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An Interview with Frogski Pop and Slnko Records...
12.04.2002
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In Slovakia, the politics of the last decade have beseiged the hopes of young entrepreneurs and Ñbrain drainì has proves the lack of foreseeable improvement on the horizon. However, the spirit of independent music thrives in Bratislava and independent record labels have found their own ways to exist and grow, despite the challenges facing the world-wide independent music industries. It takes a clever approach to survive and continue. Slnko Records is a Slovak label both dedicated to independent music and also extremely savvy in finding how to continue on. Fully musician-run, Slnko Records was started by visual artist and singer Sina and guitarist Daniel Salontay, who press the bands releases on CDRs, encasing them in arty packaging. The result is an inspired triumph over that which others would view as a limitation on progress: being able to make your own CDs and design by item per order is an artistic, non-wasteful, and freeing process over which the label feels it has control. Bar codes, shmar codes: Slnko is much more interested in feasible ways of getting their music out there.
Slnko Records ties together a community of musicians mostly in Bratislava, whose talents span the genres from modern composition and computer music, techno and ambiente trip hop to jazz and rock and kitchy theatrical pop. Respected works of Slovak musicians and artists like Martin Burlas, Jan Boleslav Kladivo, Lubo Burgr, Frogski Pop, and Dlhy Diely constitute the labelës small but growing catalogue.
The music of Frogski Pop is an arty combination of ambiente electronica, theater, techno, and folk...if this sounds like an odd combination, rest assured that the result is a glistening and challenging pop music which brings to the fore the element that makes pop music from Eastern Europe so interesting: the cultural clash of folk musicís plucky rhythms and melodies with technoís beats, grooves and samples, sewn together by ambiente atmospheres, and performed sans the self-consciousness Ñpop starìaffliction typically shared by aspiring young pop bands. The line-up includes singer Sina, keyboardist and samples mixer Jaroslav Ridzo, and guitarist and reedist Daniel Salontay, musicians who have been around the block, who have to date recorded for major label imprints and who have played in several successful local projects. The incarnation Frogski Pop combines a seemless blend of each memberís talents, capturing a unique, smooth ambiente sound.
The following interview is with Slnko Records founders and Frogski Pop members Sina, Daniel Salontay, and Jaroslav Ridzon:
A bit of history about Frogski Pop...
JR: Frogski Pop got started in 1994 from rather curious circumstances. I was working at the time as the literary editor for Radio Ragtime, where I had access to their recording studio in my free time. I started to invite people with whom I recorded around 20 songs on an 8-track analogue recorder. Some songs were really funny, I mean I was pretty taken with the whole dance scene, but trying to synchronize single tracks on an 8 track analogue was quite a trick.
How did you guys start as a band?
JR: Later I got together my own recording gear and set up a for recording on my own computer. Frogski Pop has existed for a long time more as friends than as a band. During the years, all of around 30 would turn up on recordings together and not ever meet each other in person. Only recently have these people sort of gotten together in a stabilized kind of community, so that itís been possible to play live. Daniel first joined us with his guitar on the song Peppermint (on Sunday) and Sina started singing with us on Tengo Poco Tiempo, kind of by accident but it worked out well. After recording a few tracks with Sinaís voice, we invited her back to the studio for more at the next available opportunity.
Where did you learn to sing so beautifully? Do you sing with other bands, and did you study singing?
Si: Well, actually in the kitchen. I started to sing when I was like 4, for the cooks in my nursery school. They liked it, and I always got a lollipop for it. I went to music school for a couple of years later, to learn to sing, but thatís about all of the formal training Iíve had. When I was about 13 I started playing piano, and started writing songs on the piano and in my head. I later played these songs for friends at school, but very rarely and mostly when camping...or yeah, in the hallways when hanging out with friends in our college dorm- this is a typical way that students procrastinate over here when they are studying! We would hang out all night sometimes, drinking and whatnot, but also making music. I realized later that when we were singing these mixtures of folk and sort of country songs, that the music was occuring to me in my head quite differently than it actually sounded in the halls. I then started to search for how to realize what I was hearing in my head in my singing and songs.
