After releasing his latest effort “Eastern Blocks EP”, as well as curating a playlist for our Spotify page, Szmer has also taken part in an interview for our Connect series, where he discussed his personal and musical journey throughout the pandemic, the state of techno in Poland, his ongoing European tour and much more.
Enjoy the read!
– How has life been treating you since corona started?
- It wasn’t easy, but I got used to it eventually. During this time I got a new job, moved to Cracow for 6 months, started a new relationship, so there were lots of things happening that pushed me forward. Like most people I suffered from stress, but it’s much better now since we “said goodbye” to the virus.
– How did it affect the club life from your perspective?
- I stopped going to clubs for a longer while, but I wasn’t sad because of it, really. I was focused on other things that I’ve talked about earlier. I recently went to a party and from my point of view nothing has changed.
– Did pandemic have an impact on your new music?
- Yes, totally. I was busy and stressed so making music was a pain in the ass, I must say. I’ve lost motivation, will to follow new releases etc. Once I moved back to Warsaw it started to get better, fortunately. I would still love to have more time for music, but at least I made a few new tracks in the recent months, so I started to enjoy it again.
– How different does your new project sound compared to “Essence EP”?
- I think the sound of the new EP is tougher, harder in low frequencies. Also, Megastructure and Unusual Shape are very dynamic tracks compared to the first EP. This is what I wanted to achieve.
– How is club life in Poland looking like nowadays?
- I can say it’s back! Lots of good gigs with decent line-ups. No major changes regarding quality in my opinion, but I am happy the scene can continue to work.
– And what about the Polish techno scene, how would you describe its current state?
- I think we have lots of good DJs and producers recognized around Europe and even the world, which really makes me proud of other colleagues. The scene in general is vibrant and diverse. I’d only like some clubs to work on technical conditions, such as sound systems, monitoring etc. to provide better experience for DJs and the crowd.
– We know you are currently on a European tour. How is it going so far?
- It’s going well. I enjoyed Budapest’s Aether club a lot and must say it was one of the best gigs I’ve played recently, maybe even in my whole career. Wild crowd, low ceiling, darkness – this is what makes a great party. Recently I also played in About Blank with Michal Jablonski and liked it too! Next stop is Smolna with Ben Sims and Private Press this month.
– Which places are on the bucket list for you to perform at?
- I have never actually thought about it. I like every place with an intimate ambiance and a wild crowd, but from the top of my mind I’d like to play in Belgrade’s Drugstore and Tbilisi’s KHIDI.
– What are your future plans musically?
- I would like to keep things as they are: play 2 gigs per month, make music when I want to and release 2-3 EPs a year. Whatever comes from this approach, I am happy I can play music for the people.
Check out “Eastern Blocks EP” below!
