AGONIZED BY LOVE

1. First of all, let me congratulate you for your great debut album on Alfa Matrix!! Let us know, how this deal with Alfa Matrix came true?

M: Thanks a lot. It’s nice to hear warm words from a person who creates very interesting music himself. Back to the question - I must say, that after recording a 4-track demo album we actually didn’t have any idea what to do next. Our friend Marcin took a huge part in promoting Agonised By Love. He was the first one to play our songs on his own party - Alchera Visions. Thanks to his devotion Blindness was handed to a proper persons. We’ve received many positive reviews and even more warm words. We’ve assured ourselves that the music we had created was not directed to the void. The response from Belgian Alfa Matrix, specialized in electro bands, became the confirmation. Taking under consideration the kind of music we create, we were surprised by their openness and will of doing something together. The songs from All of White Horizons were then mostly done. There was nothing to think about, we were extremely tired of working in the studio and yearning for some new emotions.

2. Tell us abort your connections with music before ABL? Any other bands, projects

M: Actually, our first band became its existence a dozen years ago, in high school. Then we were fans of the music ‘under the sign of a black mark’. Far as I am rather a monogamist never taking part in any other projects, Rafaù reveals his natural desire of using his voice in many ways. Without remarkable successes aside from Agonised By Love, of course.

R: Agonised By Love is and will surely be the most important thing for us. In the past, for a really short time, I was a vocalist in a goth-rock band Candra and hard-rock Yellow Piston. These were only episodes which showed me a broader view on the music and strengthened my vocal abilities, though. Being a fan of a slightly stronger electro, I am planning to create a side project, sounding more dark-trance-noise. But, as I’ve already said, ABL will always be in the first place.

3. What do you really mean with the album “All of White Horizons”? Does it have any special meaning for you?

M: All of White Horizons is a child of an obsessive and destructive desire for happiness. You know, if you want something so much – you can achieve it, create yourself an exact place, person, situation. But quickly you find out that nothing can exist forever, your ideal fades and you become a bunch of memories. What then? It’s up to you. Either you get up from your knees and try to grip some normal life, or you get locked up in a mental hospital, or – you shot yourself in a head. Possibly, you can experience all these things one after another.

R: All of White Horizons is a road sign, helps to understand the meaning of love. We don’t want to teach, though, as we are imperfect in loving the other person ourselves. However, we hope we can someday reach the White Horizons, the place which helps one feel fulfilled. The place which shows that one has found the real love.

4. The limited double-cd version of your album has a lot of remixes by known and less known artists … How did you get in touch with all these artists?

M: There are 3 remixes on the basic album, it’s limited edition contains an extra CD with 14 remixes. Except this, thanks to AM DJ’s EP ‘Close Behind You’, where you can find few another remixes, has appeared. Most of the re-mixers are appreciated, but not really known in Europe performers from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine. I think that the presence of these artists can be another esteemed of this album. Contacts with them are contribution of labels and good friends.

5. Your album has a VERY beautiful artwork. Containing also some postcards and band photos inside. As I understand right, the line-up of ABL is Rafal and Mariusz … but who and why is that girl on the photos with you?

R: We also think that the CD cover is really excellent. Since it’s been created by one of the best Polish designers and such a great professional as Jarek ‘K’haaL’ Kubicki, it couldn’t be different. It just had to be beautiful and it is. The girl on the cover is Radka, our friend, who often cooperates with Jarek in his work

M: Yes, we’ve got a fantastic cover, excellently showing the climate and the character of the album. I must say that both – Rafal and I didn’t have any idea how it all should look like. Jarek was kind of relaxed about it. First of all, he thoroughly familiarized himself with the lyrics and the music, and then – for about 1 liter of vodka – was listening to our suggestions. What he has done is completely different, anyway… with a great benefit for the album. The girl on the cover was his idea. Justified, I assume. Have you read the lyrics?

6. For how many albums you hale a deal with Alfa Matrix? Have you get any offerings from other labels too?

M: Yes, we had, but finally we chose A-M.

7. Let us know, how your concert look like? Do you have any special musicians playing with you on stage? How often you play a live at all? Are you planning also a tour or something for promoting your new album outside Poland?

M: The pieces from All of White Horizons are a really complicated live material. Practically, from the very beginning, we perform our concerts with a guitarist. Thanks to this we can let ourselves improvise a bit, with dictated limits, and our music is more spectacular. ABL is not, in the full meaning of it, strictly electro or strictly rock-goth band; so we sometimes see the astonishment of the people standing near the stage. I sometimes think that they perceive our performance as a kind of a good joke. We have never experienced any manifestations of hostility, though. Most of the opinions we hear after our gigs are really positive. I am glad we can reach such different receivers. On the one hand, we didn’t want to lock ourselves up in any exact style, on the other – we exist in the environment which perfectly suits our tastes. We try to perform everywhere we are invited. I’ve heard that Estonia is a beautiful country

R: In our gigs we are supported by Wojtek Pawùowski, who is a really good guitarist, and thanks to this ABL sounds sharper and stronger during performances. These days we don’t complain on the lack of concerts. We’ve just come back from annual Beyond The Veil festival. We already know that we will perform during Luna Frigida in Rzeszow, Dark East Music Meeting in Warsaw and in Castle Party in Bolkow.

