“Craft, Creativity and Experimentation Will Be Valued More in the Times to Come,” Says Tip van den Bos

Tip van den Bos is the head of creative production at MassiveMusic Berlin.

A renowned musician and composer, he brings extensive experience in both studio composition and creative direction. Specialising in creating compelling music for advertising, Tip has collaborated with numerous high-profile brands, including The North Face, Google, Aldi and BMW.

His forte? The ability to craft distinctive sonic identities for global and local brands, ensuring that each project resonates deeply with its target audience.

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Tip> First, I like to get inspired by the project itself from a personal standpoint.

How does the film make ME feel? What is the story that we are trying to tell and how can music support this?

I ask myself these questions before finding inspiration from all possible sources, the most obvious one is going through Spotify and trying to find musical references and viewpoints. But it can also be going to the studio straight away and exploring raw sounds and harmonies to see if it can bring something unique to the project.

After an initial exploration phase, ideas naturally start coming to my mind and take shape.

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity – what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang – and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Tip> When you’re making music for advertising or film it’s always a collaboration. You’re always working with a talented group of creatives on the film side of things. I love being challenged by a director and going along with their vision. This always leads to fresh ideas that wouldn’t have come to me if it was just sitting by myself in the studio in my underpants.

One of my favourite collaborations was when I did the music for Retterspitz, which was featured on ‘Nowness’. I worked really closely with the director Björn Swoboda, who has become a dear friend through the process.

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Tip> I love the interactions that we’re having with our creative team and clients. When you’re in the heat of the moment and everyone is aligned and motivated to bring the project over the line and push the creative output.

And, of course, the cheering moment when everything is approved and the last assets are sent.

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?

Tip> As music is becoming more and more commodified and easy to produce with the help of AI and other tools, I believe that brands and the public will focus more on creating real human moments.

AI will start training on its own shitty prompts and people will start getting sick of it. Everyone already feels it when an article or email is written with ChatGPT.

We’re going through a challenging phase right now but I believe in order to stand out brands will want to capitalise more on humans creating music for humans.

Craft, creativity and experimentation will be valued more in the times to come

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Tip> Lately, my biggest inspirations have been Aphex Twin and Viagra Boys (don’t let the name scare you). I love how Aphex Twin can create an idea or concept that feels technical at first but always finds a lot of heart and emotion in his composition. Elements that feel cold and one dimensional at the start actually carry a lot of emotion.

Viagra Boys are my favourite band at the moment. They are absurd, funny, emotional and serious at the same time. In my work, music is always a very serious thing and it’s inspiring to see people create music that can make you laugh and cry in the same album.

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?

Tip> I have been really inspired by some of the recent intro themes to some of my favourite shows like ‘Severance’ and ‘Succession’, especially Nicholas Britell, who composed the ‘Succession’ theme song. I’d also say the music to the film ‘Moonlight’ continues to amaze me.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) – are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Tip> This is when I blast techno sets from early 2000s Berlin techno legends such as Ron Albrecht.

LBB> I guess the quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) – how does that factor into how you approach your work?

Tip> Yes, everyone is constantly fighting for minutes and seconds of your attention whether it’s advertising, music, podcasts or the latest HBO or Netflix hit. I believe everything should find its audience and I try not to let this distract me because it will drive me crazy. As a rule for my work and life, in general, I try to be as to the point as possible. I don’t try to dress up songs but focus on stripping things back to its most basic form which should come through on any type of soundsystem or speaker.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Tip> I try to always find time to listen to two to three new releases a month. But, in my weaker moments when I need music as the most healing of all comfort foods, I find myself going back to classics such as Madvillainy, In Rainbows, Is This It or any Gorillaz album. I’m currently listening a lot to Fontaines D.C. as well as Kneecap, who are inspiring me a lot with their message.

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised Spotify-er…)?

Tip> My music collection is found everywhere! Of course, I want to hate on Spotify, but it’s just so easy to listen to and check out new music on the go. I spend a lot of time listening to music on the go, in the metro to work or when I’m cycling (whilst trying not to get killed by German traffic).

I have a vinyl collection as well where I mainly listen to my dad’s old classics such as Lou Reed, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Talking Heads. Every other week, I tell myself I need to buy some new records, but I’m also a creature of habit.

LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music?

Tip> Generally, I like going to museums and seeing different exhibitions. I like going on the first Sunday of the month when a lot of the museums in Berlin are free.

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do – I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?

Tip> I travelled to Brazil last year and found it really inspiring. I joined a lot of the spontaneous pre-carnival street parties or ‘blocos’ as they call it. It really made me dive deeper into current Brazilian funk music as well as old traditional artists such as Cartola.

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth – how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Tip> Of course I engage with music in a different way now that is my full-time job and no longer ‘just a passion’ or hobby.

However, in order to do my job in an authentic way, I have to connect with my 15-year-old self playing Arctic Monkeys in our garage with my brother and sister. Annoying the sh*t out of our neighbors and loving the process.

I try to always make sure I connect and get excited about anything I do music-wise but also just life in general. I feel this is why I am alive and do what I do.