Focus on Poland: SLG

Focus on Poland: SLG

19 November, 2010 | 10.32AM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: focus on, slg

Based in Łodz, SLG (Łukasz Seliga) got his start five years ago, releasing on labels like Level Records, Trenton Records, and particularly Trapez, for whom he’s turned out more than half a dozen records over the years. He’s known for his jacking, swing-infused tech-house style, influenced by artists like DBX and Akufen; his dynamic, evolving tracks reflect his extensive experience performing live.

As of this summer, SLG has taken a deeper turn; his Dad’s Records EP, for Catz ‘n Dogz’ Pets Recordings, is a heavy groover full of disco samples, dreamy vox, and immaculate filter action.

We caught up with the Polish producer for our latest installment of the Focus on Poland series.

What’s your own history with electronic music—how did you discover it, and how did you come to start making it?

I already felt in love with synthesized sounds at quite early age, when I was around 11-12 years old and I was listening to synth pop like Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre, OMD, Erasure. But then when I was around 14 I got into rock music and started to play guitar. Nine Inch Nails brought me back to electronic music, because they mixed heavy guitars with electronic sounds. I discovered artists like Aphex Twin or Coil through their remix albums. And then I heard two albums that completely changed my approach to music: Aphex Twin’s Classics and Autechre’s Amber. I was hugely influenced by Warp Records and this experimental stuff, and I got into straighter house and techno a few years later.

I started producing quite early but I couldn’t afford professional gear at that time, and the software I used was very basic, so I was doing it just for fun, without pressure to release it. Then suddenly I found myself making music full-time.

When did electronic dance music first start taking off in Poland, and what were the principal cities and clubs for it?

It started in the first half of ‘90s, and I think that Warsaw and Poznan were the principal cities for the techno scene. There was a record distribution in Poznan and Jacek Sienkiewicz, and Marcin Czubala started the first two techno labels. At the same time my hometown Łodz was a cradle for early hardcore/rave/drum ‘n’ bass scene, which used to be really big there. We had lot of these huge raves and Freedom Parade, which was a Polish counterpart to the Love Parade. There were a lot of parties going on in Stettin too; it’s close to Berlin, so it was largely influenced by the German sound.

Poland has a unique geographical position in Europe, with Germany to the West and Ukraine/Russia to the East, making the country something of a passageway between two very different cultures. Has this impacted Polish electronic music in any way?

I think that when it comes to electronic music our eastern neighbors didn’t really had an impact on us, and it’s definitely influenced by the western side. But I’d like to think that we have a certain Slavic soul in our sound.

What does Polish electronic-music culture lack, do you think? What would you like to see more of?

It still lacks some professionalism. It’s still quite underground and lot of parties are promoted by some DIY enthusiasts, but there’s not enough proper venues and good promoters. But we do have a nice crowd at those parties—Polish people know how to party.

Enough about music: what food should visitors to Poland seek out?

Visitors should defintely try pierogi (Polish dumplings), zurek (sour rye soup), bigos (cabbage stew) or golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls), also barszcz (beetroot soup). But of course there’s much food to discover, and it’s not expensive.

Now there’s a revival of old-school Polish bars when you can have a shot of vodka for one euro and eat something for two euros. It’s worth to give ‘em a try before you go to the party.

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