Interview with Robert Jaworski from the band Żywiołak
DP: On your website we read that: Żywiołak's music is the result of such musical styles as: folk, punk, rock metal, acoustic trans-techno and drum'n'bass. It also uses elements of music: dub, chillout and ambient, and is combined with the sounds of reconstructed old instruments, "inventions" of newer technology, and archaic and modern vocal techniques. I must admit that after reading this I was a bit scared and didn't know what to expect when going to your concert. Don't you think that this approach to what you do may discourage rather than interest many potential listeners?
Robert Jaworski: Excuse me? But what were you terrified of? So many trends at once? We direct this music to people who are interested not only in the impact shock (I call it the pulse). If such an approach scares away a group of people, I think that they will definitely not be the potential recipients of our music. Yes, our aim at our creation is rhythmic, but the second element is the text layer and ethnic sounds.
Dark Planet: Coming back to the previous question for a moment - could you tell the readers what instruments you use?
Robert Jaworski: Old ones: hurdy-gurdy, fiddle, flute, lute, baraban, djembe... Popular ones: viola, bass guitar, cymbals and part of a drum set, and all kinds of drums.
DP: Why do you focus on folk demonology in your work?
Robert Jaworski: Because we don't know a band in Poland yet that would take this topic seriously.
DP: Don't you think that there are already many bands (in various musical genres) that draw too much from this topic?
Robert Jaworski: From folk demonology? I don't know a single one.
DP: But aren't you afraid that the subject matter may turn out to be too trite?
Robert Jaworski: There is no official topic on this topic. This is knowledge for those interested and a bit of insight into the darkness of history and folklore.
DP: Another very interesting thing is how the band Żywiołak was created, considering that the musicians who composed it previously played / still play such different music?
Robert Jaworski: Just because they play differently doesn't mean they wouldn't want to play similar. Robert Wasilewski played in a folk band into which he tried to incorporate metal elements, but he failed in the long run. I did in mine. I was exposed to rock-metal from the previous band. Maciek Labudzki also plays rock covers in his Mistik Mahżonga. The girls had no experience with such aesthetics - at all. They needed to be educated a bit. However, somewhere there our paths crossed and Żywiołak was created.
DP: In April this year, you received the most prestigious award - the Grand Prix of the President of the Polish Radio for the 9th Folk Music Festival "New Tradition". What do you think made you win?
Robert Jaworski: Certainly the freshness of the trend. The jury had slight reservations about the workmanship, but decided not to take it very literally. Besides, the jury's verdict emphasized our spontaneity as our greatest advantage.
DP: Another question about your success is why you don't hear much about the band in the Polish media?
Robert Jaworski: This question is probably not for us. The media - not necessarily the Polish ones, are always more focused on commercial projects. We have created a quite flashy project, but still a niche one.
DP: Przemysław Trubalski from the website Wiadomości24 refers to the words of Zbigniew Hołdys, spoken after your concert in Warsaw's Pracovnia: "I saw them for the first time in my life, but I will do my best to tell people who decide about the fate of such artists that it is worth helping Żywiołak, that it's worth paying attention to this band. If someone doesn't help this band today, they will watch how the band makes its career. These are unstoppable procedures. The question is, has there actually been anyone who wants to help you open the door to a great career?
Robert Jaworski: I think that Hołdys' statement does not suggest that someone will be found, but rather that someone should be interested in us. I think this is a fundamental difference. I must admit that it would be nice if there were people in Poland professionally involved in the promotion of such non-commercial projects.
DP: Does it bother you that your work is compared to both the achievements of "troLi" and "Hedningarna"?
Robert Jaworski: The fact that our work is comparable to their troLe certainly cannot be questioned - after all, we play pieces of their troLe - and I was the main originator of the idea. As for Hedningarne…
Translated from: https://www.darkplanet.pl/Wywiad-z-Robertem-Jaworskim-z-zespolu-Zywiolak-2062.html
