Phrozenlight

A mostly unknown but very hard-working creator of cosmic-ambient dreamscapes, Phrozenlight has recorded and released over 100 albums since 2006 and shows no signs of slowing down. Phrozenlight's music typically takes cues from Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Brian Eno, but traces of electronic trance can also be found strewn throughout his vast discography. The man behind the name Phrozenlight is Bert Hulshoff, and he has a very mature and positive view on his reasoning for creating such a large output of dreamy electronic atmospheres. I've been in touch with Mr. Hulshoff for a short while, and he agreed to answer some of my questions.

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We’ve got a brief biography of you already on the site, so we can skip that information, but how did you choose the name Phrozenlight for your musical projects?

"Well from my point of view it was simple, Phrozen stands for Frozen, Light for light. Why frozen, well it stands for several meanings: “Cold”, no emotion as in a frozen heart, and “no movement”.  Frozen has also a bit of Froeze in it, the founding member of “Tangerine Dream”. “Light” had also two meanings for me: just “light” and as the opposite of heavy. “Light” of the stars. And “light not heavy” as a difference between serious music and my soundscapes. Also phrozenlight stands for a picture, light that does not move. Why Ph instead of F, well my artist-name was first Frozenlight, but I found out in 1995 that there was already an firm that was called Frozenlight, so I change my name a little."

Do you have any musical background besides recording electronic music?

"I have no real musical background, only at school (1970/71) I had some minimal music lessons but that was mostly classical orientated. When I became 20 years I tried to study acoustic guitar, but that did not workout very well. After that it took a long time before I started to create my own music."

Which artists (musical/non-musical) had the greatest impact on your decision to start making music, and have any artists in particular influenced your stylistic sound?

"Harvey Bainbridge (of Hawkwind) was the man who made me do that. In 1995 and the years before there was no more music available that I liked. I had at that time a simple pc but with a soundcard. And I started to make sounds with trackersoftware as Screamtracker. My greatest artists were early Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra Temple and  Harvey Bainbridge."

How would you describe Phrozenlight’s sound to someone who hasn’t yet heard your music?

"How to describe my music, hmmm, long, minimal, floating soundscapes. Think that you are laying on a waterbed floating on a river into an ocean, floating over the end of the world into the emptiness of space. Only hearing the sounds of streaming water, solarwind and bypassing comets. Totally on your own. And that not for a short moment but endless."

Your music seems to be mostly of the ambient type with some experimental and cosmic sound effects mixed in, and can be intoxicating in its artistic atmospheric qualities and serene beauty. Is there any particular atmosphere or effect that you are trying to convey or communicate to the listener? If so, what is it?

"I wanted to give listeners a way to escape the daily problems of the real world we live in. To let people dream, by giving them music to listen to or to stimulate them to make their own music without having any musical background. It is not necessary to follow a music-lessons to create, only your fantasy."

What is the process by which you create your music?

"On different ways, sometimes I switch on my equipment and start to make some noises. Or I create some artwork and get some feeling to add some music to it."

What type of equipment do you usually use in the creation of Phrozenlight’s music?

"Before 2007 it was free software, first scream & impulsetracker later Jeskola Buzz tracker and a lot of Virtual Synths & FX.

Since 2007 I use an Yamaha AN1x, later I bought an MicroKorg, Roland SH-201, Doepfer MAQ16/3, Novation KS-rack and  a Roland Vintage Synth M-VS1.
I use these days also an electric guitar and an electric bass.
Beside that some reverb end echo machines."

Could you briefly detail the music on your most recent albums?

"Simple"

"Romance in Space"

"My early music was mainly based on long layered drones without any extra sounds, today I try to add something more to it, like Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream based sequences or guitarsounds like Steve Hillage or Acid Mother Temple make. But I try not to sound like a copycat ;)

And I try to stay close to my own early sound. And still not using the Music Theory.

Since I use hardware synthesizers I try to made my music without overdubs, recorded as it was played. Hardly no sound-repairs or other editing than only normalizing or fade-in & outs."

You’re definitely one of the most productive artists included on ProgArchives, with already over 100 albums since 2006. How do you find the time and motivation to create such a large output of music?

"Simple, use every free moment to sit behind your gear, and record everything you do.
Motivation is the most difficult thing, Just have a life with problems you want to escape from ;)
Not that my life is so bad, but other people like to drink to escape or use drugs. Or listen to music, well my way to escape is to create."

Thank you for giving your time to do this interview – I and the rest of the members at ProgArchives greatly appreciate it. Is there anything else you’d like to say to the rest of the people at ProgArchives?

"I have to thank you for interviewing me.
I hope people get to understand me, but more important to understand my music.
I hope the musicfans on ProgArchive can use my soundscapes to escape the real world for a moment.

Greetings to you all

Bert

(aka Phrozenlight)"

Phrozenlight's PA page

Phrozenlight's homepage