Interview: Goldkimono on "This One's On The House", Creative Freedom & Keeping It Simple
A conversation with Goldkimono about his new album, creative independence, staying grounded in a fast-moving world, and much more.
Meet Goldkimono, the Dutch genre-blender making waves with his thoughtful, groove-infused sound. Known offstage as Martijn 'Tienus' Konijnenburg, he’s not your typical singer-songwriter; his music sits somewhere between funk, reggae, new wave, and laid-back pop, often wrapped in rich storytelling and subtle commentary on modern life.
With over 40 million Spotify streams and a Gold-certified debut already under his belt, he returns with his most personal work yet: This One’s On The House (out June 13 via Camp Kimono Records).
We sat down with Goldkimono to talk about his minimalist setup, balancing creativity and business, and why staying connected to your original vision rather than stressing over perfection is what really matters.
Chris Roditis, Musicngear: Welcome to Musicngear Goldkimono! Let’s talk gear. You mentioned creating a lot of your album 'This One's On The House' during late-night kitchen table sessions. What was your gear setup like for those intimate writing moments?
Just a 2020 MacBook Pro, some corded earbuds, and a little guitalele. That was it. Super minimal, but it let me focus completely on the songwriting.
Musicngear: Your sound blends funk, reggae, and new wave. Is there a piece of gear, an effect, an instrument, or a plugin that helped shape that unique blend on the album?
Honestly, the blend on this album came more from arranging choices and songwriting than any specific piece of gear.
But if I had to name a few regulars that shaped the sound: the slap delay on my vocals (from Waves CLA Vocals), the Mellotron Micro, and the Vulf compressor were all essential tools on this record.
Musicngear: If you had an unlimited budget to buy any gear, no restrictions whatsoever, what would your dream setup look like?
I’m not that much of a gear fanatic if I’m honest. I don’t obsess over equipment, but I tend to stumble into gear I connect with and then dive into it. For me, creation comes first, and gear is secondary.
That said, my dream setup would be a blend of analog and digital, something that’s ready to go the moment I walk into the studio. Definitely analog synths, a variety of electric and acoustic guitars, and a solid bass selection in there too.
Creative control doesn’t mean doing everything alone. The goal is to stay connected to why you started making music
Musicngear: You’ve built something impressive as an independent artist with your own label and creative control. What’s one major challenge you’ve faced along the way, and what advice would you give to artists walking a similar path?
One of the biggest challenges has been balancing the creative with the business side, writing songs one day, then switching gears into release strategies, promotion, artwork, and logistics the next. It’s easy to burn out or lose perspective when you’re wearing all the hats.
My advice? Build a small, trustworthy team, even if it’s just one person who gets your vision and complements your strengths. Creative control doesn’t mean doing everything alone. The goal is to stay connected to why you started making music in the first place, not to become stressed out about your own dream.
Musicngear: With "This One's On The House", do you have specific goals in terms of promotion? Are you aiming for more streams? Booking live shows? Getting on major festival lineups? And how do you plan to make that happen?
There aren’t super-specific goals. Of course, you want the music to connect and stream, and you want people to show up and buy tickets.
Luckily, I’m already in a good spot, people are coming to shows, and I’ve got some great festival bookings lined up.
So I’m just focused on keeping the energy going and staying consistent.
Platforms are secondary. Your primary concern should be making the best art you can and showing up fully for it
Musicngear: You’ve played incredible venues like TivoliVredenburg and festivals like Lowlands. What’s still on your live performance bucket list? And are there any artists you dream of collaborating with next?
One big one on my bucket list is Tiny Desk. I love the intimacy of it.
And one day, Red Rocks. That place is just legendary, with the natural backdrop, the sound, the history.
As for dream collaborations... hmm. Not sure. Can I get back to you on that one?!
Musicngear: Streaming platforms like Spotify have transformed how music reaches listeners, though many artists talk about the challenges of earning fair compensation. From your perspective, how do you see the role of these platforms in today’s music industry? Are they more of a help or a hindrance for artists?
I don’t really see them as a help or a hindrance. I guess I see them more neutrally.
Every generation has its challenges, and living off music has always been tough for most.
For me, the focus is on being in the right creative energy, creating a frequency around you that resonates. If that’s there, and if you show up consistently, the music will find an audience.
Platforms are secondary. Your primary concern should be making the best art you can and showing up fully for it.
Musicngear: If from now on you had to choose only one format to release visuals for your music, what would that be? Official music videos or TikToks/Shorts/Reels? And why?
In this era, I’d go with TikTok or short-form content, just because that’s where the growth is happening.
Music videos are still my favorite deep down. I love that whole MTV-era vibe, but they’re expensive to make and don’t always justify the cost.
So if I had to pick just one, it’d be short-form, but with a soft spot for the music video always.
Musicngear: If time travel existed, would you rather jam with Talking Heads at CBGB in the late ‘70s, be the secret opener for Paul Simon’s *Graceland* tour, or crash a laid-back reggae session in Kingston during the Bob Marley era?
Woooow. All three sound ridiculously good.
But I’d have to go with the Bob Marley reggae session in Kingston. No question.
Musicngear: If you could write a duet with a fictional character (from books, movies, or games), who would it be and what would the song be about?
Lisa Simpson would be epic.
We’d make something jazzy, slightly sarcastic. Lisa would bring the saxophone, of course, and some sharp social commentary.
I’d play the jaded adult looking back, realizing she had it right all along. It’d be a mix of wit and warmth.
Musicngear: What’s coming up after the album release? Any music videos, tour dates, or other projects fans should look out for?
There are some shows coming up in France, plus promo in Germany.
After that, it’s festival season, and then my own headline tour later in the year.
Lots to look forward to.
Connect with Goldkimono
Website / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook / Spotify
About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@musicngear.com
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