Interview with Kim_Nasung
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Mateusz Bąkała is an experimentalist from Lublin, standing behind his solo project - Kim_Nasung, associated with Warsaw Electronic Festival community. He has his own label, Mind Twisting Records, he also co-creates a project kr39, he’s imparted in many international cooperations. We’ve decided to support promotion of Polish, how interesting, independent scene a bit and talk to Mateusz about his music and plans.
Mateusz, how has your adventure with music started, when have you begun to record your first sounds?
Mateusz: Practically since I can remeber, I played something. A guitar, then all kinds of percussion stuff... The music was very close to me all the time. Fascination with electronic music, and a bit later experimental music, made me had to start trying it myself...
You are one of the well known persons in Warsaw Electronic Festival (WEF.pl) community, tell us, what opportunities does cooperation with the portal and its founders give you?
Mateusz: I don’t know if I‘m one of the well-knowns, but definitely I‘m very strongly bound with the community of WEF. WEF is a sort of partnership, a platform of thoughts and sounds exchange, and, what’s the most important, a group of amazing artists. WEF gives a lot... constant inspiration, chance to interchange ideas, collaboration... very interesting concerts and publications...
You currently work upon several projects, tell us about them, does it provide you some variety or rather they all create a coherent integrity? What is your attitude towards that?
Mateusz: Indeed I‘m currently active in a few projects. All the time my most important one is my solo project kim_nasung. Just after that there’s a project called kr39 in which we attempt to find optimal combination of experimental electroaccoustics with traditional chants. Other activities are the cooperation projects with such musicians as Zen Lu, Lin Hui Chun or Alexei Borisov and Olga Nosova. Of course each conjunction is slightly different. Collaboration with other artists gives a resultant of personalities, ideas, attitudes towards music. As it comes to kr39 it is a project based on totally different assumptions than kim_nasung. Concrete rules, relatively little dose of improvisation. Everything wrapped in a rather repetitive form...
Do you get the sense of being internationally recognized?
Mateusz: I have no idea...!
You know, I’m really curious, how this kind of music is perceived by people in, for instance, China? I do undestand everyone has their own "internal ears", but maybe there was something special in this reception, noticeable for you?
Mateusz: To be honest, I don’t see any specific differences... I didn‘t have a chance to meet the Asian audience face to face, so it’s hard to say about how the concerts are perceived. When it’s about reception of my records released in China or Japan, then it’s certainly very deep. After releasing "Objects&Things" I got a good deal of emails from people who, after having listened to the album, wanted to share their impressions with me... In few cases it grew out into a discussion concerning art in general... You can, however, notice differences in perceivance of concerts, for example between the Polish, Russian, German or Dutch public. The best perceiveness I’ve observed in Russia, after the gigs people talked, commented and analysed what was happening for a long time. And during the concerts true concentration reigned. In Germany, similar concentration and respect for the performing person, even if the audience is not content about the show. In Holland - quite cool reception... The concert and that’s it. In Poland... It’s hard to describe it precisely, there are ups and downs... Yet it seems true to claim that it’s difficult to find audience that would be really focused on music...
And does it happen that your pieces are broadcasted in foreign radio stations or online programmes, press?
Mateusz: I don’t follow it so hard... Sometimes something appears, someone writes a review and so on. As I don’t release my albums in bulk amounts, there’s no terribly lot of it...
You concert quite a lot, what are your most special experiences connected with live performances?
Mateusz: I can’t totally agree with this... I think you can play more... And if it’s about the most peculiar concert experience... There was many many shows that I‘ve remembered due to interesting circumstances. The one that‘s strongest on my memory was the concert which I‘ve played in Moscow (Projekt OGI) together with Dario Fariello and Edyta Fill. I’ve met Dario and Edyta about 45 minutes before the concert. A quick chat over green tea and we already knew it’s gonna be good. This concert was one of the best I’ve ever played, and our trio fluently passing into duos of various configurations, showed, that you can give a good improvised concert practically ad hoc... That evening some amazing communication arose between us... It was almost a spiritual experience...
Surely you associate your future with further musical evolution. Do you already have particular plans, dreams? Which direction would you like to follow?
Mateusz: Of course, I do think what will happen in some time, whether the direction in which my music turns, is the best one. Plans...? Oh, there are many plans. New releases of my solo project, practically finished first material of kr39, working on the next material with this project, development of my label, concerts, concerts, meetings, improvisation...
That’s great, then I can’t wait! I can’t hide that my attention is especially drawn by exactly kr39, a configuration of such contrast forms of sound formation, archaic veracity of emotions settling the chant, and technological root of future, which starts to exist with a draft of each consecutive note depicted by yourself... How was the idea of initiating this incredible project born?
