FL: What meaning does the history and tradition of electronic music have for you? Do you refer to the past in your music?
A_GIM: Very often and with much intensity. Not knowing the context might make the creative process easier but only at first. With time, that sort of ignorance becomes an obstacle. I very often and very consciously refer to the electronic music of the 1970s. The German and French scenes were particularly to my liking. I also draw a lot of inspiration from the American and the Polish avant-garde of the 1950s and 1960s.
Many contemporary artists refer to the past in a significant way. For example, the newest Efdemin album, New Atlantis, appears to be quite unique on first listen. But with a little knowledge about the history of electronic music, you can hear inspirations from Klaus Schulze’s Irrlicht album (1972). Obviously, I don’t see anything wrong with that. We create a continuity which keeps on evolving.
FL: Which PRES artist is your favourite?
A_GIM: Eugueniusz Rudnik. I had the honour of working with his music for an album recapitulating his creative output. The album is named Miniatury (2015), or Rudnik’s Cube and was released by Requiem Records. I’m also attached to the work of Krzysztof Knittel and Włodzimierz Kotoński.
FL: What is your favourite song from the Warsaw studio?
A_GIM: It’s difficult for me to point to one composition. I treat the works of PRES as a single whole, one very important to our culture. If I had to choose one track using only aesthetic criteria, I would probably choose Kotoński’s Aela.
FL: Which sound from the PRES sample library was the most to your taste?
A_GIM: The fragments cut out of Krzysztof Knittel’s music, such as the Echo Drone and Jammin.
Interview conducted in Polish by email, April 2019; translated by MW, June 2019