A review of my album "Jan Strach Piszczy w Narożniku", and an interview!

Hello family. Big news! I gave my first interview recently to a tremendous polish music blog Overmusic Sensations, whose editor, A.J. Kaufman is a big DIY and Lo-Fi enthusiast, coincidentally, from my hometown! And also a prolific lo-fi music maker in his own right.

Here is the Polish version of the "Jan Strach Piszczy w Narożniku e.p." review with accompanying interview, and below is my lo-fi translation to English.

Text: A.J. Kaufmann,  

Translation: Jan Strach

Editor Kaufmann went through a nervous breakdown while looking for lo-fi DIY artists in his home town. Fortunately, he remembered about the existence of Bandcamp, entered the right search terms and boom – Jan Strach whined in the corner [„Jan Strach Piszczy w Narożniku” = „Jan Strach is whining in the corner”]. And opened with the sounds of Casio. The opening tune „2006” transports us to the world of electronic childhood – I think every person who dabbled in music in their childhood, had in their possesssion a better or worse Casio keyboard. The little melody flowing here is carefree, situated somewhere between elevator music and the works of, for example, La Dusseldorf. The timbre makes me go back among the socialist block apartments, where, bathed in a timid sunshine, Jan Strach is warming up his fingers, gazing into the lo-fi blue skies. A great introduction, but also standing well on its own as a composition.

The songs „Karty” [„Playing Cards”] resembles more the sound of New York no wave, as well as cassette tapes from the former DDR, that I adored so much, on which musicians, similar to Jan, recorded their performances. You would only have to stand Jan Strach inside Tacheles, joined by a performance art.ist painter and nothing more would be needed – here it sounds like a Poznań version of Herr Blum. Unpretentious lyrics, no stress, loose sound, and a heapful of positive energy – I’m impressed by the enthusiasm and energy, easy to spot in this one.

"Smerfny" [„Smurf-like”] just what it says on the tin. It resembles the Residents a bit, skewed just enough, and at the same time cartoonish and quirky – it does away with the drums, which is fine – in my opinion, drums would make it sound like something out of a cheap disco – but instead we get lo-fi electro prog or whatever, maybe somthing akin to early-Kraftwerk, german  school of thought. Well done!

„Kokosowe Buzie” [Coconut Faces] take us further into the cartoon world, or maybe the world of early computer games, Atari, Amiga, no idea – never toook interest in that. I liked the uncompromising guitar sound, as well as overall. The vocals are without any pressure. Yo yo yo. Although this piece is the leaset convincing for me – this is just a matter of taste – on the whole, the level of satisfaction remains stable.

„Może Koniec Świata” [„Maybe the end of the world”] is more like sound poetry, and to me seems to be the most „serious” moment of the e.p. Simple, sparse lyrics, just as well as everything else in this recording, and uncompromising production. It reminds me of the fact, that we, lo-fi / DIY artists often put too much emphasis on production gimmicks, while simplicity is often the right way to go. Jan succeeds in avoiding wrong paths with this work, although the musical matter is brave and uncompromising – it seems the artist does not seek anyone’s approval. „Może Koniec Świata” is a great ballad, which, if arranged in a more conventional manner, could be a part of Robert Calvert’s repertoire, from the era of „The Kid from Silicon Gulch”

As last, comes „Walentynka” [ „A Valentine”], which reminds me, in a funny way, that this is a polish production – guitar melody characteristic for the 80-ties behind the iron curtain plus easy-listening arrangement, the tune bringing to mind Omega and Scorpions – this is by no means a bad thing. And Jan Strach is an exceptionally prolific artist, who I will surely write about a couple more times. For now, I invite you to read my interview with him, and to visit his bandcamp page! As it seems, in Poznań the lo-fi artists are doing pretty well.
http://underpolen.bandcamp.com/
http://janstrach.bandcamp.com

Hi Jan, could you please tell us about the „Jan Strach Piszczy w Narożniku” e.p., what can the listener expect from this recording?

Jan Strach: At first I was concerned whether I would like this exact album to be the first one reviewed in Polish. However, wfter re-slitening to it, I have to say it is a good starting point for the rest of my discography, as well as a nice review of my composing style. There are irregular rhythms and structures, layers of guitars and synths, but also silmple, pure melodies with a tinge of Casio-nostalgia. Some lyrics are well-thought out, others improvised on the spot; there’s punk energy and percussion bits recorded using gardening equipment. A little bit of everything.

