Please, can you tell us the briefhistory of your project? When you started MOAN, do you have any previous(non)musical experience?
The beginnings of MOAN are completelycasual. One night, in the summer '96, when I was listening to radioshort waves I turned on my TV, which was stood near by. When I was playingthe TV channels the radio produced intriguing sounds. It pretended tobe nothing new but next night I plugged my implements looped some tapesand with their accompaniment I started to record all together. ThenI started using stuff I could find in my room and this way on the turnof July and August I recorded 11 pieces, which I published as "Thoughtsgrower". After that I had to suspend my activity and in December'98, using a PC, I started recording again. In February '99 I publishedanother tape: "Drift" containing 4 new pieces plus 2 fromprevious tape. Since this moment I've focused on computer sound processingand learning of programs that make it possible. From October '99 I startedto complete samples and during next four months I was working on compositionswhich were finally published on "Isolate". Before "MOAN"I led two projects:
IPEKAKUANA - ('93-'96) -noise/grind similar to ANAL CUNT, 7 M.O.N. orMEAT SHITS, later more focused on grind core. During 3 years we publishedfour demos.
DISAGREEMENT - ('93-'96 as well) - one-person project, industrial noiselike H.MULLIN, BONDAGE HARVEST, evolving towards more electronic soundswith my friend singing in some of compositions. As DISAGREEMENT I recorded5 demo tapes - four of them have joint title "Experimental evolution"-which were distributed by Polish REQUIEM PRODUCTION.
Which words would you use to describeyour music, sound?
In the beginning MOAN was very similarto industrial noise, but not so aggressive like Japanese projects. Itwas also more rhythmic. After a long pause, sounds of MOAN still weremechanical and noisy, but subtler and not so attacking. Sounds becamestretched, flowing from a distance. At present MOAN has no rhythm andit is a fusion between industrial tone and ambient background. I don'tknow how to call it: industrial ambient, dark ambient or isolationism?Really! I have no idea and I don't want to limit my sounds, becausenobody knows what will be the next material of MOAN like? I prefer concentratingon creation.
I've been listening to your "Isolate"CD for several times. It's very cinematic and impressive. Which wereinspirations and circumstances leading to its birth?
Thanks, I am very glad that you thinkso. I won't be very original if I say that my fundamental inspirationis living, more precisely - my personal experience. I had very painfulexperiences during two years of my life and it influenced my creation.I always have tried to appear my frustration, sorrow or aggression inmusic. In a way it is some kind of purging myself, getting rid of negativeexcitement and thoughts through sound. I am sure that it is safer waythan physical methods. We always show positive emotions such as joy,success, happiness and love (good and full of beautiful moments, sublime),differently from sorrow, aggression or nostalgia. We stifle those fillingsand it is very dangerous and painful. I endeavour to get rid it throughmusic. Some people write and appear their fillings in paper, directormakes films and others compose sounds. Is MOAN cinematic? So, life islike full-length film, but we can't influence its plot.
Can you tell us more about the MOANconcept and philosophy?
Entire conception of MOAN is searchingand picturing relation: emotions = sound. Just like I have told beforeideas for my compositions are taken from different life experiencesand surroundings observations. Sometimes I imagine certain situations(stories) and I construct theme from entanglement of fictitious event.Besides, I don't add greater philosophy to MOAN.
Is there any ultimate goal of yourwork?
Yes! To be on first place on MTV's TOP20, fame, wealth, women ... he, he J .
And now seriously! My goal is to listen to my composition and think(say to myself): "Yes, it is what I feel and see - it is what Iwanted to hear". If another person feels the same and understandwhat I wanted to impart it will be great! However new ideas for picturingthemes appear every now and then. Besides, there is inexhaustible quantityof inspirations so it is impossible to reach ultimate aim.
What kinds of media do you use foryour work?
If we are talking about kinds of medialike pictures, video or installations I have limited possibilities.But I am thinking about making video film or graphic art. Maybe someday I will realize something. I have many ideas but I don't make themost of them in practice so far. For the matter of creation process,once I have used basic devices: radio, TV, tapes, reverberation anda lot of objects which emitted sound. At present my work it is collectingsamples (but not prepared from CD), mutating, processing and stretchingthem. A computer is the only one device I use.
Which artists or philosophers hadthe biggest influence on you?
I hold in respect people who were ableto be ahead of their time because of their ideas and creation, who wereable to go ahead taking no notice of being lonely and unintelligible.However their thought was a foundation for further development in curseof time, a small stone which caused huge avalanche. And ... I thinkit will sound a little strange but in my opinion the biggest influenceno me have heroes of every day life.
Do you know which direction willtake your future activities? Do you have any imagination about yourfuture musical performances?
Sincerely, I don' know. I want to createas much as possible space in MOAN. Music is to surround, absorb audience.Music isn't to be synthetic product but to gather real, tangible dimension.I endeavour to work on it. I can't say much about my future recordings,because I experiment a lot. I like improvising, joining extreme formsso nobody knows what the final effect is going to be like. I don't limitmy future music realizations only to MOAN. I like various sorts of musicand I want to try myself in different styles. At present I am workingwith an acquaintance of mine: Mateusz (MJF ODIN). We are engaged uponproject VISE, which is a fusion of electronic noise, trance melodies,distorted rhythms resembling rhythmic industrial or ordinary technosometimes. It is extreme dance music J .
So, I am concentrating on my present projects now and if I plan somethingnew I will let you know about it. OK?