After that I spent a long long time singing in the kitchen, since there was no carpeting there and the sound resonated so nicely. By singing in the kitchen, I figured out how to sing solidly without singing loudly, the way I had been used to singing with friends. I also started picking up bass guitar, and developed my singing in two ways. First, I started working on arranging songs and secondly I started working with the sounds my voice could make, more like for the purpose of expression of things that are not conveyable in words. I realized a while ago that if the sounds in my head are going to be realized, Iím going to be the one who is going to have to figure out a way to do it. Like trying to describe some visual experience to someone else, you really have to see it yourself. So, for my singing on Master and Margarita, on Sinadisk, and in Frogski Pop, basically I leave the sounds as they are.
Where and how often do you guys play in Slovakia these days?
Si: Right now weíre playing once or twice a month with Dlhy diela. Frogski Pop hasnít played often so far in Slovakia actually, probably weíve played live twice so far.
Are you planning to record a Frogski Pop album?
JR: Weíve been constantly at work on the Frogski Pop album, which is coming along but slowly, because of basic problems involving using my hard drive to record final mixes. Of course, weíre always finding this or that that we think could be improved, changed, or rerecorded. Probably what would help us most now is a deadline, so we actually get the album done! In any case, it should be finished this year.
Do you guys have your own studio where you record? Can you describe anything about the studio and the community in which you guys record your works and others in Slnko Records?
Si: DlhÈ diely records in Trnava, in Milan Tokolyís studio, which is a beautiful studio actually in the old part of town by a huge church. Itís really peaceful there, and there is a garden below and a window opening out above it through which the sun sneaks in. Milan is really handy in the studio and has good gear for recording, which we really need. Last September we gave three songs to Jan Boleslav Kladivo, who made these great, lively, a bit experimental mixes in his studio in the Slovak Broadcasting building. We recorded some tracks for Sinadisk there, and some were then finished on Slavo Solovicís computer (from Disco Pigs.) Actually, the CD Master andÜMargarÈta came up over time spent in two kitchens and one room: then the whole thing was remixed by Martin Burlas.
JR: We record the acoustic instruments and vocals in the studio at the firm Gratex where I work. The rest of the tracks we record at home.
DS: The word Ñcommunityì is rather fitting for the way the arrangements of the songs on our album ÑSeptemberì came together. We all know each other for a long time, so our band comes from a mutual understanding more than anything else. In fact, September was almost all recorded live except for the vocals. We left all but three songs in their unmixed version, which rather reflects the real atmosphere of those five days we spent recording. The other records all came about differently, so thereís no one recipe to speak about their genre or their coming together.
Do you think the climate is getting better for new labels in Slovakia these days? It seems that way to us, that there are new projects of exremely high quality all over Slovakia, from Nylon Union and DeadRed Records to Martin Burlas and Lubo Burgr's projects...???
Si: It would be nice to be able to say, that the preoccupation of distributors with overpriced new foreign releases would work out better for the chances for our music. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It seems to me that the most important thing is the whole general situation and mood of the whole market. When people get pissed off enough that they canít afford music that they like, it affects us too. The consequence of this is in the result: people argue that thus it totallly doesnít matter whose music you burn, itís affecting all of us together the gains are the same as the losses. On the other hand, the way we work is that we burn our own CDs, so in effect we have freedom over what we do. This way, we burn as many copies as we need, so there is no pressure on us to sell them, and so we never have all those extra CDs in some storage somewhere, that we wouldnít know where to sell. Na druhej strane, spÙsob, akym to robÌme, ûe vlastne sami napalujeme svoje CD n·m d·va ™plnu slobodu v tom, ako si to urobÌme.
