Chain D.L.K.: Krepulec was born in 2002 and sees you (Infamis) and Grzegorz S. (who’s also involved with Totenhaus and Horologium) collaborating. Can you explain what made you feel the urge to form this project?
Krepulec: Tomasz: Salute! This is correct, the project has been created in 2002 on Infamis’ and Grzegorz’s initiative. Creating the project related to this kind of mood has been caused mainly by the will of making a strictly Polish military project based on Polish history and tradition. This was the foundation. To create a project which relied on Polish (I emphasize: Polish) patriotic songs. Frankly, since there was no other project in this genre in Poland at the time (except maybe Ghosts of Breslau), Infamis cared about making exactly that kind of “creation” which could reflect this country. Polish fight, honour, strength, obstinacy or weaknesses. That’s why this project assumed the Polish name Krepulec which means a big iron slaughterhouse hook on which people were hanging pigs and taking their blood out.
Chain D.L.K.: On your website you wrote that Krepulec is a musical incarnation of Polish patriotic and revolutionary songs. In these days how can being patriotic be also revolutionary?
Krepulec: Yes, precisely. As I said previously, the music of Krepulec is the reflection of Polish patriotic and revolutionary songs. Can you be a patriot and a revolutionary in one in present times? Hard question, patriotism can be considered in many ways. Everyone can attribute special tasks or activities to patriotism. For me personally, being a patriot is to cultivate and remember your own history. To remember acts, fights for independence and other momentous events. At present times, when people are involved in running for money and career, everything different recedes into the background. That’s why in order to be a patriot one has to have something of a revolutionary inside as well.
Chain D.L.K.: Being patriotic, what kind of thoughts do you have about theEuropean community?
Krepulec: Each country has got its own tradition and culture that we fully respect and appreciate. Europe survived many sufferings and tragedies over many years, mainly because of the manic and sick ideas of some European dictators. However, despite of this the European culture and society has a great spirit which is inside of all nations, no matter the historical events. The spirit of Europe was an inspiration for us to create the content (N.B. titled exactly “Europe”) for the concert on 20th October 2007. Each country, each European nation has got many solemn moments in its history and I think that it’s worth to fall back on the history, culture and tradition of Europe because it has got many important and inspiring aspects inside. Considering the present aspect of the European Community I’m afraid that soon it could lose its primary meaning and everything will change into one huge pulp killing the spirit of each single nation.
Chain D.L.K.: How much has the past of Polish people influenced your music and what aspects do you consider for Krepulec music?
Krepulec: Polish history has got a big influence on the creations by Krepulec. The past is probably an inseparable aspect in the works of most military neofolk projects. Polish history is obviously very important to us and it gives us lots of inspirations. I won’t write details about the Polish past because there’s no space here for a historical argument. I can say only that Poland for a long time became the victim of countries both from the left and from the right and events like for example the Warsaw Uprising, the fight for Westerplatte and lots of other events had and still have a huge influence on our work. There’s a lot of inspiration, so we won’t lack the ideas.
Chain D.L.K.: Your image and musical atmosphere refers to military iconography. Can you explain this choice?
Krepulec: Exactly, the image is very important to us. All those people that have had the opportunity to see us in the concert not so long ago had a full picture of it. We’re trying to care about each detail, each particular related to visual setting, clothes etc. Personally I think that it’s a good complement of music. Our image is also a sign of respect for the memory of Polish history and that’s why each element of our image is based on Polish military tradition.
Chain D.L.K.: Releases like “Parabellum” or “Scontrum act III” are referring to WWII items or events (“Parabellum” was a kind of gun and “Scontrum act III” is dedicated to Polish submarine troops). Can you explain the need or will to have this kind of themes?