I know that the e.p. is only one from over 50 albums that you had published, by various of your music projects, on the Underpolen netlabel. Could you tell us more about the netlabel, as well as things that drive you and motivate you to create?

Creating things is my passion, my sickness, a hobby, favorite way to spend free time. It started in early childhood, when I kept making comic books, an unfinished novel and recording techno tues, meaning I played a rhythm on my keayboards and gave signs to my brother when to scream the lyrics into a bucket. Although I tinker and dabble in various media, music is definitely in the first place. It was only in 2003, when I discovered that it was possible to connect a cassette player to a computer via cable in order to upload songs to the harddrive. I already had a full cabinet overflowing with recorded tapes. This would be the start of Underpolen – it became necessary to give these tunes titles and group them into different recording projects. Also since the very beginning I knew that I want to always keep the spirit of these beginner years – tape hiss, false starts, laughter outbersts, buzzing amps, fingers knocking on instruments, living breathing people instead of digitally enhanced lines recorded 40 times until perfection inside soundproof boxes. Although cassette recording eventually gave way to a digital 8-track, accidents and improvisations still remain my main inspiration in the recording process. Underpolen was initially an umbrella term for all the things I had published. Then it transformed into a netlabel and each album got its own serial number, category and cover.

 As for today, Underpolen has grown up a bit, matured and settled down. It represents all my albums – as of now there are 53 of them, spread across my 10 musical monikers (3 bands and 7 solo projects, each in a different style). Some time ago I also published an e.p. by Lugol’s Iodine and a couple of albums by Proyect? Moone Jazzers – „a mysterious musician from western Europe”.

What is for you the DIY ethos and the Lo-Fi esthetic, presented in your production in such original and uncompromising manner?

DIY means absolute creative control; absolute artistic freedom, but at the same time, exclusive responsibility of the author for the work. In the time of uniform things, a tendency to fit  particular molds and meet particular standards, also regarding audio works, DIY offers what people have been missing – handmade stuff, personal stuff, sometimes maybe a bit crude but that makes them charming and one of a kind. These albums are not simply sets of songs, calculated by a professional committee to meet expectations of various demographics. No, each of them is like a postcard, sent from a stranger to the whole world, a page torn from a diary, specked with colorful fingerprints – athing that the author simply had to  tear out from themselves, yet often it remains not listened to by anybody. Artistic spirit in its purest form and overwhelming need to share your vision with the world.

Lo-Fi takes everything that amateur recording artists have long been ashamed of – tape hiss, a car passing outside the window, buzzing mics, crackling speakers – and makes it into a character trait, a powerful stylistic choice. Thousends of bedroom composers shed their complexes and the nonsense notion that things are worthless if any less than crystalline-sounding. And they proudly enter the lo-fi current, which more and more people invest into, because the listeners are missing the feeling of authenticity and urgency, meeting another human being, inside a real apartment room inside the real world, with things whining, creaking, breathing. And that is a good thing.

I really enjoy the natural and non-pretentious feeling of your music, yet the recordings seem well-thought out and planned in detail. Where are you as a musician – ni between those two poles, or leaning slightly in favor of one of them?

When recording with bands, my choice is always improvising on the spot and going far-out with the melodic choices. For instance, my band Projekt Luty always has to include at least one person with no prior musical experience (more often than not the other bandmate is my friend Staszek, whom I would like to say hi to) – this ensures that the music will be brimming with accidents, otherworldly moments of synchronisation and all around unexpected sonic adventures in the „studio”. As for my solo projects I would have to say that I think all the time, change stuff, reconstruct. Things may be initially recorded hastily and within a spur of the moment – that does not mean, however that later I do not move them about in my computer, when a better picture comes to mind.

What do you make outside of music, it seems that it is not the only kind of art you are involved with?

I like making visual things – my album covers mirror my main inspirations regarding graphic art. – PETSCII graphics (as in C64), pixels, collage, low quality photos, pieces of old book covers and city maps.

I make computer games using software called Klik n Play from 1993. I write various texts, some english texts can be found by typing „Out Of Strach” into a browser of your choice. Currently, in contrast to my very fragment-oriented personality, I embarked onto two long-term projects – making a huge computer game and writing a huge novel. It is going well, but terribly slow.

