Cloudchord shares new EP with Ian Ewing, ‘Tulips’
May 20, 2022 BY Jason Currell
A specialist in augmenting musical possibility, Derek VanScoten is the producer, guitarist, and Emmy-winning musician behind Cloudchord. His remarkable technical skills on the guitar give a refreshing take on atmospheric dance music, solidifying Cloudchord’s place in the world of psychedelic chillhop beats. For his Nettwerk debut EP, Cloudchord joined forces with fellow multi-instrumentalist and producer Ian Ewing for the four-song Tulips EP. With Cloudchord being a master of the guitar and Ian Ewing being a master of the drums, the results are organic, upbeat, and uplifting. The short and sweet project blends lofi instrumentals with soulful hip-hop and jazzy breakdowns. A melting pot of genres, the EP is a project to play as springtime seeds blossom and bloom. Tulips is the duo’s second collaboration together after the release of the track “Twitter Telephone” featuring Martin Vogt of Haywyre, Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic, Louis Futon, and Birocratic in 2020.
Tulips is a continued exploration of his signature guitar riffs and a sonic reflection of living a creative, playful gratitude-filled life. Tulips is the sound of “optimistic chillhop in the spring,” explains VanScoten. “Each of these songs is a plant: Cloudchord’s Guitar and Ian Ewings Drum Kit are the roots and trunk. The orchestration and harmony layers are the branches and leaves/ flowers that grow from these organic foundations.” Tulips feature the previous released singles “Sundays,” the sound of Neo-Soul Gospel guitar accompanied with wondrous Jazzy Hip Hops, and “Step By Step,” a track exploring what one can do with just three chords.
“I see no reason ever to stop because music is absolutely my favorite thing to do in the world. Music is my spirituality and my quest for truth. It’s always right there if you’re willing to listen for it” shares VanScoten.
WATCH + LISTEN TO “SUNDAYS” HERE
WATCH + LISTEN TO “STEP BY STEP” HERE
CLOUDCLOUD & IAN EWING
TULIPS
TRACKLIST
Tulips
Sundays
Step By Step
Butterflies
ABOUT CLOUDCHORD:
Derek grew up coveting guitar gods like Jimi Hendrix. The game changed when his Dad took him to see George Benson, and his Mom paid for jazz guitar lessons. His college years saw him learning about high-level recording studios; a summer spent as an audio engineer intern at the Aspen Music Institute ignited his reverence for acoustic music. His inspirations grew to include jazz pianist and life mentor Art Lande, and hip hop acts like Jurassic 5 and The Roots. After several years as a Brooklyn-based touring act called D.V.S*, Derek moved to Austin and rebranded. The creative focus was on the chill sides of dance music (from chillhop to deep house) while featuring live guitar and lap steel. In his first year as Cloudchord, he scored 6 consecutive #1 tracks on Hype Machine. Shortly after, a call came to score the documentary In Football We Trust. The work premiered at Sundance and won an Emmy. Other scoring clients have grown to include Disney, Gatorade, Facebook & L’Oreal.
ABOUT IAN EWING:
Ian Ewing is a self-taught instrumentalist, producer and artist who blends a smooth mix of hip hop, electronica, and R&B to create the sound that has been supported and showcased by SiriusXM, BBC One Extra, Soulection, DJ Complexion, Nest HQ, Indie Shuffle, and much more. From a young age, he thoroughly fell in love with hip hop and the history behind it. This was his gateway into electronic beat production where he finds himself today, as he strives to create ambient compositions of sample-based sounds blended with his own instrumentation. Ewing has headlined various shows across the US, and has both collaborated and toured with artists including Flamingosis, Louis Futon, Joey Pecoraro, Anomolie, and Cautious Clay. Other notable performances took place on his hometown’s Summerfest stages alongside headlining acts Diplo and Marshmello.
