Interview: Nathan Plante

Berlin-based musician Nathan Plante has spent most of his life immersed in sound: from early days in a church handbell choir to a career as a professional trumpet player in the contemporary avant-garde scene. In recent years, he's traded sheet music for patch cables, crafting immersive electronic landscapes rich in texture and narrative. Blending field recordings, dark ambient moods, and sci-fi-tinged explorations, his work invites listeners on deep listening adventures where light and shadow intertwine. His latest release, Electric Forest, showcases this evolving sonic identity, each track a distinct path in an otherworldly journey. Nathan talks about his creative process, inspirations, and the challenges of making ambient music in a busy life.

General info

Artist Name: Nathan Plante

Age: 42 

Location: Berlin, Germany

Social Media / Music Links

instagram.com/nathanplantesynths/
nathanplante.bandcamp.com
bsky.app/profile/electricbirds.bsky.social
youtube.com/@nathanplantesynths
ampwall.com/a/nathanplante

How long have you been making music?

I've been making music since I was five years old, playing in the church handbell choir. A few years later I started with trumpet and later turned it into a profession. I've been making electronic music for two years.

Do you release music under a label or independently?

Independent

Creative process and inspiration

What drew you to ambient music in the first place?

As a professional trumpet player I'm used to playing pretty complex music. I trained as a classical musician, and later specialized in playing contemporary avant garde music. I have to admit, I was pretty snooty about music for a long time. During the pandemic (for unrelated reasons) I started to become interested in music that moved much slower. It all actually started with a piece by La Monte Young, the "grandfather" of minimal music. The piece was about 80 minutes of drones, performed by eight trumpet players. We were all only allowed to play four notes for the entirety of the piece. At first I thought it would be awfully boring, but performing the piece just blew my mind every time I played it. I found I enjoyed the patient, slow development that the piece offered and I loved immersing myself in those drones. For all its simplicity, there was also something complex going on. That got me curious about drone music and minimalism in a way I hadn't been before.

Fast forward a few years later and I was looking for a new direction with my musical career. I was happy performing the music I was playing, but I longed for something that was truly my own. I was working on creating electronic music on the computer, but the stock synth sounds felt flat. I downloaded thousands of free sounds, only to find I was spending more time looking for the "right" sound, and less time actually making music. Thats when a friend suggested I take the Learning Sound and Synthesis course by Sarah Belle Reid. That course changed everything for me. I went into it hoping to learn how to design my own sounds, and came out of it feeling like a composer. For the first time in my 20 year career as a professional musician, I was making and playing my *own* music.

Part of that process was finding my voice as composer, which is something I'm still working on. I feel all of my previous musical experience is playing a role in that journey - classical training for harmony and structure, avant garde for thinking outside of the box and embracing unusual timbres and instruments, the synth for a completely new way of thinking about music and sound design.

The genre "ambient" is so large and diffuse, I'm still not 100% sure where my music fits into that spectrum. I like to take listeners on a deep listening adventure, which isn't always relaxing in the way ambient music is known to be. The focus is always on the sound and the journey.

Can you describe your creative process when starting a new track?

If I had one specific strategy, it would be to *just play*. Sometimes I start with a concrete musical idea, sometimes a concept, or maybe just a field recording I made and like. But at the core, the process really is just sitting with my synth, patching some connections, and playing with sound. 

I like to treat the modules like chamber music partners. Thats one of the nice things about synthesizers - they don't just take your direction, they also can give suggestions. The exploratory turn of a knob can deliver sounds you weren't expecting or looking for, and that can take the music in a completely new direction. I like not being in control of every single element happening in a patch. 

Where do you find inspiration? Emotion, nature, science fiction, or something else?

Earlier I mentioned classical and contemporary classical music as big musical inspiration for my own work. But I've surprised myself by finding so much hidden music in the ambient (ha!) sounds of our everyday life. The idea of making ambient music mixed with field recordings is a big cliché, but I honestly just love working with my own field recordings. Even just the simple effect of slowing down the speed of an ordinary recording can create so many interesting timbres and gestures. I also like the ability of a field recording to convey imagery and immediately transport the listener to a particular space and mood.

One other big inspiration I can't ignore is Science Fiction. I've always got a scifi novel going. I almost feel like I'm at the helm of a spaceship when I'm sitting in front of my synth in a dimly lit space. Science fiction is all about exploring big ideas and asking "what-if", which is such a big part of my synth practice. I'm fascinated by the intersection of technology and the natural world, which is another big theme in science fiction.

How would you describe your sonic identity or the mood you aim to create?

This brings me back to what I said earlier about field recordings being able to transport the listener, I like my music to take the audience on a journey. To me this means also changing mood as the experience progresses. Much like real life, the journey isn't always just one thing.

In my latest album, Electric Forest, every piece has a distinct character and mood. But there is a progression to it as well, each piece/path leads to the next in an ever evolving adventure. I think of my music in the most general sense as dark ambient, but its not all dark. The play between light and shadow is what makes it interesting to me.

Are there any artists that deeply influenced your style?

I'm not sure if these artists have influenced my style as much as they have influenced the way I explore my own musical ideas. I'm obsessed with Alessandro Cortini's ambient albums - so dark and moody, but also rich with a texture you just want to crawl inside of. Lisa Bella Donna knows how to take the listener on an epic sonic journey and I definitely take cues from her composition style. Omri Cohen writes music that's so personal and authentic, which is something I feel any artist should strive for. 

There are also several lesser known artists that I've discovered who I think are doing amazing things. Canadian electronic artist Thorinside blew me away with his sci-fi themed first album. Most recently I became a fan of the Berlin based synth group Silver Future, who is evolving the classic "Berlin School" in some very inspiring directions. 

To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed by whats already out there. There is so much to listen to and be inspired by!

Gear and setup

Are you using hardware, software, or a hybrid setup?

I only use hardware, but the final mixes and mastering are done in the box.

What’s your favorite piece of gear or plugin, and why?

This is such a hard question! I have so many modules I couldn't live without. If I had to choose one it would probably be my Nerdseq tracker by XOR Electronics. Its the brain of my whole setup and helps me to create longer form music that I can recreate in the future. Although my work starts with improvisation, the end result does have a fixed structure that I like to be able to reproduce in performance.

Challenges

What’s been the biggest challenge so far in creating ambient music?

The biggest challenge is really just finding enough time to do it in the way that I want to. I'm in my early 40s, I have a toddler and a career - its hard to find *any* extra time. But I squeeze it in where I can, which makes it that much more valuable to me. I feel fortunate to be so full of ideas for new music, but I do wish I had more time to manifest those ideas into reality!

How do you stay motivated or inspired when you're in a creative rut?

I don't remember which science fiction author it was who said this - probably lots of them say it - but it was not to just write when you're inspired. Got a great idea? Write it! No ideas? Sit and write anyway. I think a lot of people have this romantic idea that being creative is all about getting inspired and then just making something amazing. Sometimes it works like that, but most of the time its hard work. You have to keep at it and hone your craft. I'm fortunate to already have many years of being a musician behind me, so I'm familiar with the ruts and uninspired streches. I'm also familiar with the payoff when you keep practicing and working at it anyway.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I just want to encourage anyone reading to strive for authenticity, both in their creative work and everyday life. So many things in the world are starting to feel fake - be it AI generated art or duplicitous leaders. Make the world a better place by being yourself!

And how could I not take the opportunity to plug my music? My latest album Electric Forest is out now on Bandcamp. Take a listen and enjoy the journey!