interview: Absque Cor

Absque Cor is a one-person black metal entity from Poland. In view of the new album Wędrówkę Haniebnie Zakończyć on Godz ov War Productions, we decided to investigate more about the album and the musician behind the project. After the interview below, check out the album at the link at the bottom.

Hello. Where in Poland are you?

Hi there, since I was born, I’ve lived in Mielec. It is a small city with half of its surface occupied by factories and warehouses. I have a place to earn money for playing at least, and there are some forests to wander, too.

What do you think about your life in Poland?

Despite some situations in which I was threatened or beaten because of long hair/chains by some ‘hooligans’ many years ago, I can’t really complain. Maybe it was still easier for me anyway because, as I heard from my older friends, years back it was more difficult.

Is this Absque Cor’s first album?

Yes, this is Absque Cor’s first release, but there was a one single recording which I did before Absque Cor (as myself only), yet it was a completely different concept, so I gave it up.

How did Absque Cor begin?

This solo project began when a part of me, while in a band with Marcin and Piotr from Preludium, thought that we had no motivation to work on that matter, and I decided to do something on my own. I started writing music for Absque Cor in early 2015, and recorded it by the end of that year.

How long have you been playing musical instruments? Do you play other instruments like violin, flute, saxophone or piano?

I started to play guitar like eight years ago, but I don’t think I can play this or another instrument. I have never attended any music school, all the music theory that I know I actually learned in primary school, and I don’t want to be disrespectful towards people who know and can do more than me. I tried drums, keyboard/synthesizer, cymbals, Jew's-harp, but all I know are just the basics, and it takes me some time to play what I want properly. I’d like to learn saxophone, but I don’t know if I will ever have enough money and some place for practice.

Do you play drums on the recording?

No, it is a program, but I spent a lot of time making it as sound human as possible, and as I can.

How long have you been writing metal music? What attracted you to black metal?

In mid 2011, I joined some forming deathcore band from my town so I don’t know if I can call it metal, haha. Anyway, my first pure death metal band was started in 2012, I think, and it disbanded after three years, when I started Absque Cor (I mentioned it earlier). At first, what attracted me to black metal was its fastness and darkness, and I got to appreciate the atmosphere, too. One of my first favourites was Burzum’s ‘Hvis Lyset Tarr Oss’, Poland’s MasseMord’s ‘Let The World Burn’, Summoning’s ‘Stronghold’, Silencer’s ‘Death Pierce Me’, Shining I-V… I think Psychonaut 4 were releasing their first demo ‘40%’ at the time, Antimatter released ‘Leaving Eden’ (not black metal, but I think it did leave a mark on me). The thing is I started to listen to black metal when I started to listen to heavy music at all. I got just moments when I liked other types of metal more, but nowadays I listen almost only to black metal (except for some really good death metal bands or bands with a style you can’t really describe). I don’t listen to any other metal or rock at all, even thrash metal which some years ago I liked the most.

How does the first song “Jeden księżyc wciąż wskazuje” serve as an introduction to the album? Is it one of the first songs that you wrote? What inspired the lyrics?

Actually, it’s the second song I’ve ever written, but meant to be the first from the very beginning. I don’t want to tell what’s behind the lyrics exactly. This is a thing in this album’s lyrics that it won’t tell you straight what’s going on, I can only give you some hints and you must think for yourself. Just like with poor human beings. Every song is written to render some periods of my life, lyrics are feelings/observations from me about these periods.

How many guitars are there on “Jeden księżyc wciąż wskazuje”?

Back in 2015, when I started to compose the whole album, I was not too experienced at creating songs at all, and I still am not. “Wędrówkę Haniebnie Zakończyć” was written for one guitar, with only moments with another one. I tried to make up for it with a varied bassline. I think the future will bring more interesting guitar play.

Is that an acoustic guitar at the beginning of “To co w człowieku nieuniknione”? The song also has a quiet moment in the middle. Towards the end, is that an acoustic guitar, too? The song has several changes in mood. With a song like this one, with an ambitious vibe, how quickly does it come together?

Yes, I used a Gibson acoustic guitar (I don’t remember the model, sorry), which I borrowed from Wojciech Dobrzański (Husar Guitars) who has also made my electric guitar. What you ask about composing, I would say that’s matter of inspiration, or mood. I remember that I wrote ‘Zdecyduj więc sam, którą wybierzesz drogę’ in about 6 hours, without any breaks, and I changed like two moments only after all.

Where does the third song “Zdecyduj więc sam, którą wybierzesz drogę” fit in the big picture of the album?

I can tell you this is song about a thing completely destroying people gathered around, for the prize of nothing at all.

Of course, “Do niezbawienia” closes the album. It's a shorter song and maybe the easiest song to understand. Why did you choose this track to wind down the album?

I think it is all in the lyrics when you decide to have a closer look. Every song was written and meant for a specific place on the album, and from the very beginning I was more or less sure what I wanted to achieve.

How has the process of learning to record your own music been for you? Have you had to learn all by yourself, maybe watching YouTube videos?

No, I learned it all by myself. Everything I learned in my life is from mistakes I’ve made and I don’t say that I didn’t make them recording wise. It was the first time ever I’d tried to record guitars live, first time of semi-professional mix and mastering, and first time of making vocals like that.

Is the picture of Vos on Metal Archives correct?

Yes, I think it’s me, but I would like it not to.

All your songs are in Polish? Do you know if there are good translations of your lyrics online?

When thinking first about the structure of the album, I was thinking of making some 20 minute EP with English lyrics. You can hear what I made in the end, so I would say that being honest is one of music’s strongest effects on me, so I did everything as honestly as I could, and very intuitively. I think that these are simple lyrics which Google Translate can handle.

Absque Cor is an anonymous entity. Why? Controversial political views and support? Misanthropy?

I think that there is no party in this world which claims to kill every human being, so I think no, Absque Cor do not support anyone and anything except despise for people. I don’t want to give straight answers, just like with music. I am a human too after all, and if someone really needs to know my full name, they can find me online by doing some research and using their intelligence. It isn’t really hard, and I don’t even try to hide it particularly hard.

What is the future of Absque Cor? Is there more music on the way?

Yes, when Greg accepted Absque Cor on his label, I started to write music for the next album. Unfortunately, I don’t know when I will finish it, but there will be another release. This time it will be a band which some people asked me to form with before the release of Absque Cor. Of course, there will be a release if there is someone who wants to release it.

Are you on Facebook? How can people support your music?

I only have a personal account which serves me with information about music, gigs and a little contact. Personally, I don’t need any support from anyone except my label, so it’s clear that the best way to support Absque Cor is to support Godz ov War. I also have a Bandcamp page with a large contact button, so you can send me every shit you like.

Thank you for your time!

Thanks for your interest and good will.

absquecor.bandcamp.com