#38: Eelco van Zanten: "Perhaps I Flew too close to the Sun"

Meet Eelco van Zanten, the prolific Dutch guitarist behind the moniker Joe Synthriani. In this deep-dive conversation, we explore his incredible musical journey - from teenage metal bands to a career-changing hand injury, from Amsterdam hip-hop scenes to viral Joe Satriani chiptune covers, and his upcoming fusion album with drummer Joran Vroom.
Discover how this part-time librarian balances creativity with stability, creating guitar albums like "Passion and Software" while producing beats, film scores, and everything in between. Eelco shares stories about studying with legendary teacher Richard Hallebeek, getting noticed by Joe Satriani himself, and why he believes there are no boundaries in music.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction - Meet Eelco van Zanten
1:57 Musical Beginnings - Starting Guitar at 16
2:44 Father's Influence & First Guitar Setup
5:25 Learning Melodies & Getting Into Metal
7:25 Beyond Guitar Hero - Genre Evolution
9:14 Philosophy Studies & Conservatory Years
11:01 Hand Injury - A Major Turning Point
12:40 Amsterdam Connections & New Direction
16:25 Stoner Supermannen & Queens of the Stone Age Phase
17:36 Entering the Hip-Hop World
19:26 Library Job & Creative Freedom
21:06 Guitar Comeback in 2017-2018
22:45 Richard Hallebeek - The Influential Teacher
28:32 Passion & Software Album - Satriani Influences
32:46 Joe Santriani Chiptune Project
38:24 Creative Restlessness & Musical Diversity
39:29 Current Fusion Project with Joran Vroom
41:52 Frank Zappa Influences & Marimba Sounds
44:35 Pantera & Dimebag Darrell Transcriptions
48:53 Wrapping Up - Upcoming Album & Final Thoughts

Key Topics:
Hand injury that redirected his entire musical career
Working with hip-hop legends De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig
Creating viral chiptune versions of Joe Satriani classics
Upcoming fusion album with Joran Vroom and top Dutch jazz musicians
The balance between creative freedom and financial stability
Influences from Frank Zappa to Pantera to Richard Hallebeek

Eelco's Music: https://eelcovanzanten.bandcamp.com/
Joe Synthriani project:    / @joesynthriani  

#EelcoVanZanten #JoeCynthriana #DutchGuitar #FusionGuitar #JoeSatriani #Chiptune #GuitarInterview #DutchMusic #RichardHallebeek #MusicProducer #LibrarianMusician #InstrumentalGuitar #FusionMusic #GuitarPodcast #MusicInterview #Netherlands #Almere #Electronic #StoneRock #ProgressiveGuitar #MusicCreativity #GuitarTeacher #JoranVroom #WeatherReport #YellowJackets #TribalTech #Satriani #Zappa #Pantera #Dimebag #Holdsworth

Join this channel to get access to perks:
   / @sixtyscalesandthetruth  

‪@EelcovanZanten‬