Interview with Second Suspense
Second Suspense is a newcomer to the trailer music scene founded by two German composers, Sebastian Böhnke and Max Suchanek, in 2012. Each of them has his own history, his own musical style and they have come together to create this new library. You can listen their music on YouTube or SoundCloud.
They just released 3 new tracks today, including this one, “Golden Clouds”. You can actually vote for your favorite on their Facebook page, and the favorite track will determine the next piece they produce.
Now, the main goal of Second Suspense is to make a name for themselves and break into the local industry while still keeping up the fun and enthusiasm for composing. As newborns standing on the edge of the trailer music world, determined to venture in the wild, we found it interesting to know more about their challenges and pitfalls which might serve as good precedents to others.
Trailer Music News: Can you introduce yourselves?
Second Suspense: Hey guys, we are Second Suspense: two young ambitious music producers from Germany. Together we produce trailer music with classical and electronic elements. We try as best as possible to reconcile the two, which is often not that simple. As solo artists we have been on the move in the home recording scene since 2008 (Sebastian Böhnke) and 2010 (Max Suchanek). In May 2011 we founded Second Suspense, whereupon our previous cooperation was deepened. The whole thing was not always that easy: each of us had different preferences and their own style. We had to make compromises to produce uncompromising music.
TMN: Why did you decided to make a career in the music industry?
SS: At first, as is so often, it began as a common hobby – in our case “home recording” – which allowed us to realize our musical ideas. In the middle of 2011 we published our first tracks on the Internet, to make our music accessible to other people. As a result we discovered that our music is not only liked by us. Now we are looking to market our music; at the moment for example, as trailer or background music. As a young team we feel that the fun of producing it is always at the forefront of the music.
TMN: What is the story behind Second Suspense?
SS: The story behind “Second Suspense” consists in linking musical approaches. Not only does our music evoke an epic feel, and range of emotions, but it also tells a story. Even without pictures or video, we want our music to engage your imagination, and encourage you to construct your own scene in your minds. We also wanted to take the symphonic classical sound world we all know and bring it into the present by adding modern electronic elements. Luckily, as a two man production team, we always have plenty of concepts and ideas to begin projects.
TMN: In your opinion how can a production music library be successful? Precisely, how will Second Suspense be a success?
SS: Since there are more and more production music libraries entering the market, it is crucial to distinguish ourselves from the others. This can only occur by offering quality pieces with a clear purpose, and by being clear in our marketing. In the world of stock music, individuality can get lost in the sea of tracks, but with Second Suspense, we want to maintain our artistic identity.
The most important thing for “Second Suspense” is to make a name for ourself. Not in the big, heavy trailer-billion business, but rather in the home-recording area. Primarily, we want to preserve our independence, and avoid producing tracks out of compulsion. The fun of creating music is the start of both our creative processes. Finally, we will try to produce tracks on our own individual time to make the the best arrangement possible, and bring out ourselves in our style of music.
TMN: What are your thoughts on trailer music business? What are your opinions on the competition?
SS: Trailer music is very different from other styles of music, because trailer music is usually bound by certain conditions: for instance movie themes or moods. Here one cannot compose quickly and implement only his or her personal ideas or emotions. In “Second Suspense” music productions are created in close coordination with the given topics, which we support with our music, reinforce and paint. This, and the great diversity of our ideas is what makes us different.
TMN: What are your plans for the future?
SS: Well, we know that we are very young producers. With this come a few problems: there are many techniques we must first learn. Our mixing is far from perfect, as well as the structure of the tracks. We think that we can still improve in all these areas. In addition, there are still elements of music production that we have not engaged yet.
In the near future we also want to send our first demo CD to some radio and TV stations in Germany, wait for feedback, and establish contacts. We are also working on new pieces towards the completion of our first album. Additionally, it would be very interesting for us to create a demo trailer for a sample library. Let‘s see what the future brings.
All in all, we are very optimistic. We are young and ambitious, and will take every opportunity to present our music to a greater audience, as we are with this interview with you.
TMN: As you are at the beginning of you career what are the major challenges?
SS: It is particularly difficult to find an audience. We tried finding one over the Internet, via YouTube. Incidentally, it’s amazing how many millions of times cat videos are viewed by people. It is really hard to predict what will create an audience on the internet. We were fortunate to have a good number of subscribers in a relatively short time; we got fast feedback on our newly uploaded tracks.
However, getting “known” is not the only challenge; hurdles loomed in the process of music production that we had to struggle with. It is difficult for us to create the professional sound that is achieved with real orchestral recordings. In home recording, samplers allow incredible opportunities, but they are not the be all and end all. You must take a variety of paths in order achieve a professional sounding mix.
Finally, we want to mention a 3rd challenge: one’s personal style is not easy to find. We are still working it out of ourselves. The great danger is always that you either bore or distract the audience. Here we must find the golden mean: recognition value without being boring.
TMN: What advice would you give to anybody who wants to work in the music business?
SS: Most importantly, we think you should not be discouraged by big names. You should make your own thing, and follow your own path and production. Also, do not hang your head when it is not going so well in the beginning – for example, getting concerned over the number of views. While working on a song, somewhere in the world there might be a guy looking at your track who might be thinking: “Wow, that does not sounds bad.”
It is also important, at least for us, to get feedback. Constant feedback from your audience or other musicians helps to improve our work incredibly. Do not work alone: you make music not only for yourself…
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Vilaghy for the very nice mail contact and the open interview.
TMN: Thanks for your answers!
