Nikodem Langfuhr

Tell us your story about your musical path. When did it start, and how did it turn into what we hear now? How much time do you spend listening to music and exploring diverse catalogs? What record format do you prefer (digital or physical) and why? Also, what were your motives for entering “The Guide” competition apart from winning?

Jacek: I seriously started listening to music in grade school. Since then music has been a vital part of my everyday life and I spent the majority of my free time listening to and searching for new music. The first bands I got into were mainly rock/metal and for a long time I had an aversion to electronic music since I labelled it ‘not real music/push button music’. That was until I first heard Aphex Twin (the compilation album ‘Classics’ to be exact). I immediately fell in love with this album and started listening to RDJ’s other albums. After that I discovered Autechre, Squarepusher and from then on I pretty much started to listen to anything good I could get my hands on regardless of the music genre. I still have a lot of cassettes and CD’s of my favorite artists but now I’d much rather listen to music from my computer since I find it more convenient.

Currently I mostly listen to sludge/doom and black metal and some drone and ambient to counterbalance the heaviness.

Artur: Music was present in my life as far as I can remember. My parents used to listen (well, they still do) to a wide range of genres like jazz, blues, all kinds of rock and electronic stuff among which my childhood favorites were Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and J.M. Jarre. I also had friends a few years older than me who used to record pirate radio shows on cassette. This was my first encounter with gabba and rave music. Perhaps because of this, from an early age I had a passion towards harder genres. Later I got into black metal and lost interest in electronic music for few years until I went to my first speedcore party. Since then I’ve become more open to experimental stuff and started searching for anything that I might find interesting. This search continues now and has become more thorough and intensive over the years. As for the format, I am a collector, so for me it’s always nice to have something to hold in my hands and to look at. When I was younger, I bought vinyl records solely for the purpose of using them in my DJ sets, since I did – and still do – DJ. Now, I mostly buy music for home listening. As for our decision to participate in ‘The Guide’ competition (which was a coincidence as I came across your site by accident), we felt it was a good opportunity to make a new mix as Nikodem Langfuhr is on hiatus for a time now. Now we intend to work on new projects on a more regular basis, so keep an eye for our new mixes.

Tell us more about this mix’s concept and ideology. Why did you choose this way of compiling and developing it? Did you have a clear idea from the very beginning or did it change after you started working on it? Does it hide any encoded message or specific emotions? Also, could you say that it is your best selection ever crafted?

Artur: As with our previous mixes, we wanted it to be as diverse, interesting, educational and entertaining as possible. In this instance, we started out with several songs that we planned on using and came up with a name for the mix (Ballet of Violence) in order to set a general mood/theme with which we could toy. Once we got down to selecting and connecting the tracks it was a quick process, since we had a clear idea of the effect we wanted to achieve and the tracks we had in mind seemed to complement each other naturally. We feel the mix tells its own story: it concerns the fun aspects of the dark side of the human psyche i.e. not the suicidal, dismal parts, but rather the mischievous, violent, alluring parts. We would like listeners to get carried away , to feel uneasy and pleasant at the same time.

To which types of listeners is this mix most dedicated? Should these persons have more musical knowledge, spiritual balance or both? Could you describe these people in detail, thus revealing your individuality? Also, do you think that universal music exists?

Jacek: The people we wanted to please most with this mix were ourselves, since we didn’t want to do anything that we wouldn’t enjoy listening to. Of course, if other people find it enjoyable that’s great, but the most important thing is the quality of the end result in our own eyes. We didn’t try to stick to one music genre, but since the overall mood of the mix is consistent, it could end up appealing to listeners, who are not familiar with the artists and types of music presented. We feel that music is a language in its own right. People can find something alluring in music from an unfamiliar genre. In the same way someone might find a foreign language beautiful (they hear it for the first time, yet they won’t comprehend its’ exact meaning). Since the mix can’t be categorized as easy listening, it may strike a chord with more curious, adventurous listeners. Also, due to some of its content, the most suitable setting would be a serial killer convention – though mainly we listen on headphones at home – and the experience is every bit as satisfying.

What is your opinion of the current worldwide intelligent music scene? What do you think about it? What do you think about its future? What reach and attention does it have at the moment? Please write us your thoughts with examples, so that we know your insights and position.

Jacek & Artur: With the current music scene (as with pretty much all areas of life nowadays) there’s a division between big corporations that make products to generate profit, and the people passionate about what they do, who create great (and occasionally not so great) things. Despite the fact commercial music appears to ooze from every orifice of the Modern World, true music is as alive as ever thanks to artists who are doing their thing and improving their craft, even if few people actually notice them. In electronic music the DIY philosophy is strong: we have easy access to the tools for creating music. On the other hand, every day you’ll find tons of half-decent stuff you’ll forget by the end of the day due to the sheer volume of music being released. Digging through it might prove time-consuming for many; but if you’re willing to make an effort to search for something interesting, I guarantee it’s there to be found. Personally I cannot imagine a time when people will stop making good music.