You combine folk metal with a post-apocalyptic narrative. Where did the idea for such an unusual combination of worlds come from?
This is the result of collecting elements that interest us, first of all me and our bass player, because we created this project. Ciechan likes post-apocalyptic climates. I wanted to discuss Slavic topics related to the period of the early Middle Ages, pre-Christian – I am interested in this era of history. In addition, I really like electronic music like rave, trance, industrial, so I wanted to combine stronger guitars with its elements.
Weren't you afraid it was going to be too much for one band?
This common vision began to slowly create for us and in parallel we created an alternative story about the team. We didn't have a long history as Black Without, so we decided we'd make it up!
According to her, we are part of a tribe that in the distant future has survived cataclysms, wars, the fall of humanity, and it is then, as newly reborn people, that we return again to the original needs of man, that is, to life in harmony with nature, the return of human bonds, ethnic beliefs and the tribal system, and ancient traditions. Such regression, but in completely different circumstances. And while there are new technologies in this dystopian world, yet we feel the need to be and live according to what nature is giving us, approaching involuntarily what is primal, ancient... Perhaps this awaits us in the future? This is an important element – like the forefront of a film, without which you will not understand our universe.
This is a fairly original concept, but maybe thanks to it you stand out among others?
This “mix” at first is hard to understand, but if you go deeper into the subject matter, everything clears up and arranges – then it seems logical and consistent. It's a Slavic Madmax! (Laughter). It's just that time has come round. I hope that this idea is fully reflected and not a blatant connection. Our listeners often say that they have not encountered such a thing before.
Interest in Slavic culture can be seen in your texts. Why is there so little talk about it in Polish schools?
There are several factors that affect this state of affairs. The Slavic subject matter appeared again in the salons at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. There were some spurts that promoted her, but they were often associated with ideas that were not aimed at really increasing cultural awareness, but rather realizing political ambitions. For example, in the time of the Tsar, it was attempted to promote Russia as the main Slavic country, with ambitions to subjugate other nations. Of course, we know what purpose it was supposed to serve, and the idea itself was not positive at all, because it was about domination, not about unification.
Although as Poles we try to be part of the West and function in the orbit of Christian countries, in my opinion we are a country naturally immersed in the Eastern tradition. Besides, this is due to our history and we will never be part of Western Europe, regardless of the number of signed alliances, concluded agreements or invoking the baptism of Mieszko I. I think that maybe it is the aversion of the rulers to this subject that causes that Slavic culture – the pre-Christian one, is not more widely promoted? Perhaps the Church, as an institution, has too much influence on education in Poland? Or is there another reason I don't know about?
Do you feel that this is still a bit uncomfortable for the rulers?
There is a widespread belief that there are very few testimonies, that there was such a thing as Slavic culture in a broader sense. It is often said, duplicating some of the long-overdue theories that the Slavs did not bring much into history, only a few holidays or traditions that we know today. However, when we delve into this field of history, it turns out that we are dealing with many new discoveries – both archaeological, ethnological or related to linguistics. Currently, 250 million people speak Slavic languages in Europe.
Going back to your question, I think there could be a little more material in schools about Slavic history and old beliefs. Of course, the fact that children will learn Roman, Greek and even Egyptian mythology is not bad. This is a very important aspect of education, because on this basis you can also build something that will help you understand our own culture. Even the first chroniclers compared the Slavic deities to the Greek or Roman gods.
It is definitely worth mentioning that the publishing market is starting to abound in books on this topic. There are more scientific studies that explore these issues, as well as popular science books. The assumption that folk culture has stored ancient traditions and can be partially “screwed”, of course, skillfully deciphering the cultural code. This is a complicated subject, requiring hard interdisciplinary work. Many traditions have survived – for example, in the popular Christian rites, where you can see the preserved primacy that has its roots in our Slavic past.
Let's get back on the musical tracks. In addition to folk metal, electronic sounds are an important element of your music. What attracts you to them?
I like mechanical music. The trend that began to unfold in the 1980s, though I most value the achievements of the late 1990s. I'm talking about electronic music, about techno, especially the one that uses sequencers, samplers and trance beats that work with me, harmonize with my body. They are original and natural, although artificially produced, programmatically. To this day, I still listen to this type of work, I have a few favorite artists. I am a guitarist shaped by heavier music. I thought it would be a great idea to combine these two worlds. There are teams that have been doing this for a long time, such as Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails or Senser. They combine industrial atmospheres with strong guitars.