DS: Iíd like to just mention a bit about Martin Burlas and Lubo Burgr, musicians I know from playing in their bands Ali Ibn Rachid and Dogma. Both of those guys really need a capable agent, because they are really talented; much better artists than they are managers of their career development. They do great concerts, but then fans have to work hard to find their records. Itís a pity, they have become rather Ñcultì stars rather than really famous. They could use some good feedback, even though they may not show it
Can you tell us anything about the different music scenes (in electronic/electropop/crossover indie music, I mean) in Slovakia? Are there new projects or venues that are cool popping up in Bratislava?
Si: Itís really hard to follow a particular scene in Bratislava because scenes by and large donít have their own place or center. Concerts are spread out over a couple of months. I donít go out very often, and I donít spend too much time listen to other peopleís music these days.
JR: The domestic electronic scene until recently has been rather weak, mainly because there was nowhere for the scene to exist; nowhere to play, nowhere to put it out. Recently itís gotten a bit better. The difference between now and the start of the 90ës, when labels like Zoon Records were still around, is that people nowadays donít want to do independent projects that risk not making money. Slnko Records and Dead Red Records are exceptions.
DS: There are a few really good organizers, whose activities are almost always guaranteed to be interesting. For example, there are the musical evenings of the group Atrakt Art. And, the magazine and promotions organization Trisvrte Review (3/4 Review) maps improvised music and has done good work with their Next Festival. The festival ÑVecery Novej Hudbyì (Nights of New Music) presents the work of Bratislavaís best and most interesting new composers like Daniel Matej, Marek Piacek, Peter Zagar, Lubo Burgr, Martin Burlas and others. The magazine Vlna, collaborating with Dead Red Records, maps the electronica scene; and other agencies like booking company Vresk, festival Pohoda, and people in the Wilsonic festival, which brings in lots of foreign new musical projects.
What about music media in Slovakia, what are some new independent magazines or radio?
Si: This is perhaps an even worse problem than with concerts, for there are all of these people making music on their computers, and if by chance the band canít perform the music live, then how would people find out about the music? Good musicians then become family entertainment instead of local stars. We personally have had good success with Rock FM radio, where after 10 PM there are indie programs on folk or singer-songwriter with Sona Horn™kov™ or electronic musicians with Dana Balaz, and then Night Life with Rob Gregor. Radio Ragtime used to be a great station, which did a lot of good for the Slovak alternative scene. There is the print version of Tristvrte Review, Kosice magazine Muzikant, and the really good webzine 5 D. And a few other website reviewers like anarchy.sk, or funserver.sk ...
What is going on in Kosice these days in music? Such a big lovely city with lots of money, is there a scene there ?
Si: the guys at Muzikant would know more about this...
DS: the only band I know from Kosice is Puding Pan Elvisovej, a pop band that plays rather non-complex music.
JR: Hang on, but Puding Pan Elvisovej isnít even really a Kosice band- theyíve been in Bratislava for two years already! As far as I know, Kosice is rather far East, and mainly guitar/poprock bands play there. If there is an electronic music scene there, itís well hidden.
What do you guys do in your normal time, are you students or do you have other jobs during the day?
Si: Iíve been working mainly on Slnko Records for the past year, and Iíve been trying not to commit much to anything more than that. I used to do more things at once, but I donít want to any longer. So itís pretty simple: we play, I sing, we write songs, we burn our discs, we make our CD covers, we sell music, and we play concerts. Between that somehow I manage to eat, sleep, and meet up with friends and tend my little garden.
DS: I work as publishing director of the Milan Simecku Foundation, and Iíve got projects there with magazines and books to keep me going until the end of this year. then Iíll see where life takes me.
JR: My other job is as editor of the internet magazine InZine, and Iím a student in scriptwriting at the Arts School of Komenius University.
How do you pay for making records?
Si: We somehow manage to pay for making the records from our own resources. Actually, the recording September was funded by the Artist Fund to the tune of 20,000 SK ($600 US) which isnít a lot of money, but it helped us to record both September and parts of Sinadisk. Musicians like us arenít making money from our records, but we only have to really pay studio costs. Oh yes, and we are obligated to pay the costs of joining SOZA.