8. I know that in Poland, there’s a very strong and progressive metal scene. Tell a little about Polish synth/industrial/gothic scene? Are you famous in your country?

R: Polish synth/industrial/gothic scene keeps on developing all the time, there are many new bands, old bands come back on the stage, so, I assume, everything goes the right way. Of course, we don’t talk about an extreme expansion of such bands in Poland. I am also really gladden by the fact that Polish electro scene develops itself quite well. We’ve got many festivals in which exactly this music is popular. There’s a fantastic Castle Party festival, there are also many other organized, some of which take place, some of which, unfortunately, don’t - only because of money. The organizers lack the money needed to prepare the show well and, I guess, it will not change in Poland. Are we popular in Poland? I think so.

9. Now days a lot of dark electronic artists play harder and harder music with distorted beats and evil vocals … you chose so romantic way to express your feelings … Listening to your album I hear a lot of influences from ’80-s new romantics and futurists. For me you don’t sound like Deine Lakaien or Diary Of Dreams … but much more influenced by Ultravox, Tears For Fears etc. … why your label is promoting you whit those new school names? And what do you think of my opinion? Maybe I’m completely wrong with my aspects on you J I just feel so, when I listen to your record … your music has a very pure feelings in it.

M: Personally, I don’t approve of aggressive advertising. I think all of us know why label promotes a new band using comparisons. On the other hand, I don’t see the reasons why not to agree with some of the opinions. An attentive listener will find in ABL’s music both – kind of naive honesty specific for the melody of the 80’s and theatricality and pomposity characteristic for the mentioned DL or DoD. Agonised By Love is not deprived of influences, it’s impossible if someone loves music and listens to it almost all the time. I am a great fan of Ultravox, Talk Talk, Japan and David Sylvianbut also a fan of Diary of Dreams, Silence, Underworld, Ulver, Peter Gabriel. These days – even Combichrist. All these bands have been shaping my personality for years, with each of them I can connect a different period of my life. It’s similar with the songs. Most of them have been created in a hard moment of our lives; the music and the lyrics were born from the concrete experiences. Maybe it’s the reason why there is so much of sadness and pain. Someone’s once called ABL’s music a sentimental pop. Ok. It’s the best sentimental pop I’ve ever heard in my life. Mentioning distorted beats and vocals – it’s a different kind of expression for me. All in all, you cannot moan all the time. Sometimes you just have to growl.

10. What’s your hobbies and passions besides music? What do you like most in music and why did you choose to be a musician? Do you just like to express yourself through the music or you are dreaming about hitting the charts in the future? ;-)

M: I’ve got one great love – music. The rest of my spare time I expend to work, so I can afford my love. I like being on stage even though I don’t feel like a musician yet. This term is too noble. I hope someone will call me this way some day. So far – there’s a lot of work ahead.

R: Music, I guess, is our biggest passion, we devote ourselves to it completely. We didn’t choose music, it chose us! We don’t reach far in the future, we just entirely focus on what’s happening with ABL at the moment. Though, we even now think about new songs, and soon we will start working on the new album.

11. How important are the lyrics in your music? Can you compose an instrumental album with the same feeling as “All of White Horizons”?

M: I don’t think All of White Horizons would be the same without lyrics. It’s thanks to them that music gains its character, without them it’s just a cold soundtrack with no shape. The lyrics make it understandable for the receiver. Agonised By Love tell the story and want to be understood.

R: The lyrics and the music, in case of ABL, are an integral entirety. This ‘story’ would make no sense without music, and the other way round. This jigsaw puzzle is complete only when the music stresses the essence of the lyrics, which are entirely packed with emotions. So, while creating a piece of music, we are interested in the relation between music and words and we do try to dose it properly.

12. J.M.Jarre or Aphex Twin? Why?

R: Personally, I choose APHEX TWIN. A vast ration of various experiments and new sounds. Really unpredictable and a bit ‘sick’ music.

13. Do you believe in apocalypse? Do you believe in God? Do you believe that every end is the new beginning?

M: I believe in God as in an inseparable part of Nature. I believe I am exactly where I should be. I like believing that I am needed. I hate happy endings. I don’t think about the beginning as most of the events are behind me. I believe in people! We would not achieve all of this without friendship and kindness.

R: Of course, everything what’s begun has got to end some day. Humanity follows the straight way to its self-destruction. It’s just a beautiful example of pointing towards self-extermination. We don’t realize that what we think is good, is just another drop poured in the sea which is just waiting to flood us. Some time will pass before it happens, though.

14. Thanx a lot for this interview my Polish friends!! Only the best wishes from me!!! Stay your good work up! Say what do you want for the ending … ;-)

M: Thanks for interesting questions. See you in Warsaw! ;-)

R: Thank you very much for supporting Agonised By Love. We hope we can perform in Estonia. We really want it, and so far – see you at Dark East Music Meeting and Castle Party. STAY ELECTRO!!!