We’re working with Zoharum Records from Poland a lot of years – a pleasure for us! We see a great label for dark ambient & experimental tunes growing! One of the men behind Zoharum Records is Maciej, who sings in the well known project Bisclaveret, too! We’re proud that Maciej is a part of our interview serie “13 questions to…“!
kulturterrorismus: Hello from Germany! We hope all fine with you? Where are you? Please, tell us your story!
Maciej: Hello! I’m from Gdansk in Poland. I am a member of Bisclaveret and co-owner of Zoharum label. As band we exist from the year 2000. Zoharum Records is running 5years.
kulturterrorismus: When did you start composing music? What or who were your early passions and influences?
Maciej: When i met Radek, we decided to make music together, we had different interests and music fascinations, but some of them where the same. We both liked dark ambient,dark wave, Suondscapes and soundtracks sounds. We listened to: Current 93, Coil, Diamanda Galas, Endraum, Sopor Aeternus, Devil Doll, a lot of Cold Meat stuff, also theatrical and music and soundtracks. We read a lot of modern, esoteric and existentialist literature. Because it was carefree time of our studies we decided to form a band, which could present our passions. Somewhere between Bisclaveret started to exist.
kulturterrorismus: What are currently your main production-challenges? Give us an example! Do you work mostly alone or with other musicians?
Maciej: I usually work together with Radek. I write texts and vocal’s lines and Radek creates the music.Sometimes we work with our friend Wookie. We use standard equipment : keyboard, computer and vocals.When we work on new piece we usually have many ideas, which instruments should we use. We don’t invite other musicians to cooperate.We are thankfull to the projects who made remixes for us but Bisclaveret is me, Radek and sometimes Wookie. It hasn’t been changing during those years.
kulturterrorismus: What do you usually start with when working on a new piece?
Maciej: Radek composes / sketches of pieces I write texts and work on the concept of whole album. So we work apart. After that we pick up the best ideas and we work on the whole thing together. We don’t hurry up.Our albums are created the way: sketches,bases,compositions and then album. When everything is finished we start to think about the release and after that concerts.
kulturterorismus: Do you strictly separate improvising and composing? What is better free jazz or classical style?
Maciej: When we work on ideas we improvise.After that we precisely work on sound etc. The only one exception was album “Les Mannequins”.It was pure improvisation. Free jazz and classical music are ok.
kulturterrorismus: Is any relationship between sound and live or working day? Please tell us your opinion!
Maciej: The sound is existence, the pulse-like life. The working day?It’s the form that it exists in.
kulturterrorismus: Do you feel it important that your music spread a message? What await your listeners?
Maciej: Our music is carring a message. We allways think of texts.We create concept albums.Every CD, concert is the different, closed story. Each element is very important.
kulturterrorismus: The role of an artist is always subject to change. What’s your view on the (e.g. political/social/creative) tasks of artists today and how do you try to meet these goals in your work?
Maciej: I try to avoid political and social subjects. I don’t want to moralize, too. For me only art in it’s pure shape values. I like and appreciate art free from social mission. Those are great subjects for anrchists from punk scene ( I like them but it’s not the direction for me). Art-is the sacrum-it exists only if it can be pure.
kulturterrorismus: There seem to be two fundamental tendencies in music today: On the one hand, a move towards complete virtualisation, where tracks and albums are merely released as digital files. And, on the other, an even closer union between music, artwork, packaging and physical presentation. Where do you stand between these poles?
Maciej: During those several years on the scene I’ve been intrested in music very much-almost for 20 years. I see all changes that came during this time.I know that digital world is almost the past ‘cause the new generation is becoming cybernetic. I must say I don’t like digital files.For me CD always has the sound, shape,colour, smell and weight. Mp3 has no soul, it’s for the masses…By the way the sound from MP3 is shity. If you compare listening to the Mp3 to CD or vinyl it’s like drinking tasty coffee in nice Cafe or drinking weak coffee on the train station. This and that is coffee… Digital files are for me ok only if you want to know the music or in the trip.In my place I almost don’t listen to the music from the computer. I have a lot of respect for those artist who make great and interesting music for me , so I collect their albums. That’s why I have my own label and still release cds for connoisseurs.
kulturterrorismus: Music-sharing sites and -blogs as a flood of releases in general are presenting both listeners and artists with challenging questions. What’s your view on the value of music today?
Maciej: I don’t like Music-sharing sites- as I mantioned before but I use youtube and bandcamp etc. I find there interesting projects very often. It’s great platform to present music to the potential editors,listeners and all interested .When I listen to the music on the youtube and I find something good. I’m looking for whole albums after that and I buy the cds.
kulturterrorismus: Do you see Facebook as blessing or shit? Is it right, that musicans can not work without Facebook, if they want near by their fans, make cooperation with other artists and so on?
Maciej: Facebook the same as myspace(RIP) is great visiting card and good promotional medium. Because facebook is so popular many interesting portals just vanished-that’s shity. People started to use only facebook.We use it too.We promote our events, releases, hot news about new interviews and reviews. This way we also promote different portals which support us. I think facebook is great place for those who can’t promote their art in the tv or radio. I mean underground art. I don’t know how it works in different countries but in Poland radio and tv are unavailable for underground music.Only commercial things and in bad style!!! So I think facebook is more blessing but a bit shity too.
kulturterrorismus: Is money the only thing to be recognized artist? Or could non-mainstream music same successfull as mainstream?
Maciej: Money for shure would help in the advertisement- it would be easier to find new listeners. The other way by facebook or bandcamp we can find alot of new people interested in our music.Money is not everything…The most important is passion, perseverance and will of act. Without them there are no real artists. Non mainstream music is not so popular but their funs are more loyal. They come back to the music which they love. And who is listening to the disco hits from before 10 years? Who remembers more than one or two hits of stars from 80’s? Mainstream treats its “artists” as a product, musician= bread-both can be sold. Both will grow old and then will be thrown away.
kulturterrorismus: The last words are yours!
Maciej: Thank you for your interesting questions.I greet all readers kulturterrorismus. Hope You will be forever! Buy CDs, respect artists. Love music-because it’s a beautiful passion.