Weren't you afraid some fans would just not buy it?
I think this synthesis comes from my love for both types of music – both for electronic sounds and for heavy guitar riffs. It's hard to part with one or the other, so I decided that they need to be joined together. In our music, we try to give some of each of these elements, weave them into our style. There is folk metal. In this genre, you can often hear the influences of power metal, sometimes death metal or black, combined with elements of folklore, and often folk instruments from different parts of the world. For fans of this trend, our music is sometimes a surprise – “How? That's not how you play folk metal!' For some people it is difficult to pass, for others it is even fascinating. You can see that mixing genres can still be a great way to reach people who need interesting and good quality music.
We treat folk as an important addition that enriches our work. Luba is his huge fan, which is why she often introduces folk accents to our songs, such as white singing, folk songs, specific syncopated rhythms in vocals. So we feel connected to this trend. I hope that our listeners recognize that although we are not strictly folk, we understand this aesthetic. We are somewhere between different music worlds. We are not trying to limit.
I remember your great concert at the Zwierzyniec Rock in 2021. Which performance do you consider to be groundbreaking?
This concert was one of the first of our career. You could say that since then we have made a lot of progress. If someone saw us then and sees us now, they will definitely notice the difference – both in our stage behavior and in the game itself. Since then, we have played five concert tours, the material has stacked up and matured. Our singer has found her own style, which she now applies on stage. For example, it uses scarves, which, using fans, float in the air together with her hair, which gives an interesting effect. You can say that the fan has become a member of our team – it always rides with us in the bus! (Laughter).
Did the audience quickly catch your stage atmosphere?
Certainly during this time we became a better band, better musicians, we played a lot of concerts together. Today, listeners expect not only good music, but also the visual side of the concert. When you come to a performance, you take it not only with the sense of hearing, but also with your eyes. That's why we make sure our stage setting is interesting. We use masks which I hope affects our visual layer and reception by the audience. This is an important element of our stage – the male part of the band performs in them. They are steampunk, futuristic, with elements of rave stylistics, so the whole has
specific character. We take care of the details, so that not only the music, but also the visual side of the performance is consistent. We hope it succeeds and that the audience appreciates it. And the best performance at Rockowisk the day we played there? I think the concerts of the Materia and Hate groups.
Your stage costumes are impressive – where did the idea come from and how do you withstand them in the heat?
I’ll start from the end [laughs]. We're used to being hot in them, but the beginnings were hard. The biggest problem was seeing. At first, I had glasses made of thick metal mesh, through which I could barely see the stage or the guitar griffin. They also disturbed my perception. I had to eliminate them, so now I'm painting around my eyes black creating the effect of empty eye sockets.
As for the masks, we thought that every person in the team should create their own identity, character. For example, I chose an ethnic motif, something more Aztec, like a skull motif with a plume, and I decorated the mask with paint for a better effect. Bassist – Ciechan chose a gas-style mask with decorative welding glasses. The drummer – Nadar also has an interesting “look” – the warrior’s cold face, silver, looking a bit like metal. The singer – Luba does not wear a mask, which has its justification. The Slavs used them mainly for ceremonial purposes, especially in the context of rituals related to the spirits of ancestors. Masks perform a protective function, but she herself, being a witch, does not have to protect herself from witchcraft. Besides, he's the face of our team - the prettiest one (laughs).
How do you look at the debut album “People, Ghosts, Gods” today? What has he changed in your musical journey?
It seems to me that we are moving forward all the time and still new people are discovering our album. It's interesting, because promotion these days is difficult if you don't have massive advertising. You have to have a lot of money to do it, and we act with our own means and often ourselves. Our label helps us a little bit, but in general we do most of the activities on our own. Also thanks to the music videos available on the web, we can promote the album and reach a wider audience.
Of course, performances in front of the audience are also a key element. From the beginning, we assumed that this concert activity would be the main way to promote. We have already played a lot of them, we are planning another tour in the summer, and in the autumn another, after the release of a new album.
I think that since the release of the debut album we have taken some important steps forward. I hope that the next album will help us to develop even more. We are planning our own tour, because so far we have performed mainly with other bands. Of course, we do not give up concerts with other groups, but this tour will be fully organized by us.
Translated from: https://videobrothersmusic.pl/roland-langer-wywiad/
