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.

Aqeel Aadam is a Philadelphia-based musician, composer, and developer who’s released four albums combining modular synth soundscapes with crunchy beats. He started designing audio software plugins on a whim—and found such a passionate audience for them that it’s become a full-time job.

But how do you live up to a musician grandfather who played with Charlie Parker and John Coltrane?

What did Aqeel’s years working at Google teach him as a musician?

And how does he make software plugins that feel like bandmates?

I talked to Aqeel to find out. This is Slow Fade, conversations about finding creative clarity, building community, and making art that matters in a digital age. If you like this conversation, subscribe and leave us a 5-star review. It goes a long way.

Thanks for listening.

- Steve / Good Sunset

EPISODE NOTES

Aqeel on Bandcamp

Aqeel Aadam Sound (plugins)

Aqeel on YouTube

Aqeel on Instagram

Good Sunset on Instagram

Songs played (in order)

• ”Transmission” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Weighted Blanket” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Obsession” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Vestigial” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Crash Landing” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Beneath Cracked Sky” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Cosmic Irony” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Rang like a Bell” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Fault” - Aqeel Aadam
• ”Nails Grow Back” - Aqeel Aadam

Plugins discussed

Coastline

Outgrowth

Weeping Wall

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