Augustus 2017. Onderhoud deur Marelis Jacobs. Cover: Peach van Pletzen en Matthieu (Makkie) Auriacombe - Courtesy of Louise Crouse. Fotografie deur PJ Kotze.
In hierdie tye van onrus, is dit Van Pletzen se missie om die wêreld ‘n beter plek te maak deur hul lekker vibes te versprei en om jou ‘n baie, baie goeie tyd te wys. Hulle neem hulself nie te ernstig op nie en glo dat jy ook nie moet nie. Van Pletzen is ‘n prettige nuwe Afrikaanse projek deur Peach van Pletzen (Bittereinder / Yesterday’s Pupil) en Matthieu Auriacombe (Hello Beautiful / Beach Party). Ons het met Peach van Pletzen gesels oor sy nuwe projek en ook waarmee hy nog deesdae besig is.
Wat is die story agter jou Van Pletzen projek?
PvP: Dit het eintlik begin in 2015 toe ek genader is om saam met Bouwer Bosch 'n Afrikaanse liedjie te skryf vir die fliek Beurtkrag. Makkie was my assistent op daardie tyd en het saam gewerk aan die projek. Die liedjie het baie cool uitgedraai en sedertien wou ek graag weer iets in Afrikaans doen en ook saam met Makkie.
So twee jaar gelede sit ons toe en gesels oor die 'ultimate feel good vibe', iets wat glad nie te erstig is nie maar nogsteeds goeie produksie waarde het. Ons begin toe Van Pletzen en op die oomblik werk ons nou aan 'n album. Ons het reeds to vyf of ses liedjies en later kom daar nog 'n nuwe single met sy musiek video.
Your other creation is Yesterday's Pupil, please tell me about that?
PvP: Yesterday's Pupil has actually been the longest running of all my projects which I started in 2007. Between then and 2011 it was a very successful project in terms of touring. I did a lot of festival and clubs. The first album, released in 2008, was called Errors in Enthusiasm which was exactly what it was.
That album had a music video for a song called Lights and Colours which did really well. In the video I had a very large pencil stuck to my head and for years I was known as the guy with the pencil. Since then I releases a second album called Formative Years and now I am releasing singles en EP's, my latest one being Underground.
“...So twee jaar gelede sit ons toe en gesels oor die 'ultimate feel good vibe', iets wat glad nie te erstig is nie maar nogsteeds goeie produksie waarde het...” - Peach van Pletzen
What do you prefer, being the producer or being the musician?
PvP: It is a bit of a balancing act. I love producing music for other artists and I feel it is important to maintain a balance. For almost two years I've made music only for other people but then this year, one of my New Year's resolutions was to do more for myself. That's why there was the new song from Yesterday's Pupil, the project with Zubz and now Van Pletzen.
Some of the production hightlights of this year was the single that I did for Craig Lucas, the winner of The Voice season 2. It's a really cool song and we are really proud of it. I also produced a song for Hardebaard, a band that my dad is a member of and then also I did Bouwer Bosch's album 'Hopelik'.
Tell me your collaboration as Lava Beast with Zubz?
PvP: Between 2009 and 2014 I did a lot of shows with a rapper called Tumi, who is now going under the name Stockey T. During that time I met Zubz who is an amazing rapper. Then funny enough about six months ago I bumped into him. I invited him to come and listen to some of the beats in my archive and pick a few to work with. He picked the two least obvious ones and then later sent me his vocal ideas. I loved it and said let's go into studio and do it properly.
I didn't want to release the song as Zubz featuring Yesterday's Pupil, I wanted to establish a name that is more exclusively for collaborating with other people. I thought Lava Beast could be a cool name. I love experimenting with music. Van Pletzen is very much a part of that, I've done it for years with Yesterday's Pupil and as member of Bittereinder. I think we should be free to release different styles of music under many different names.
Sogepraat van Bittereinder, waarmee is julle besig deesdae?
PvP: Ons gaan nog sterk aan. Ons het vier albums uit en is stadig maar seker besig met die vyfde een. Hierdie was 'n baie besige en opwindende jaar vir ons drie as individue. Ek dink dit was 'n baie natuurlike ding dat ons nie gejaag gevoel het om hierdie jaar enkelsnitte hoef te forseer nie. Dit gee 'n mens tyd om te rus en die batterye te herlaai. Wanneer ons drie weer in studio is later hierdie jaar of volgende jaar, dan is 'n mens weer honger vir dit.