DS: We had originally planned to release September like a normal CD. I applied for grants to do this, but I didnít have any success. Now I actually think that the way weíre handling the label is helping us a lot, itís giving us an ideal way for the label to exist on its own. I wouldnít commit to saying that all future albums on Slnko records will be done like this Ñprint on demand.ìBut until now, thanks to the positive feedback weíve gotten from people, and thanks to the good people who buy our music, this way is proving to be just fine.
What records to you plan to release in the next year?
Si: In February we arranged to record five new songs on an EP with Jan Boleslav Kladivo. Then the guys want to record an instrumental CD, for which theyíve already got a lot of material. Now theyíre working under the name Ñ Druhy Zivot DlhÈho dieluì (the second life of Druhy diely.) Daniel that itís going to be a high-adrenaline mix. I would like to put out one album of songs and one with a Chinese sound, a bit like on Master and Margarita. The rest of our plans, well, weíll see. Lots of stuff we worked on last year actually came up rather suddenly.
Dano: Actually, this instrumental album that Sina is talking about came up after Sina heard the guitar part in our song Ñverklikoveì (organ grinder) We just have to record it. In recording September, the other musicians were a bit shocked, since they normally know me from as a guitarist with projects like Mr. Band, Chorea Minor, or Neuropa, who rather prefers to take off rather than to show the intimate side of the music. Iíve got two sides. And playing adrenalized music takes a toll on the ego, and a musician has to know to what extent itís about energy or self-indulgence.
What do you guys think about the future of Slovakia next year: do you think that Meciar will come back, and if so do you think that would have crazy bad affects on everything independent in music culture???
Si: I think that Meciar will come back, to the delight of the majority of Slovak citizens, but I really would prefer to not have to predict this. But you know, we get what we deserve. I just hope that such a turn of events doesnít have a huge effect on my work. We donít even have a television at home, and we donít read the political papers too often, so the gabby speeches of politicians donít regularly make their way to us. I try to just take care of my health so I can stick around for a few years, longer than when Meciar or any others will still be around.
Dano: Sina basically hits the nail on the head there. I mean, I would just add that some musicians find real inspiration from frustrations with the political situation here, which drives them to play. While others really exploit the political in their music, making a buck off opportunities to support whatever the hell candidate is running in the next election.
Are there any movements in the independent music and culture communities, regarding the elections next year???
Si: I havenít come across any. But judging from the past trials with such organizations, these donít even work. The only thing that would really change this system for the better, bringing these so-to-speak Ñuntouchableì politicians down a few notches and into reality, would be to scrub the whole thing down from the top to the bottom somehow.
Dano: Letës please go back to talking about music.
Sina (ÑShinaì)
bands - DlhÈ Diely, Frogski pop
recordings ñ September (2001, Slnko records), Master a MargarÈta (2001, Slnko records), Sinadisk (2001 Slnko records)
on compilations: Tengo Poco Tiempo (VelkÈ usi maj™ strach/DeadRed Rec., 2001)
publishing ñ www.slnkorecords.sk
Dano Salontay:
bands - DlhÈ Diely, Neuropa, Frogski pop, Ali ibn rachid
recordings ñ September (2001, Slnko records), Neuropa (2000 BMG), Sinadisk (2001 Slnko records), Dogma: Dilema (2000, Medi·lny instit™t)
on compilations: Tengo Poco Tiempo (VelkÈ usi maj™ strach/DeadRed Rec., 2001)
Jaroslav Ridzon:
bands - Frogski pop
recordings: Tengo Poco Tiempo (Tiempo (VelkÈ usi maj™ strach /DeadRed Rec., 2001), Peppermint (On Sunday) (Universal Music, 2001), 902 10 (GA, 1996), Singe The Slippers (GA, 1995), Hudba z Marsu ñ 90. roky ñ remix (Monti/Warner 2001)
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