Dear readers, we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with a Polish band that offers a Psychedelic sound mixed with Avant-Garde and much more. We welcome Oranżada.
Hi, it is a pleasure to have you among our pages, how are you?
“Hello. All good. Once better, once worse but life is full of surprises and puzzles – and that is the most interesting thing about it. Not always cheerful, tough, ha, ha“
The band was formed in the early 2000s, how did the project come about and what does your name Oranżada mean?
“When we were kids in our hometown, there was a pre-war (still standing, by the way) wooden building in which on the first floor there was a private vegetable store. Inside of it, you could buy the best oranżada (it’s an old Polish fizzy fruit drink) at that time. They were packed in pre-war type bottles. And a dozen meters next door was the elementary school, to
which each one of us attended but in different periods of time. And on every long break at school, lots of kids ran there to drink this delicious oranżada. 25 years later, we Oranżada guys got to know each other as buddies. We spent a lot of time
together, listening to music and having fun. It turned out that we had similar musical tastes and ambitions. It also turned out that all of us knew how to play an instrument. And it also turned out that we all went to the same school and we all ran to the iconic store with oranżada. Therefore, we decided to form a band. And while looking for a name we came up with this very Oranżada, which, as it turned out, we all drank with adoration when we were kids 🙂“
You offer a mixture of Experimental, Avant-Garde and Psychedelia, among others, how would you describe your sound?
“It’s hard to describe the sound simply because we didn’t specify at the beginning that we’re going to play like this or like that. We play what we feel in our souls. And since time passes, life changes, situations and emotions also change, our music is different. Though not entirely. Because, however, each of us has a certain style of playing, and through this
common link we will always sound like Oranżada. Someone once nicely described our music as psycho-delicious (in Polish pronunciation, it comes under psychedelic).“
How did your passion for these sounds come about and what are your main sources of inspiration in this regard?
“Our inspirations were certainly greatly influenced by what we were fascinated with when we were young (and in many cases still are), and each of us came from a slightly different background and our fascinations differed. Sometimes the fascinations were common but at times they were brought from the outside by one of us.
So, during frequent meetings, both punk rock the 1960s music were at play – all that hipster, hardrock, German krautrock (Amon Duul II, Can), French GONG, avant-garde like Michael Mantler or Fred Frith, new wave, reggae – flowed from the speakers. Basically, we were (and still are) open to any music that we think will just be good, interesting, not weak pop crap.“
Your new album “Salto” was released on March 20th, how would you describe this work?
“The basis of this music is pure improvisation in the here and now, played and recorded live in one go. Originally it was supposed to be music for a movie. Eventually, it didn’t come to realization but the music stayed. Maciej Cieslak, the leader of the cult Polish alternative band Ścianka and also a music producer, became interested in it and decided to mix it. Then Maja Laura, daughter of Krzysztof Jaryczewski, vocalist of the legendary Polish band Oddział Zamknięty, added her lovely vocals as a guest, and Maciej Cieslak sang on one track (it’s the only sung song with lyrics on this album, by the way).
So, to describe this album in the simplest terms – it’s simply an improvisation flowing here and now from the heart. Played, by the way, at the time of the full moon, and we believe that it has an impact on life on earth 🙂“
Elaborate experimental instrumental twists characterise the tracks, how does the creative process of your music take place?
“As I mentioned earlier, the basis was pure improvisation. Then, human voice had to be recorded and everything had to be mixed.“
Despite being predominantly instrumental, what theme does this work deal with?
“I think that there is not really one common theme. That’s what improvisation is all about, that everyone has some vision in their head and translates it here and now into sounds by matching what they hear from the rest of the band. And if it all sticks together then cool music may come out.“
Effects and modulations enrich the sound, what equipment did you use to make the record?
“Let me answer for myself (drums). Drums are old Premier Olympic from the late 60s/early 70s. Cymbals are a mix – mostly old Paiste and Zildjian but also newer Istambul or Soultone.“
Many of our readers and your fans wonder if there will be a chance to hear your music live in the near future, do you have any plans in this regard?
“We are just planning a series of concerts starting in May this year, in different parts of Poland.“
How has the way of experiencing live performances changed from the early 00s to today and what has changed for you?
“In my case as a drummer perhaps the only thing that has changed is that after so many concerts played, I no longer have such stage fright as in the days of the first performances. We’ve been playing together for so many years that I know we’ll always get along. Apart from that, everything is just like before. We feel adrenaline before every performance because we like doing it.“
Music is constantly evolving, how do you see today’s scene in your country and more specifically in your genre?
“As for alternative, psychedelic, non-standard music, contrary to appearances, there are quite a few young bands in our country exploring these more difficult areas of music. However,this is a niche in the commercial market and will be dug up by those who are looking for it. There is not much of this in the public media.“
Your first album was released in 2005, how has your sound evolved since then?
“It’s hard to say for ourselves. I think it would be better judged by someone from the outside who knows our records and likes us. Certainly the sounds are different. Due to different studios and recording conditions, as well as the fact that we have changed instruments over the years looking for interesting sounds.“
Given your experience, what advice would you give to young artists approaching music in a more sophisticated genre such as yours?
“My advice – do your own thing. Be open to new sounds, to different music, to absorb, to be fascinated. To enrich your mind but at the end always do what you feel best. You can be inspired by someone but not imitate. You have to make your own music from yourself, from the heart, then it will be authentic and once it reaches someone it will stay for a long time.“
Do you have any other artistic activities or passions outside of music?
“Besides playing drums, I collect vinyls (about a thousand in the collection), I used to paint pictures and do graphic design. Sometimes I’ll write a poem. And until recently another of my not-so-glorious passions was the love for beer, ha,ha 😀“
I thank the band for the interview and wish them all the best for the promotion of their new album and the continuation of their artistic career.