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N.Kick is very important and colorful person in the Breakbeat arena of music in Poland. For the last several years he has been both a DJ and music producer, smartly promoting Breaks in our country. This interview brings closer informations about both his character and current musical career. Have a nice reading!
V-12: Hey! At the beginning could you say a few words about yourself?
N.Kick: Hi. I am a music producer and DJ. I prefer the broken beats, such as Breakbeat, or Trip Hop. However sometimes it happens to me to create something from a different climates.
V-12: What do you do now?
N.Kick: First of all, I’m deepening of knowledge about production, composing music and acoustics of rooms.
V-12: How you became a composer and music producer?
N.Kick: I’m bound with the music since I was a child. When I was 9 years old, parents enrolled me in the first lessons on the piano. Since this all began. At the age of 15 I got my first keyboards. Then, together with my friend Piotr, we decided to combine it with a computer Amiga 600 (later CDTV 1200) and on the music program called „Fasttracker” we’ve been doing the first steps. Everything has been going so well that we decided to start the formation called K.A.T.A.R. (K.A.T.A.R.Z.I.S. later) and so until 2007, we’ve been producing and promoting Breakbeat in Poland.
V-12: Why exactly Breakbeat climats?
N.Kick: It was just my passion for electronic music. I really liked the compositions from The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, etc. Hence, the broken beats.
V-12: Do you ever attracted to the other varieties of electronic music?
N.Kick: I never limited myself only into Breaks. I’ve been usually doing something different on the background. Starting from Trip Hop, later House, the different varieties of Techno, Trance and ending with Hardcore music. As K.A.T.A.R.Z.I.S. we had a quite long episode with Drum & Bass music. Those times we recall really pleasant.
V-12: What kind of success did you reached till this time?
N.Kick: Some kind of distinctions for the creation and release on several CD compilations in the 90’s, many major performances in Poland. I mean clubs, festivals, media, etc. We visited some parts of our country. Many events have been organized by ourselves. More of them were private ones. Those were the days of the „demo scene”. We’ve been bringing our music for free. It was in a some kind of sense a part of the promotion and in such a way we’ve been developing our progress. Recently I’m releasing Mp3 stuff and together with DJ Exwookie we are going on with Audio Dealers Records label.
V-12: Despite such successes, Breakbeat music is not too popular in our country… What is the reason in your opinion?
N.Kick: There are regions in Poland, where Breakbeat is played very often in the clubs. People know perfectly this kind of music. However, the main organizers of music events are afraid of low frequency of people who are coming. I think that unnecessarily. Breakbeat has its adherents in this country and the people who are coming into the contact with him for the first time, they really like to dance to it. Personally I still want to promote the Breakbeat and I will do as long as the strength and willingness to allow me to do this. In Poland generally it’s difficult to develop ourselves but I have no intention to surrender. I like what I do. Music is my passion and I can not imagine that I will ever give up with this.
V-12: So is there a real chance to have occured in the Polish music market some kind of work by such masters as for example Breakfastaz?
N.Kick: Yes, of course. Breakfastaz were invited by DJ Exwookie (with which I’m creating the ADR label) on the Boat Festival City, which he was organizing. The public took them very warm and enthusiastic. Besides, as I mentioned earlier, there is not so bad with the Breakbeat music in Poland. A lot of people who for example listen to Drum & Bass, they are recognizing many artists which are working on the Breaks scene. D’n’B has the roots from Breaks music. I wish to see more organized music events in Poland with Breakbeat music. This kind of music has a great potential and specific power. I encourage all club owners, residents, DJs, etc. in order to rise their attention to Breakbeat, because they really worth it. There are many people who willingly come to such events.
V-12: What are your biggest dreams in the sphere of music?
N.Kick: Currently I wish to have end up wit this fake crisis. With this the clubbing will be active again and more stable. To be honest, in recent years clubbing felt down in a little bit. Perhaps the reason is that many young people left our country. I hope that this reality will quickly pass away.
V-12: We have the ages of ubiquitous Internet. Is there a chance that your music will be ever released on a real music media?
N.Kick: I’m also working in the „Helbot” formation together with DJ Sylah. We are producing Progressive Breaks and two of our recent releases has been issued on CD and Mp3 by Composure Records UK. Our remixes for the „Grid System” artist also appeared on the CD. But now we have different times than before. Today the records rather went into the second place. Mp3 and CD player technology for DJs are on the top. We need to add to this the mobility, the time of purchase and choice. On the vinyl record not always both sides are good, even so we have to pay much more for all. The Mp3 does not have this problem, because you can buy separate ones and download in a few minutes. And as I’ve mentioned earlier, today’s CD players offer great quality and a lot of facilities and opportunities.
V-12: Are you playing at concerts?
N.Kick: Yes.
V-12: What you’ve been using in the past for composing your music?
N.Kick: As I said earlier at the beginning there were Amiga 600 and 1200 computers. I’m just a typical software user. Currently I have PC, and 42′ LCD. With this hardware I only use external MIDI keypads.
V-12: How do you think, it’s better to get the popularity and fortune in the music, or simply be an independent artist and do the „own” stuff?
N.Kick: It depends on the man and the kind of music. If you beat a fortune on the music, which you’ve been always preffered and feel satisfied with this, it’s okay. If you prefer to remain in the shadow of your studio, do your „own” job and also that you feel satisfied, that’s also okay. But for doing first and last you need some money for the start and development. It seems to me that every artist wants to do in his life usually what he mostly likes to do and still keep proper maintenance. If someone has a well-paid work, and the music is his hobby, there is no problem with the purchase of hardware or firmware. I have the opinion that the music should make the money for herself. Some kind of concerts, Live Act and DJ Set should be played from time to time. This makes a lot of fun and you can be present yourself to the public. I’m not talking here specifically about desire for profit, but the opportunities for further development. Studio equipment is expensive and unfortunately not all people have money to have it personally. In some way music should defend herself and always bring some profits, but this depends from the artist’s desire.
V-12: Currently you are taking part in an interesting project called „Zagraj na Audioriver (Play for Audioriver)”, which the ten winners have chances of appearing on stage in Plock in the event called Muzzo Stage. Could you explain us the details of this event?
N.Kick: I mentioned earlier about my project called Helbot. We are „probably” the only formation in Poland, which produces Progressive Breaks. This is a form of promotion of this music. It is also a Breakbeat, but more deep and spacious. We are going it with this and it is good. And despite the fact that it is even less popular style of the new school of Breaks, then we play it more often at parties. Audioriver is one of the most interesting international events where the emphasis goes toward electronic music. Muzzo Stage is primarily to promote young artists who will be presented at the festival, provided a sufficient number of SMS. From the 30 honored artists, 10 ones which was given the highest number of votes will qualify to the final event. I expect that we will succeed there too. (ed. They succeed – took 8th place and finally played live in Plock!)
V-12: Is there a place where we can take the knowledge about you and become acquainted with your creativity?
N.Kick: Yes. I would like to invite everyone into official Myspace page: https://www.myspace.com/nkick and to:
http://www.myspace.com/adrlab and https://www.myspace.com/helbot.
V-12: Finally a few words for your fans :).
N.Kick: If there are any, then thank you all for that :).
V-12: Thank you for the interview!
N.Kick: Also, thank you.
Interview by Paweł „V-12” R.
Szczecin, 17.07.2009
English translation of this interview done on 30th of December 2009.