Recently I also started making music videos to songs from Underpolen – some of them can be found on Youtube, the newest being a video for the tune „Dzban” by Projekt Luty.

What is your preferred instrument? What musical instruments can you play?

Although I am decidedly a rock musician at heart, my Casio keyboard has been my favorite for the last dozen years. However, the guitar is not far behind. I do well on these instruments. Sometimes I grab a flute or tiny musical toys like stylophone. I am also supported by household objects, samples and an array of effect pedals.

What were the beginnings of your career, where can we hear them?

If you would like to hear my oldest songs, I recommend my album „Jan Strach Otwiera Szafkę” [„Jan Strach Opens the cabinet”]. It is just this, an archive in which I collected the most interesting recordings from my youngest, cassette-tape years. On the cover there is the very cupboard. The songs collected therein were recorded by me between ages 16-20.

How does life look for a DIY/Lo-Fi artist living in Poznań, in Poland? What opportunities, possibilities are preared for this type of artist, considering media, clubs, concert halls?

Life is good, but it feels lonely. A couple of time I tried googling information on any forums, blogs, pages uniting home recording artists – I found nothing in Polish.

Any other local artists, following this ethos, that you could recommend us?

From Poznań, certainly Grupa KOT – unsettling poetry/hip-hop backed by looped cassette tapes.

I also recommend the band Krzyż Kross from Częstochowa – energetic rock played with Commodore computers – however I see thay have not updated anything for a long time now.

However, most of all I would like to recommend Rzonkil from Cracow and his label Weakiediscs. A great guy, wholeheartedly devoted to the DIY esthetic – constantly recording numerous albums, single-handedly crafting countless limited eitions of cassette tapes for his and other musicians’ recordings. Constantly promoting people, publishing music, announcing new stuff – and his art. remains honest and raw – emobying the philosophy that you, A.J. and I are so passionate about.

Which are your favorite Underpolen releases?

Jan Strach – „O.O.S.” and Jan Strach – „Fale” – who enjoyed the e.p. will find music of the same sort, but far more, better and longer.

poj.wlkp – „Północ Półsen Półdzień” – I choose the newest one, the newest always being the fave, but I am equally proud of all of them. For poj.wlkp I always st aside the best lyrics, the most heartfelt melodies, deepest insights and oceans of dark melancholy.

A.Z.P. – „Dżon” – This is an ADHD of ideas, beats, genres, nonsense, catchy melodies. I still like to listen to it back to back. A Sonic, eclectic stream of consciousness.

Projekt Luty – „Rejestrator” – My band, for the first time recorded to an 8-track instead of tape recorder – which made it possible to bump up some tracks and enrich the songs with additional drums, bass, synth parts.

What can we expect from you and the netlabel in the future?

Near future: A SOT45 album made entirely out of sounds of coffee machines. Deftechnixks album with each instrumental part planned using a random number generator. A concept album about a guy handcuffed to a tree. A new Jan Strach album probably still this year. Far future: Holiday songs with my wife on vocals, a set of piano preludes based on temperature graphs. I would also love to record a black metal album.

Last question – what do you listen to for pleasure, and what do you like to read?

My most beloved band is Cardiacs, and my biggest idol and role model would be Tim Smith, the leader. His style encompasses all that thrills me in music. Unfortunately a set of strokes made the poor guy unlikely to ever pick up the guitar again. However the music that he had composed is a world of its own.

Besides that, Frank Zappa is of course a heavyweight god in my world. I find Steven Stapleton with Nurse With Wound incredibly inspiring. Everything done by Ron Jarzombek. Everything touched by Rob Crow. Not to be left out are the lo-fi godfathers, Guided By Voices. And then, more selectively: Some Califone, Inquisition, Sonic Youth, plenty others.

As for books, since my beloved children came to this wolrd, bringing much joy and taking away 3/4ths of my free tim, I have been lagging behind in the reading department. I like Umberto Eco, Stanisław Lem, and for a laughter nothing is better than som eTerry Pratchett. Every Year I go back to the story „Enigma” by John Fowls – it makes me feel feelings that no other book ever had.

Thanks a lot for the conversation!

Thank you too and greetings to all the readers. Maybe some of them will become listeners as well!