Jelle Dittmar on Why Having the Creative Freedom to Take Risks Is Rewarding
Jelle Dittmar heard John William’s track ‘Window to the Past’ when he was 11 years old while absorbed in watching ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’. An hour later - with the help of a small toy piano - he could play the melody by ear. But it was Hans Zimmer’s score for ‘Backdraft’ that persuaded him to pursue music professionally. It’s perhaps then unsurprising, though no less impressive of course, that today Jelle is a composer, working with BMG Production Music and creating cinematic and emotional scores for a wide variety of mediums.
Recently, Jelle worked on Atari’s ‘Days of Doom’ game and the team let his creativity be the driver for the score. Set in a post-apocalyptic environment, Jelle chose to use ‘smaller’ instruments like guitars and percussion together with ordinary household objects to conjure up the sparseness of the world, with some orchestral elements to create the feeling of adventuring. Jelle is currently collaborating with music composer Niels van der Leest, responsible for the sounds of ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ and ‘Forbidden West’ on a challenging and rewarding project that will be released later this year.
On the subject of technology, Jelle is sober in that it has many applications, like cross-border collaboration and an extensive library of digital instrumental sounds. Is he concerned about AI replacing the role of the composer? Not quite yet because, in his mum’s words, “a computer cello talks, a real cello sings.”
LBB spoke to Jelle about his musical influences, the role of technology in his work, and why he finds creative inspiration in nature.
LBB> We’d love to get to know you a little bit – were you always creative/musical? What’s your earliest memory of music making a real impression on you?
Jelle> When I was four years old, there were already signs that I had a strong musical hearing. But things really kicked off a few years later. When I was 11, I listened to the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, composed by John Williams, and I was intrigued by the track ‘Window to the Past’. After listening to it for a while, I grabbed a small toy piano we had laying around and practised the main melody line. After an hour or so I was able to play the entire melody by ear and showed this to my parents. They were so impressed that the next Christmas they bought me a bigger keyboard so that I could practise my piano skills.
I did take some piano lessons, and know a bit of musical theory, but the way I compose and produce my music is still very much just by ear and listening to my gut if something sounds good or sells the story I’m trying to tell.
LBB> When did you know that you wanted to pursue music professionally and how did you do it?
Jelle> When I discovered that, I was already playing the piano a bit better, I must have been 14 or 15 when that happened. I remember that on a summer evening I was watching the movie ‘Backdraft’, directed by Ron Howard and with music from Hans Zimmer that sparked the inspiration to do this professionally. At the very end of the film, when the fire trucks drive to the sunset and with that epic music, I just knew that I wanted to make music for media for the rest of my life. Of course people told me that I should just make music as a hobby, but that did not deter me from at least trying to get into this industry. It was in 2018 when I met with BMG during a demo day in Amsterdam that I started professionally working in this industry.
LBB> You’ve mentioned in past interviews that you derive a lot of inspiration from nature. What is it about nature that you find helps your creativity?
Jelle> When I grew up, I used to watch a lot of nature documentaries on National Geographic and Animal Planet. I also grew up with animals around me, so I think that definitely helped with being inspired by nature and animals. There is a certain beauty when you just look at the sunset, or see a bird flying around. I think it really comes down to the fact that even the smallest thing on Earth has a part to play in the bigger picture, something that brought me a bit of comfort when I struggled with my Autism in the past.
I think it is also very fitting that the first feature film that I did was a documentary about the School gardens in Amsterdam, and all the animals that live there. In the future, I would really love to score a BBC documentary like Planet Earth, if the opportunity presents itself.
LBB> Do you have any musical heroes that you’re particularly influenced by?
Jelle> I grew up with a lot of music that came from the '70s and '80s. I was a big fan of Queen, and particularly the music video for ‘Breakthrough’ since it featured a train. So they definitely had an influence on me, and in the end on my sound. But I was also a big fan of the Live show ‘Lord of the Dance’ by Michael Flatley with music by Ronan Hardiman. When I grew older I became a fan of bands like Linkin Park and Imagine Dragons, and even played in some bands composing pop/rock music. But in the end it had always been orchestral and cinematic music that had a lasting impact on me, especially the music from Hans Zimmer and John Williams. And music for video games were also a big inspiration, like for example the soundtrack from ‘Rayman 2: The Great Escape’.
LBB> You compose for a wide variety of mediums. How does composing for a video game or an advert soundtrack differ from composing for a TV show?
Jelle> The main difference really is the way you compose. With video games, you basically need to take into account that the player controls when you would go to the next scene. Making sure that those transitions are as smooth as possible is a big part (and struggle) of the composing process for games. But in the end it still comes down if your music supports the story well enough, and does not get too distracting from what happens on the screen.
As a composer for media, it is your job to make sure that the music plays a serving role, and that it benefits the production as best as it can. Again taking inspiration from nature, you are just a part of a bigger picture.
LBB> You worked on Atari’s ‘Days of Doom’ - what was the experience like and what was the most interesting part about it from a musical perspective?
Jelle> That was a very fun project to do honestly. The team at Atari really let me be creative and encouraged me to experiment with different sound sources. Basically the freedom they gave me was very refreshing. Since it is a post-apocalyptic game, I tried to keep it as small as possible at times, since in a world like that an orchestra would be hard to come by. So I decided to use smaller instruments like guitars, percussion, and even ordinary objects like keys and kitchen pans, things you would find on your journey through a landscape like that. But of course I also included some orchestral elements, to create this sense of adventure.
