If you want to learn how to sustain a creative career over 20 years, talk to Aaron Taylor-Waldman. He’s a graphic designer responsible for the album covers on many Mystery Circles releases, from Hainbach’s to Matt Lowery’s to my own, and on his own Mystery Circles album Concentric.

Aaron is a longtime lover of electronic music who studied sound design under the electronic music pioneer Pauline Oliveros, and somehow managed to get Daft Punk spun at his high school graduation. He also created the hugely inspiring (and giftable) Patch Deck.

But…

• What does he do when a design client brings him a draft they prompted on ChatGPT?

• How did he turn a deck of cards into a font of creative inspiration?

• And how have cold emails and sliding into DMs transformed his creative life?

I talked to Aaron to find out.

Please subscribe and leave a review if you dig it—it makes a big difference. Thanks for being here.

Ben Messelbeck wants you to become a film composer. He's a multi-instrumentalist who’s spent more than a decade as a full-time film composer, scoring documentaries like The Kids Are Not Alright and Zombies: Hung Up on a Dream, as well as narrative films like Adult Interference and The Good Half.

He’s toured the world as bass player for the band Hello Stranger, with Joachim Cooder and Juliette Commagere, and he wants lots more musicians to try their hand at film scoring, especially those who think it’s out of reach.

- But what’s his advice for musicians who want to make the leap to film composing?

- What does he think about AI’s impact on music and film?-

And why is knowing your “why” so important in music—and in life?

I talked to Ben to find out. Please subscribe and leave a review if you dig it—it makes a huge difference. Thanks for being here. 🤍 GS

EPISODE NOTES

Ben Messelbeck website

Ben Messelbeck IMDB

Ben Messelbeck Instagram

Good Sunset Instagram

Good Sunset website

TRACKS PLAYED

"every living thing follows a set path" - Ben Messelbeck

"beautiful voices in the night" - Ben Messelbeck

"we can do this thing" - Ben Messelbeck

"quiet moment" - Ben Messelbeck

"gus van zant" - Ben Messelbeck

"do you believe in time travel" - Ben Messelbeck

"wanderlust" - Ben Messelbeck

"i'm here for you" - Ben Messelbeck

"just keep going" - Ben Messelbeck

"old friends" - Ben Messelbeck

Thanks again to my previous guests: Navin Kala, Guillaume Blanjean, Ainsworth, TJ Dumser, Tyler Pursel, Aqeel Aadam, and Andrea Ragusa of AC Noises.

Special thanks to Navin for the Slow Fade cover art.

Andrea Ragusa is a musician, sound designer, and co-founder of AC Noises, an Italian boutique pedal maker that’s taken the world by storm over the past few years, winning fans from Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite to Nine Inch Nails’ Alessandro Cortini. Andrea runs the company with his partner Claudia Bellotti, an illustrator and photographer. They just released their most ambitious pedal yet, an ambient lofi powerhouse called Continua.

But what is it like starting a business with your romantic partner when you’ve only just started dating?

How did making their new pedal help Andrea survive losing a parent?

What made Instagram AC Noises' secret weapon?

And why is making music crucial for your mental health?

I talked to Andrea to find out.

This is Slow Fade, conversations about finding meaning, building community, and making art that matters in the digital age. Thanks for listening.

- Stephen / Good Sunset

EPISODE NOTES

AC Noises online

AC Noises on Instagram

Mothell on Bandcamp (Andrea's electronic duo with Marco Monti)

Good Sunset on Instagram

Good Sunset on Bandcamp

Songs played (in order)

"Autostrada dei Laghi" - Mothell

"Paranoia Broadcasters" - Mothell

"A Picnic that Lasts Forever with Friends that Never Leave" - Mothell

"Rock is Dead and We're Glad to Be Zombies" - Mothell

"Trains Forever" - Mothell

Special thanks to Navin Kala for the Slow Fade cover art. Listen to our magical conversation in ep. 1 of Slow Fade.