Inspired #150 - Wojtek
Polish composer Wojtek stands up for planet Earth with his carbon neutral album ‘Atmosphere’ - he took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind his music and the new release.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
My Chemical Romance, Claude Debussy, Nils Frah.
It’s certainly a challenge for me to limit my musical inspirations to 3 but I chose these artists because they had a great influence on my musical path and were turning points for me. My Chemical Romance led me to decide to play and later compose music. Yes, I started with electric guitar and hitting punk riffs. I still can feel this energy, power and electricity that I find now in techno and tech-house music. Claude Debussy, on the other hand, inspired me to create delicate, gentle and rich harmonies. He also made me think about sounds as they were colors with characteristic vibrance. Nils Frahm introduced me to synthesizers and showed me how to become a one-person band playing many instruments - including the piano - simultaneously.Even though I don’t listen to these artists as much anymore, I think they’re still partly present in my music.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
Of course! There is an animation film Chico & Rita that takes place in Cuba in the 40s and 50s. The main characters are both musicians, the man plays the piano and the woman sings. Both of them are driven by success and making their dreams come true. You can feel the vibe and atmosphere of Cuba, the great music and lifestyle. It is a very romantic, beautiful, adventurous, yet quite a sad story. I was maybe 14 when I saw it for the first time and it changed me slightly. I fell in love with this story and it motivated me to practice the piano even more.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
Berlin - where I live or... Tel Aviv? I’ve only been to Israel for a few days so it is difficult to tell which city is more inspiring but they're both similar. The value of the place is not from the architecture, urban planning or economy level but the people. They are very friendly, open-minded and out-going in both cities. Furthermore, there is also a strong art and underground culture. Berlin is way more affordable though and more laid-back. Most of the artists that I listen to come from this city so, in the end, I’d say this is my most inspiring place.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
Different people inspired me depending on my age so I could mention a lot of them. There is one interesting man though that made me perceive life deeper - David R. Hawkins. He was a doctor, psychologist and spiritual teacher. He wrote many books about the ego, feelings, mind, awareness and consciousness. He helped to understand the world, myself and to become a better person. When reading his books, I felt pure positive energy. I named two tracks from my new album “Awareness” and “Illusions” after reading Letting Go: The Pathway Of Surrender.
What were your inspirations when writing the album?
What inspired me at the very beginning were limitations. I decided to make the whole album only with four instruments: acoustic piano, two synthesizers and drum samples from my library. Back then, I was overwhelmed with the amount of sounds, plugins and instruments available. I couldn’t move on with any track ideas. With my “limitation of four” I really had to go out of the box to make something good and that drove my creativity.
Another topic is the sound, timber and color. When I found the sweet spot, the right harmony or tweaked a great waveform into being, I was lost in the studio for days and came back with a strong sketch of a new track. For instance, I couldn’t write anything beautiful on the electronic piano because the sound wasn’t working for me. Really! I tried the best ones! This was also the way I often started any creative process - by sitting to my piano and playing anything. The less I thought about it, the more natural and creative I got. I worked on the album from the perspective of a pianist and a performer so I composed music while jamming and improvising on synthesizers, drum machines, samples and, of course, my piano. Physical connections with instruments also inspires me and helps me make quicker and better decisions.
How would you like to inspire people?
WOJTEK the activist would love to inspire people with his project and himself to live life in harmony with nature and full awareness of climate change. Everything we buy, eat, consume the way we commute, the energy we use - it all affects the climate. He is not here to change people’s life but If his action would help them make at least one tiny step in more sustainable living, he’d be fulfilled. It could be, for example, reducing plastic bottles and starting to drink only tap water.
WOJTEK the composer, on the other hand, would like to bring people peace and hope in the difficult times we’re facing. He’d like to take them on a journey, tell them his story, share his emotions that he can’t describe with words and make them feel something.