Mateusz: It’s nice that you like this project. Maybe a few words more... At the moment kr39 is already quite a case. The traditional chants in their original form are sung by girls from Zespol Miedzynarodowej Szkoly Muzyki Tradycyjnej (A Band Of International Traditional Music School). I am responsible for electroaccoustic layer together with a virtuoso of three sounds – Sebastian Mac. For a couple of months we’ve been supported by an amazing cello player Lin Hui Chun. The whole integrity of the project is watched over by Jan Bernad. The idea was born over a year ago at some concert... I was talking to Sebastian that it would be nice to do something like this. He got interested in the idea, and a friend we’ve met a while later told us that but in Lublin there are girls singing old songs... She made an appointment for us with Mr Jan and so it started...
Tell us, please, when do you expect to release the next discs and what will make them different from the previous ones?
Mateusz: There’s quite a lot of editorial plans. First of all, material entitled "Places", which, if everything goes well, will soon be released by WEFrec. It’s an album that was coming into being for two years, it’s a collection of processed crosscountry recordings from different nooks of Poland and Europe. Another material is "Mindful Awareness", which will be released by MTR. This record is a kind of soundtrack to attention training, some sort of meditation. And also kr39’s album called "In_between", we’ll see how it all goes on, but I hope we’ll manage to release it...
You have your own label under which you release not only your own recordings. Tell us what criteria do you use to assess the artists who are supposed to be brought out by you?
Mateusz: Yes, for few years I’ve been running Mind Twisting Records. It’s a label which doesn‘t release too much stuff. I hope that we’ll manage to change it slowly and we’ll start making some more. As for the criteria, they are very blurred... We try to bring out interesting things that we like ourselves. We are opened for cooperation... For example Sherman, whom we released some time ago, wrote to me that every morning he travelles to work by "MTR" railway and he would like to make a material for us, based on field recordings from this railway... I’ve found the idea really interesting and that’s how the record was born. Recently released Edwin Lo makes very absorbing things and when he said he’s got something for me, I didn’t hesitate for a single moment... Next things, which we prepare, are a project "ANNA" one-off joint of a duo 12 dog cycle (Taiwan / Australia) and MoonShot (France). There will also be a record of my good friend, Grzegorz Bojanek. A new kim_nasung and some others....
What would you expect from a worthy listener?
Mateusz: I don’t know... it’s a very tough question!
I think that the basic thing is effort, a will to experience something new, different... An attempt of actual interaction with the sound, submerging into it...
Then this is what we wish to you, thanks for an interesting talk!
kim_nasung http://www.myspace.com/kimnasung
MTR label http://www.myspace.com/mindtwistingrecords
kr39 http://www.myspace.com/inbetweenproject
MTR website http://mindtwistingrecords.com
Warsaw Electronic Festival http://www.wef.pl
Mateusz, how has your adventure with music started, when have you begun to record your first sounds?
Mateusz: Practically since I can remeber, I played something. A guitar, then all kinds of percussion stuff... The music was very close to me all the time. Fascination with electronic music, and a bit later experimental music, made me had to start trying it myself...
You are one of the well known persons in Warsaw Electronic Festival (WEF.pl) community, tell us, what opportunities does cooperation with the portal and its founders give you?
Mateusz: I don’t know if I‘m one of the well-knowns, but definitely I‘m very strongly bound with the community of WEF. WEF is a sort of partnership, a platform of thoughts and sounds exchange, and, what’s the most important, a group of amazing artists. WEF gives a lot... constant inspiration, chance to interchange ideas, collaboration... very interesting concerts and publications...
You currently work upon several projects, tell us about them, does it provide you some variety or rather they all create a coherent integrity? What is your attitude towards that?
Mateusz: Indeed I‘m currently active in a few projects. All the time my most important one is my solo project kim_nasung. Just after that there’s a project called kr39 in which we attempt to find optimal combination of experimental electroaccoustics with traditional chants. Other activities are the cooperation projects with such musicians as Zen Lu, Lin Hui Chun or Alexei Borisov and Olga Nosova. Of course each conjunction is slightly different. Collaboration with other artists gives a resultant of personalities, ideas, attitudes towards music. As it comes to kr39 it is a project based on totally different assumptions than kim_nasung. Concrete rules, relatively little dose of improvisation. Everything wrapped in a rather repetitive form...
Do you get the sense of being internationally recognized?
Mateusz: I have no idea...!
You know, I’m really curious, how this kind of music is perceived by people in, for instance, China? I do undestand everyone has their own "internal ears", but maybe there was something special in this reception, noticeable for you?
Mateusz: To be honest, I don’t see any specific differences... I didn‘t have a chance to meet the Asian audience face to face, so it’s hard to say about how the concerts are perceived. When it’s about reception of my records released in China or Japan, then it’s certainly very deep. After releasing "Objects&Things" I got a good deal of emails from people who, after having listened to the album, wanted to share their impressions with me... In few cases it grew out into a discussion concerning art in general... You can, however, notice differences in perceivance of concerts, for example between the Polish, Russian, German or Dutch public. The best perceiveness I’ve observed in Russia, after the gigs people talked, commented and analysed what was happening for a long time. And during the concerts true concentration reigned. In Germany, similar concentration and respect for the performing person, even if the audience is not content about the show. In Holland - quite cool reception... The concert and that’s it. In Poland... It’s hard to describe it precisely, there are ups and downs... Yet it seems true to claim that it’s difficult to find audience that would be really focused on music...
