Em Nome Do Medo’ on ‘1755’ was definitely the most challenging project so far - usually, the artifice of the virtual orchestra is distracted away from by the intensity of the heavy guitars, pounding drums, crushing bass and screaming vocals, but in that track, the only material lifted from the original song is Fernando’s vocal, whereas all the other rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic elements were reimagined through the prismatic lens of the orchestra, whilst still trying to maintain the core essence of the track.
 

Palm-muted guitar riffs are carved out by chugging cellos, haunting harmonies on keyboard are transformed into an anthemic choral chorus (sung in Portuguese),  and driving drum grooves step aside to make way for more filmic and exotic percussion flourishes.
 

To contextualise the orchestral version of the song as the intro to ’1755’,  I added in chaotic and cinematic elemental moments, to depict scenes from the 1755 earthquake which the album is inspired by, including a burning church scene in the middle, which makes use of a cacophony of whispering prayers and string players randomly beating their instruments with the wood of their bows to conjure up the engulfing firestorm that inevitably explodes into the second verse of the song.
 

Later on, there is a breakdown section, which utilises sliding trombones and cellos, coupled with shrieking trumpet and violin trills amidst a maelstrom of chromaticism, to conjure up the chaos of buildings burning and crashing to the ground, as well as the terror of those who were there to witness the event. To contextualise the music though, it is fundamentally still built upon the underlying chord progression from the chorus of the song, which helps to unify it with the rest of the piece.

What is the project you are the proudest of as a virtual orchestrator and why?

It is always greatly rewarding and thrilling to witness the unveiling of the finished album when it is released out into the world, but it is even more fantastic and exciting to see the songs being performed live, either with the orchestrations on backing track during the performance, or being played by the band’s keyboardist.
 

I think the crowning moment for me throughout all of this was sharing the stage with Moonspell as part of the album launch for ‘1755’ in Lisbon, for which I was dressed up as ‘The Cardinal’, and part of a congregation of ominous monks who haunted the stage with plague doctor masks and sinister ritualistic gestures at dramatic moments throughout the performance.
 

It was a much richer experience, to be a part of the ceremonial presentation of the album to the band’s fans for the first time, rather than just surprisingly hearing about the release one day many months later, whilst I am busy working away with another client, several projects down the road.  
 

I could of course speak a lot more about my extensive and ongoing experience as a virtual orchestrator for  Moonspell very passionately here, however, I will instead take this opportunity to talk about some of the other projects that I am also proud to have contributed to as a virtual orchestrator.
 

I got to dive into the depths of melancholy with Trees of Eternity, who’s haunting vocalist Aleah Stanbridge tragically passed away before the album was released - the ethereal and mesmerising beauty of the music, coupled with the now very real tragedy expressed in the lyrics stands as an unforgettable epitaph to an incredibly talented musician.
 

It is also refreshing to have opportunities to collaborate on projects outside of the metal genre - being an obsessive David Bowie fan myself, it was a high honour indeed to add additional string parts to the romantic synth pop of Portugal’s The Gift on their album ‘Altar’, which was produced by the legend that is Brian Eno himself!

What are your on-going projects as virtual orchestrator (no details needed of course)?

Since almost the beginning of my journey into this curious and obscure realm of virtual orchestration, I have been working on a studio project with members of Death, Spiral Architect, and Manitou, called Terra Odium (based in Norway).
 

The album we’ve been quietly working on in our spare time is finished at last, and is now gearing up for release in the very near future, after several years of slow-cooked prog-metal craziness! It’s quite gratifying to be in a band project with musicians who I spent much time emulating on guitar, listening to on repeat, and reading about enthusiastically in metal publications during the formative years of my youth.

Are you specialized into specific genres (or only extreme metal)?

You could say that I am a specialist at metal orchestration in general, but I do enjoy it more when there is variety to my work - there is a lot of room for emotional expression in doom metal (such as my work on ‘A Mother Named Death’ by Evadne, from Spain), whereas technical death metal calls for virtuosity and complexity, which is a fun and stimulating challenge of a different sort (for example, the track ‘Origins’, by Shattered, from Germany).
 

