Zbyszek, thank you for allowing me to interview you. Please explain your background. (where were you born, school, family). What started you on a musical career?
I was born in Inowrocaw (Poland), on October 28, 1973. I finished primary and secondary school (normal and music). My "normal" school was a technical electronic school. In the primary music school I finished on trumpet (!) and secondary on organ and piano. But as I remember I always wanted to play on something... I learned by myself to play wood flute and on guitar (just the simple things..), when I was twelve I started to play in a brass orchestra. Anyway, I started to play trumpet and I played it for six years, then I decided change my instrument to piano. My first band.... It was in primary school, we started to play with Radek (our bass player) and one guitarist. What is interesting, Radek played on drums!!! We played some polish songs, but this guitarist was crazy about Hendrix, so we played lot of his songs! It was really funny! My second band was in secondary school- again with Radek, but this time on bass. We played more our songs, a bit like early Pink Floyd (we were called "SIGMA"). And when I was seventeen we started playing with Radek, Maciek and Rafa and it was the beginning of Quidam...
What types and brands of keyboards do you play?
I play on a Kurweil K2000. It's a sampler. I have a second Kurzweil - K1000 - but I use it only as a master keyboard. Sometimes I take a few sounds from Roland U-220 (it's a rack version of Roland U-20). That's all.
It seems the entire band has a share in the group writing process, is it equal, or does any one or two members write the majority of the material?
The majority of the songs are written by myself and Maciek. Sometimes Emilia gives a melody for our ideas. She also writes the words for all songs.
Of course during rehearsals we working all together to get the final versions of the songs and anybody can play something new and add his/her ideas.
Did progressive music influence you? If so, what bands, if not, who did?
Yes, but not only progressive music... or it depend what you call progressive music...?
Anyway...I can tell you what bands I like and lots of them influence our music for sure. The first band (from "progressive" bands) which I met was Pink Floyd (`The Dark Side of the Moon)...' I was 14 years old... Then I started to looking for another bands like them and I started to listen to music from the 70's: King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple (!!!!!), Yes, Genesis, Camel, Free, The Doors, The Beatles (not only 70's...), ELP, ELO, Manfred Mann, Procol Harum,....
Now I try to listen to many kinds of music. I like Peter Gabriel very much, as well as- , Paula Cole, Seal, Dire Straits, Tears For Fears, and many, many more... I like any "good" music. It could be anything....pop, jazz, blues, classical, rock...
But one band was most important for all the band...and it was Camel.
Who do you think are the best keyboardists in music today?
Jon Lord (Deep Purple)
Quite a few Polish band CDs can be found in American stores that handle progressive music. Would you like to tour the United States someday?
Of course!! If anyone will invite us, we'll go there!
What has been your most satisfying moment in Quidam to date?
For me, it was the moment when I had our first CD in my hand , and Camel's concert, when Emilia was singing on the stage intro from "Harbour of Tears", and a few of our concerts- especially in Belgium (Spirit 66) and in Barcelona.
If you were stranded on a desert island (With a CD player and batteries), and you could have
any ten albums, what would you choose and why?
"The Dark Side of the Moon"- Pink Floyd,
"We Can't Dance" - Genesis,
"Gone to Earth" - David Sylvian,
"Secret World Live" - Peter Gabriel,
"In Rock" - Deep Purple,
"Nude"- Camel,
"Plain Music"- Manfred Mann,
"Józefina" - Józef Skrzek,
"Live" - Procol Harum (with choir and orchestra),
"I" - Led Zeppelin,
Why? I love it!!!
What do you think about the newer generation of progressive bands? What is was your favorite band/performer of all time? Do you have any opinions on rap/alternative MTV-type music?
I think you mean a "new generation..."? So... what I think..? I don't like "new - old" progressive bands. I mean bends who play like a bands from 70's, or 80's. Unfortuatelly there is a lots of those bands. I think that the bands from 70's, 80's like Genesis, Marillion played so well, that there is no sense playing like them. That's why I like new bands who look for somethin new in music, for example Porcupine Tree...
My favorite band/performer...? Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel.
Rap... I don't like it too much. Alternative music... sometimes.
Would you like to explore other types of music? If so... what types?
Maybe a folk music or ethnic. Something like this... And on our new album we use a few loops...some new stuff for Quidam.
Is Quidam a close-knitted group, or are you more like individuals in a band? Is there a leader of the group, someone who has the final say or is it an equal partnership?
For the most part we are a democratic band, but sometimes somebody has to have the last word... And this person is me or Maciek.
Do you do any work outside the group?
Yes I do. I work as a sound engineer. At first in Inowrocaw (my home town), in an institution called "Culture House", but sometimes I go about the country with some bands. I really like it! Besides this I record demo tapes for other bands , or some spots for radio...
There has been a rumor of a new album appearing this summer, will it still be released? Can you talk about the new album/future projects?
The next album will be released in the beginning of next year. There will be nine numbers and it will be 60 min. long. I think it will be more similar to our first album, than second, but of course not the same... You'll find there some long numbers and some shorter songs. We try to use some new sounds and new instruments (for example trumpet). But it's difficult for me to say something about the music... you just have to listen to this yourself!
In terms of your career, where would like to be in 10 years?
.......Good question.... What we all want it's to have possibility to live only for our music and just play and don't have to work in different jobs. That would be great! Personally I would like to have my own studio and lots of time to sit there and play, record and make some amazing, new sounds!!!! Who knows???
Thank you for this interview and the best of luck.
Best regards, Zbyszek.