And does it happen that your pieces are broadcasted in foreign radio stations or online programmes, press?
Mateusz: I don’t follow it so hard... Sometimes something appears, someone writes a review and so on. As I don’t release my albums in bulk amounts, there’s no terribly lot of it...
You concert quite a lot, what are your most special experiences connected with live performances?
Mateusz: I can’t totally agree with this... I think you can play more... And if it’s about the most peculiar concert experience... There was many many shows that I‘ve remembered due to interesting circumstances. The one that‘s strongest on my memory was the concert which I‘ve played in Moscow (Projekt OGI) together with Dario Fariello and Edyta Fill. I’ve met Dario and Edyta about 45 minutes before the concert. A quick chat over green tea and we already knew it’s gonna be good. This concert was one of the best I’ve ever played, and our trio fluently passing into duos of various configurations, showed, that you can give a good improvised concert practically ad hoc... That evening some amazing communication arose between us... It was almost a spiritual experience...
Surely you associate your future with further musical evolution. Do you already have particular plans, dreams? Which direction would you like to follow?
Mateusz: Of course, I do think what will happen in some time, whether the direction in which my music turns, is the best one. Plans...? Oh, there are many plans. New releases of my solo project, practically finished first material of kr39, working on the next material with this project, development of my label, concerts, concerts, meetings, improvisation...
That’s great, then I can’t wait! I can’t hide that my attention is especially drawn by exactly kr39, a configuration of such contrast forms of sound formation, archaic veracity of emotions settling the chant, and technological root of future, which starts to exist with a draft of each consecutive note depicted by yourself... How was the idea of initiating this incredible project born?
Mateusz: It’s nice that you like this project. Maybe a few words more... At the moment kr39 is already quite a case. The traditional chants in their original form are sung by girls from Zespol Miedzynarodowej Szkoly Muzyki Tradycyjnej (A Band Of International Traditional Music School). I am responsible for electroaccoustic layer together with a virtuoso of three sounds – Sebastian Mac. For a couple of months we’ve been supported by an amazing cello player Lin Hui Chun. The whole integrity of the project is watched over by Jan Bernad. The idea was born over a year ago at some concert... I was talking to Sebastian that it would be nice to do something like this. He got interested in the idea, and a friend we’ve met a while later told us that but in Lublin there are girls singing old songs... She made an appointment for us with Mr Jan and so it started...
Tell us, please, when do you expect to release the next discs and what will make them different from the previous ones?
Mateusz: There’s quite a lot of editorial plans. First of all, material entitled "Places", which, if everything goes well, will soon be released by WEFrec. It’s an album that was coming into being for two years, it’s a collection of processed crosscountry recordings from different nooks of Poland and Europe. Another material is "Mindful Awareness", which will be released by MTR. This record is a kind of soundtrack to attention training, some sort of meditation. And also kr39’s album called "In_between", we’ll see how it all goes on, but I hope we’ll manage to release it...
You have your own label under which you release not only your own recordings. Tell us what criteria do you use to assess the artists who are supposed to be brought out by you?
Mateusz: Yes, for few years I’ve been running Mind Twisting Records. It’s a label which doesn‘t release too much stuff. I hope that we’ll manage to change it slowly and we’ll start making some more. As for the criteria, they are very blurred... We try to bring out interesting things that we like ourselves. We are opened for cooperation... For example Sherman, whom we released some time ago, wrote to me that every morning he travelles to work by "MTR" railway and he would like to make a material for us, based on field recordings from this railway... I’ve found the idea really interesting and that’s how the record was born. Recently released Edwin Lo makes very absorbing things and when he said he’s got something for me, I didn’t hesitate for a single moment... Next things, which we prepare, are a project "ANNA" one-off joint of a duo 12 dog cycle (Taiwan / Australia) and MoonShot (France). There will also be a record of my good friend, Grzegorz Bojanek. A new kim_nasung and some others....
What would you expect from a worthy listener?
Mateusz: I don’t know... it’s a very tough question!
I think that the basic thing is effort, a will to experience something new, different... An attempt of actual interaction with the sound, submerging into it...
Then this is what we wish to you, thanks for an interesting talk!
kim_nasung http://www.myspace.com/kimnasung
MTR label http://www.myspace.com/mindtwistingrecords
kr39 http://www.myspace.com/inbetweenproject
MTR website http://mindtwistingrecords.com
Warsaw Electronic Festival http://www.wef.pl