Krepulec: Well, “Parabellum” and “Scontrum act III” are in principle two different releases. In case of “Scontrum” the idea has been taken from War Office Propaganda and Krepulec made only 3 tracks there. But both “Parabelum” and “Scontrum” are dedicated to Polish history and both are a tribute to all people that were ready to sacrifice their lives for this country. I believe that the motif of World War II has been used dozens of times by lots of military projects around; however we cared about taking a bow and saluting Polish soldiers and victims of those tragic times.
Chain D.L.K.: What kind of link do you feel between modern times and WWII effects/facts?
Krepulec: Unfortunately, thinking about it we can find a number of connections, and it’s a really sad case. You can just take a look at things now in the Near East, at all those nearly possessed, manic pseudo leaders that don’t care about the lives of other innocent people. Futhermore, if we consider the politics of the biggest superpowers in the world we can’t forecast anything good. Even though the times have changed and we don’t have such a threat as there was in 1939, now as before we can easily name many idiots having an inclination to imperialism. But unfortunately we don’t have any influence on it anymore.
Chain D.L.K.: On the Krepulec / Out Of Sight collaboration there are neofolk as well as industrial atmospheres and since I know you are preparing a new album, can you tell us something about its sound?
Krepulec: Yes, a new album is already available and its premiere was on 25th November 2007. The album is titled “New Radical” and has been released in two versions a basic unlimited version and in a special exclusive box limited to 150 copies in which (beside the new album) you can find re editions of sold out materials: “Krepulec” and the track “Parabelum” with two other unpublished tracks. Additionally there are 3 photos and graphics. The whole is certainly attractive and inviting and it has already raised interest. Musically “New Radical” is a kind of a continuation of the way chosen on the split release with Out Of Sight, but I can assure you that more than one person will be surprised by its sounds. It’s still material / industrial / neofolk, very energetic and melodious at times, but not devoid of more momentous, melancholic, calmer parts. We hope that the people that already know this project will have a liking for this album, and perhaps it will gain the recognition of a new audience.
Chain D.L.K.: How has it happened that in five years of activity you released only two full length releases (the demo and the Krepulec / Out Of Sight collaboration) and few other tracks?
Krepulec: This is a good question. Well, the truth is that in the beginning Krepulec has been treated like a curiosity and an experiment by Infamis and Grzegorz, so no one was in a hurry to record much under this label; the more so because both Infamis and Grzegorz had their own projects separately. Afterwards Grzegorz quit his project and this has had some influence on the creation of new tracks. At present we think that there’s no use in going crazy and releasing new stuff like a rapidfire machine gun. Better to release one good album in a year than few average ones. And also, the lack of time because Beast Of Prey is a time consuming thing.
Chain D.L.K.: You are also involved with Beast Of Prey label/distribution/magazine. What is your method of selecting your bands and releases? Is there a kind of distinctive sound you’d like to have with the label?
Krepulec: The method of choosing the project for the Beast of Prey catalogue is very simple. In a nutshell the music of a particular band should be very good and this is the major determinant whether the material is being released or not. Of course we treat with sympathy young and talented projects from Poland but because of our lack of time we can’t publish a big amount of bands. As you probably noticed we don’t limit ourselves to only one genre of music. The releases signed with the B.O.P. logo are cold dark ambient sounds, grating industrial rumbles, sharp harsh noise crackles as well as neofolk, martial and neoclassic. Each of these genres is close and familiar to us and we treat them in a similar way.
Chain D.L.K.: What’s next for Krepulec and with Beast Of Prey?
Krepulec: The next plans about Krepulec project are: the concert in Warsaw on 29th March 2008 together with Von Thronstahl and Rose Rovine E Amanti which undoubtedly will be a big event for us. Moreover, the premiere of the new album “New Radical” and perhaps another new release. We’ve got some plans but what will be made we will see. About Beast of Prey as a rule we don’t reveal our publication plans but for sure you can count on new releases soon. Thank you for the patience and for an interesting interview. We invite everyone to get to know the Krepulec project better! Greetings!
Visit Krepulec on the web at:
[interviewed by Maurizio Pustianaz] [proofreading by Marco Pustianaz]