LBB> What are some of the other projects that you’ve worked on that you’re most proud of and why?
Jelle> I think the projects where I could really be creative are the ones that stand out to me. ‘Days of Doom’ is an example of that, but some of the most creative things that I have done are just production music tracks. During the covid pandemic, I remember that I contacted a big library in Los Angeles, and asked them if it would be possible to record with a big string ensemble, something I wanted to do for a very long time. And to my surprise they said yes, and that project turned out to be one of my best albums I wrote for Production Music. Other highlights are my album ‘Refractions’ with BMG here in the Netherlands, and a track where I combined the beautiful vocals from Julie Elven with a pipe organ that was standing in an empty church in my hometown.
Recently I started a collaboration with the incredible Niels van der Leest (‘Horizon Zero Dawn’, ‘Forbidden West') and that project was one of the most difficult projects I have worked on to date. But since that one is not yet released, I can’t talk too much about that unfortunately.
LBB> And how do you approach a brief? Do you prefer detailed or open-ended briefs?
Jelle> I actually don’t really have a preference, if the idea or vision is clear, I can work with it.
Good communication between the client and myself is something that can make or break a project. If I can take BMG Production Music as an example, when I started out I would simply get a brief with the genre, mood, and sometimes instrumentation, and I would get to work and deliver the album a month later.
But right now I also get asked if there is a genre I would like to make, where I would need to come up with a brief. Those are more challenging, but also very fun to do. Recently I asked a library if they would be interested in Viking metal, and they just let me do my thing.
Following the brief is an important aspect when creating for media, but it can’t be understated that having creative freedom and to take risks can also be very rewarding. Dare to make mistakes, and learn from your failures.
LBB> With technology ever evolving, how do you see it affecting how you create? What role does it play in your creative process now?
Jelle> Virtual instruments and computer generated music becomes better and better every year. But there is something about real instruments that just makes them sound so unique. For example, I have some of the best computer cello instruments money can buy, but every time I listen to the same part played with a real cello, it simply becomes something magical.
It’s the smallest nuances, the intonation, the smallest mistakes that just make it come alive.
When I showed this to my mum she said, “a computer cello talks, a real cello sings”, and I can’t agree more with that statement.
Technology makes our lives (most of the time) better, and I would not be able to work in this industry if these software instruments didn’t exist. But when a real instrument is played, by a top-notch musician, there is no denying that the real deal is still leagues ahead than its software counterpart.
But that does not mean it can’t work together. I use a lot of virtual and real instruments in my compositions, getting the best of both worlds. Another great example of how I use technology in my creative process (and many other composers as well) is with remote recording. Back in the day, if you lived outside of the UK and wanted to record at Abbey Road or AIR Studios, you would have needed to travel to those facilities. But right now, thanks to Remote Collaboration technologies like ‘Audio Movers’ that is not the case anymore. The sound, coming from the orchestra into the control room, can be sent with barely any delay to my studio in the Netherlands. So the time and money I would need to spend on travelling, can now be spent on something else. But, I would have to add that if I ever get the chance to record at Abbey Road or AIR Studio’s, I would of course make that trip since they are both such legendary spaces. And being present in the studio and networking with the staff and musicians, has its benefits as well. I guess it depends on the situation if technology would improve the product, or if it needs to be sacrificed for the sake of the project.
LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?
Jelle> There has been significant developments regarding AI music, and people have been asking questions if it would make human musicians, composers, and creators obsolete. And you can already see some of that right now. Smaller creators that make for example YouTube videos, or other online content, don’t have the big budgets to hire a composer or musician to score music under their production.
So they have started to use AI tools to let it make music for them. I remember when I started out and AI was not yet present, I would get requests from those kinds of creators to work for free anyway, but it was a great experience to learn working on a brief and for a client. I think AI will only further make its way in the music industry, and maybe will indeed get to a level where it can compete with humans.
But as I stated before, there is something about an organic sound, a human touch, that I believe will always be relevant. It might well be that we would get two camps where on the one hand production agencies would use AI music only, and on the other clients who still value the human approach, and want to take more risks with their music, sound, or sonic branding. The creative industries have always been on the forefront of adopting new technologies, and we would simply just need to wait and see what the future will be throwing at us. But humans adapt, always have been, and always will, and we will also find a way to work with AI.
LBB> Finally, are there any dream projects that you would love to work on?
Jelle> As I said earlier, I would love to one day score a BBC documentary with a live orchestra and record it at Abbey Road or AIR Studios. But I’m also trying to get more work in video games. Since I grew up with games (the original PlayStation is just three weeks older than I am) they had a big role in my creative development.
Working on a big game title like for example the Horizon series would be a dream come through. A long term plan is however to build a studio here in the Netherlands, where people with disabilities can come to and to make music with me for these big brands. Letting them contribute to these amazing productions, but also to bring them closer to society and to show the world their amazing talents. I have been given all these chances to work in this industry, it seems only fair to give those chances to other people who might not be able to ask for them
For now, and I know this is very cliché, I’m already living the dream. I can work with clients and musicians all over the world, be creative with my music, and make a living from it. I simply can’t ask for more.