Is there any person do you collaboratewith?
Only I realize all my compositions andI am not able to present it live because of technical problems. ButMirek and Tomek (GODZILLA) offered help. At present we are preparingMOAN's material for possible performances. I am very glad about it andI appreciate their engagement and help, because of them MOAN isn't aproject existing only at computer disk. Besides I assist Mirek and Tomekin activity of DIE SCHÖNE BLUMEN MUSIC WERK, which distributed GODZILLAand GENETIC TRANSMISSION recordings. Soon we are going to make togethercompilation containing Polish projects' achievements of ambient music/ industrial / power electronics. As I mentioned before, I am creatingVISE with Mateusz and his solo activity leads to techno although heis interested in music experiments. Maybe, I will shortly record somethingwith Zenial (PALSECAM). I don't know how it is going to be because thiscollaboration will rely upon samples, loops, music motif exchange andmixing material. I think it can be interesting.
What do you think about Polish scene?What are the topics there, you favourite projects there?
For the matter of Polish scene I cancall it "near industrial". I say that little happens there.Although, there are some people who are active on Polish scene likemen in Wroc3aw, where performances take place and where people not onlyfrom Poland arrive in (don't they Tom?). There are some publicationslike OBUH RECORDS, REQUIEM PRODUCTION, GUSTAFF RECORDS or ANTENA KRZYKU(since short time), but it is a drop in a bucket. Interesting thingswe can find in WWW: POSTINDUSTRY or TERRA SOUNDTRALIS INCOGNITA. Howeverit is still not much in spite of many people's efforts. I can recommendthe following projects I know: GODZILLA, GENETIC TRANSMISSION, JOB KARMA,NEMEZIS, XV PARÓWEK, THE RAPORT, N-NOIZ, PAL SECAM or WHITE NERVE CONNEXIONwhich I have known since short time. I got to know a part of new Mirek's(from GODZILLA) project (C.H.DISTRICT). I don't reveal anything more,but I can say this material looks very interesting and intriguing.
Your favourite projects in general?
Ha, the list would be very long becauseyou can find in my collection ambient, industrial alternately with ebm/electro,noise, techno... In general I can find something what I like almostin every sort of music. Lately I put in my CD player: AMBRE, LULL, THOMASKÖNER, ILLUSION OF SAFETY alternately with FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, G.G.F.H.,FUNKER VOGT, RAZED IN BLACK, some other time it is A.T.R., IMMINENTSTARVATION, AUTECHRE or PANACEA. Obviously there is a place for so importantprojects like THROBBING GRISTLE, SPK, NURSE WITH WOUND or COIL. I amfond of Mr. Harris' achievements as LULL, SCORN and his numerous collaborationsor QUOIT which I have heard lately. In electronic music I like workof Bill Leeb or Jean-Luc de Meyer and speaking about techno I enjoydrum'n'bass and breakbeat. Yes, there are lots of them.
Are there any barriers, which areendangered by your sound? Does your sound have any barriers?
I don't know if I understood well thequestion. From technical point of view, I lack possibility of gainingintentional effect. Many a time given sound doesn't sound too convincingif for example I make it louder by a half or vice versa. There is similarproblem when I want to obtain surround effect - sometimes it seems thatI would have to use systems like cinema uses. For the matter of psychoacousticand physical influence audience by sound, I am interested in it andmaybe I will experiment with that, but I haven't tried so far. Besidesthere are many sounds which impress me but I haven't got adequate equipmentto record them. I think the main barriers to my sounds are technicalbase barriers.
Which bands do you wish to see duringone night on one stage?
One night would be too few J . In myopinion after seeing five, six projects I wouldn't be able to watchnext band with engagement and euphoria. Another matter is non-existenceof many projects or they don't give concerts any more. Generally I wouldlike to see live (but not during one night) all mentioned above projectsplus twenty others.
Your ultimate wish?
Like everyone's of us: health, family,home, well-paid job, not to worry about tomorrow and how to survivenext day. Besides I wish I would: do what I like best particularly music,develop skills, realize next recordings and make some performance sometimes.
What do you see as the most importantin your artistic development, from your very beginning to your nowadaysmusic?
First of all I have learned to appreciateand pay attention to sounds which surround me. Somebody said that eachsound coming to us is music only we have to interpret it well. So Itry to realize that and become more sensitive to music. I think to acquiresome skills in making sounds is important for my activity.
Your last word in this interview?
I thank you for Your interest. I amglad that I could present myself no Your website. I wish you successin further activity. I also want to thank Beata for help in translatingthis interview, for support and understanding. If someone is interestedin my activity then write to me. I am willing to play a concert anywhereif you only want to hear MOAN live. I would like to get into touch withpeople who want to collaborate. So ... write to me. I send greetings.Bye!
MOAN recordings:
"Thoughts grower" (c-90, 11tracks) July/August 1996 limited edition: 69 copies (sold out)
"Thoughts grower (hypnotic mix)" August 1996 (inserted in"NOISY GERMS #2" compilation tape - it is the same track likeon first tape)
"Drift" (c-46, 4 new tracks + 2 versions "Thoughts grower"from first tape)December 1998 / February 1999 limited edition: 50 copies(sold out)
"Work report # 356" (original track) October 1999 (for compilation,released on "Isolate")
"Isolate" (CD-R, 7 tracks, 45 min) October 1999 / January2000 "Work report # 356 (hard work mix)" February 2000 (unreleased,for compilation)