Ironically, despite my deep affinity for the genre, I have worked very little in symphonic black metal as a virtual orchestrator. Having grown up listening to Emperor, Cradle of Filth, and Dimmu Borgir, it would be of great satisfaction for me to collaborate with some of those iconic bands. Hang on a minute - I’m multitrack recording my own voice for a choir arrangement that I’ve done for one of these three bands at the moment, so I guess I didn’t have to wait too long for that particular dream to come true!

What are your personal musical preferences?

Being a curious, atypical, and eccentric individual myself, I tend to like music most when it has its own distinctive character, drawing outside the lines of tradition, whilst also being unafraid of innovation and experimentation. The most exciting music for me happens at the porous boundaries where genres meet and interact - my music library is often on shuffle, endlessly interpolating combinations of the mystical transcendentalism of my favourite composer Olivier Messiaen, the blackjazz of Shining, the cerebral indulgence of King Crimson, the esoteric brutality of Gorguts, the alien guitar fusion of Allan Holdsworth,  the sad electronic noises of Radiohead, the raw outrage and violence of Converge, the majestic black metal elegies of Emperor - the list has to stop somewhere, though!

What instruments do you play and is it an advantage for your work as virtual orchestrator?

I’ve played guitar for three decades (and taught guitar for half that time) - during that period (which is most of my life!) I’ve branched out to play fretless bass, 8-string guitar, double bass, and drums. I’ve also done a lot of singing, both in local bands and in choirs - all of these experiences inform my awareness of what to consider when arranging music for various instruments, and what the limitations of those instruments are - these tend to be a point of inspiration, as it’s always fun to push upon the envelope of those restrictions, and to break new ground on an instrument wherever possible.
 

I imagine you may have expected me to say that I was a pianist, or a keyboard player - having first picked up the guitar at the age of five, it has become second nature for me to visualise harmonic and melodic patterns in the context of the guitar fingerboard. To me, it seems like an unnecessary effort to have to relearn all those patterns on a keyboard, when, in 2020, we’re not limited to keyboards for writing and performing with virtual instruments and synthesizers. Saying that though, I am enjoying learning church organ music at the moment (in the context of funeral doom), so maybe one day I’ll change my mind about my association with the keyboard, but for now, I’ll say that for the most part, I am still very much a guitarist.

Do you have other artistic/musical activities? If yes, what are your on-going projects?

I do have a wealth of my own solo material that I’ve written over the years in a range of styles, encompassing blackened death metal, jazz metal fusion, and djent, but due to both the pressures of earning a living, and enduring life’s unpredictable plot-twists, these projects are yet to be taken off the gentle heat of the creative back-burner. Hopefully, by the time I serve these musical morsels up to the world, they’ll be seasoned just right, and not embarrassingly overcooked!
 

In recent years, I’ve also developed several innovative music software applications which I’ve secretly been experimenting with behind the scenes. However, the world is changing drastically in 2020, and we all need to stop living as if we’re never going to die - for me, this means that I have to force myself to make more time for my own solo projects, artist collaborations, and software inventions, otherwise they’ll all just waste a lifetime gathering dust on my shelves, or sitting in suspended animation, trapped in one of my many digital archives.

Do you want to add anything on a subject that we have not covered and you would like to talk about?

I am currently working on some really fantastic new album projects, with bands from Portugal, Norway, and the UK - if you’re interested in following what I get up to, both as a virtual orchestrator, and as a musician in general, feel free to visit my website, orchestralmetal.com, and check out the various social media links for content and contact info if you want to get in touch regarding your next project - I’m always up for a challenge, so bring it on!
 

Many thanks go to Sylvain (Sach) and David (Heilkin) for their thought-provoking and engaging questions throughout this interview - I look forward to seeing you guys again at another Moonspell show at some point in the future, when the world has finally gotten back on its feet after everything that’s happened in 2020 so far!

The photos in this article (other than the two magazine images at the top) were taken by Jon Phipps at orchestralmetal.com HQ