How did the transition from OBRASQi to OUDEZIEL come about, and what inspired the creation of this new band?
After the tragic death of the band’s vocalist Monika, we decided to close the band OBRASQi. Musically, we have always oscillated around art music rock, at concerts the songs had longer instrumental performances and we decided to create this atmospheric music, ranging from different genres, as OUDEZIEL.
With your music being described as post-rock, incorporating elements of dream pop and progressive rock, can you share more about what influences your unique sound?
The most important thing in music is that it evokes emotions, we listen to various things from jazz, pop to metal and this is OUDEZIEL’s music. We like spacious sounds, including unconventional ones, so our music includes a lot of samples and electronics that mix with classic guitar or drum sounds. We like new ideas that appear in the music of Archive or Leprous. On the other hand, we like the sound of older albums, classic albums from the 80s Rush, Dire Stratis, Genesis, when the sound was not as compressed as now, there were fewer computers in music and more space, and this is the music we create.
The debut EP released by Dutch Rock Company has marked your official entry into the music scene. Can you tell us about the creative process behind this EP?
The EP was a teaser, showing the stylistic diversity and at the same time the direction we had chosen. It was very well received not only by the progressive music community, but also generally by sensitive people who like to stop and listen to music, engage in it, and look for a distraction from it.
Having performed live as a guest on the COLLAGE tour and other notable appearances. You’ve been described as having performed at many festivals and radio studios, such as with Eivor or RPWL, Riverside. How do these varied experiences influence your approach to music and performance?
The opportunity to perform on large stages and the need to fit into the work schedule, as well as exposure to professionally prepared routes is a great experience. It teaches discipline and focus on what is most important so that the whole event runs properly. It is also possible to obtain a very good live sound. It also helps a lot to observe artists so that you can correct your mistakes yourself. It is also important for them to appreciate our music.
Your upcoming album features musicians from the Netherlands, Brazil, and the USA. How did these collaborations come to be, and what do they bring to the album?
When our music was so well received in the West, we decided to try to see how this music would be interpreted by artists from other countries, brought up in a different culture. Through contacts in the Netherlands, the publisher of our EP, conversations began, which resulted in cooperation with several musicians who, in our opinion, were the best fit for OUDEZIEL, and at the same time, they were also fully committed to creating something new. On this occasion, it turned out that all the material, apart from the studio in Canada with which we had already cooperated before, would also be mastered by Maor Applebaum from the United States, who is a regular collaborator of artists such as Faith No More Sons of Apollo or Dream Theater.
Artur Wolski’s role as the music author, guitarist, and keyboardist, along with Jarosław Bielawski on drums, creates a core dynamic in OUDEZIEL. How do you two collaborate on creating new music?
Music is created during rehearsals and in home studios. Then we work on these ideas with sketches to finally record the piece. It’s not that only the final recording reflects the shape, we record a demo, listen to it, change it, until we are convinced that this is what a given composition should look like. At concerts, we are supported by additional invited musicians.
With the full album set to release in 2024, what themes or messages do you aim to convey through your music?
We live in very turbulent times, the war in Ukraine on the borders of Poland has greatly affected our country, including people. This is also important in music, which talks about emotions through sound. This album will be conceptual in some way, it will introduce you to another world with its intro, and at the end of the album you will leave it, we hope with a load of deep emotions, it will be a moment of detachment. And that’s why, apart from music, there will be other sounds, and I encourage you to wait for the album.
As OUDEZIEL continues to evolve, what are your long-term goals for the band, and how do you see your music impacting the rock art scene?
We don’t go so far as to think that we can have any influence on the music, we just create the way we truly feel. It’s niche music and maybe it’s considered a limitation, but every single listener who receives emotions and feels something while listening is the most important. And this is the goal, to create truly, without limits, to surprise the listener.
