"Sungenre" by Dan Webb
Dan Webb is a musical chameleon who constantly adapts and transforms his style. He fuses psychedelic textures, electronic experiments and classic songcraft into a dazzling and distinctive sound. He has a knack for pushing the boundaries of the art form while maintaining his pop charm, producing music that is both delightful and intriguing.
With its guitar-driven melodies and adventurous soundscapes, "Sungenre" is a sonic marvel that defies labels. It captivates the listener with its brief but brilliant exploration of musical possibilities, and surprises with a minimalist and playful twist at the end. It’s a track that appeals to anyone who appreciates creative and original music.
How would you describe the person behind the artist Dan Webb and how did you get into music?
I’m a friendly guy with a curious mind. But who is anyone, really? It’s a tough question. Music is at the core of my identity. I started learning classical piano at age 4. I picked up the saxophone around age 11. I’ve been composing music pretty much my whole life.
"Sungenre" creates an amazing atmosphere, somewhere between "out of the box" and experimental with an impressive soundscape, how much time do you normally spend on the sound selection for a song?
Some songs come together quickly, but others can take many, many years to develop and refine. ‘Sungenre’ is comprised of three distinct sections, which really are just different song ideas I recorded over the past few years. I stitched them together through a process of trial and error, then layered it up with additional effects and instruments to produce the final track.
4th single from your upcoming album, what can we expect from?
Sunshine/Dialogue has largely been shaped by conversations I’ve had with other musicians. In deciding which tracks would appear on the album, I took the opportunity to listen to my back catalogue of released and unreleased tracks.
It was kind of like crate digging, but the samples I used were my own creations. I think of the end product as a weird and wonderful journey, like the creation of the album itself. And that’s fitting, given at times the album is quite meta; it breaks the fourth wall and urges your participation.
From "Capitulation (EP)" to "Sungenre", what three songs of yours would you recommend to our readers?
I’m still particularly proud of ‘Sailing’, a post-punk song I recorded in my bedroom in 2015. It’s fun and upbeat, but it has this kind of wonky vibe to it, like something’s almost off about it. I was feeling sick of the limitations around what I could achieve with a keyboard at the time. It’s the first time I took to guitar as the lead instrument instead.
‘Coming Up Roses’ is the lead single off my debut album in 2014. It has a crazy music video and it’s always been a fan favourite. It’s hard to believe we’re coming up to 10 years since its release!
I’m going to highlight ‘Europa’ here, as it’s completely different to both of those other tracks. It’s a cinematic instrumental track which I wrote and recorded in one sitting. It has a water-like quality to it. The title is in reference to the Jupiter moon which could plausibly host alien life in its vast oceans.
What is/are the big difference(s) in your creative process if you compare 2009 with today?
I think the biggest differences in my creative process have really been brought about due to the advancement in technology in that time. Virtual studio technology plugins weren’t as readily available back in 2009.
Certainly most of the technology I record with these days didn’t exist back then. I’d rehearse songs with a band before taking them into a studio to record. These days I can sit down at my laptop whenever inspiration strikes, so I have the freedom to record and develop ideas when I like, without any time or budget constraints.
Any chance to see you somewhere live on stage?
I don’t have any plans to return to touring right now. Maybe one day…
What's next for you?
I’m moving to Singapore in a few weeks. So I’m looking forward to buying a new guitar, upgrading my home recording set up and starting work on my next album once I’m there.
