Interview Bass Player Tomasz from Giants Dwarfs And Black Holes (Germany)

By Mick Michaels



COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Tomasz! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
Tomasz: Hello! The pleasure is mine.

CV: Do you feel that it's still possible for an unknown band today to be plucked out of obscurity and make it to stardom? Can a dedicated core of fans sharing their music make that possible or has the internet and social media changed the game?
Tomasz: I would not define this, in general, from the point of view of the social or mass media. Yes, times have changed and these media outlets play a very important role today. However, I am convinced that the problem lies elsewhere. 30 or 40 years ago, there were several bands on the stage. Today everyone can form a band, even a one-man project, and record music practically “for free” on a laptop. First of all this fact has very much changed the so-called music business. Nowadays, there are hundreds, thousands of bands and every day there are hundreds if not thousands of albums released. There are so many releases, that it is no longer possible to listen to all of them. It is impossible even to check them out. Of course, the fans who are sharing music are always very important. They are very important! It has never changed. Nevertheless, as I have already said, the structures have changed…first of all "quantitatively", so to say.

CV: Do you feel that given the accessibility and social awareness of modern times that a music underground still even exists today as it once did?
Tomasz: The musical underground has changed a lot. With such a large availability and presentation of music on the Internet, I do not even know if the term "underground" is still adequate hahaha! Underground was, from the name itself, but also from "assumption", something hidden from the mass and public opinion. Today there is nowhere to hide anymore... All boundaries are blurred. I know what I am talking about, because at the beginning of the 90s I started with my first band just in the metal underground :) There were no social media, I didn’t even have a PC and for years, I wrote simple letters and traded the tapes.

CV: What do you see as the biggest difference in music and how it is perceived from back say 35 years ago compared to music today? Has both the music and the artist evolved from your point of view?
Tomasz: Everything evolves, not just only music. However, in my opinion, it is not possible to treat music selectively as separated from reality. On the contrary, music should be seen from the perspective, realities and possibilities of the time in which it had been created. It is naturally my opinion. This approach allows me to be fascinated in the same way by Cream recorded in 1967; Metallica from 1986 or Madonna recorded in 2019.

CV: Do you believe bands and artists who have the biggest impact on fans and other artists are aware that they are or is there more of a tunnel vision sort of process for them keeping them somewhat in the dark? Can influential artists see past their own work to be aware of the ripples they make?
Tomasz: Of course, the most famous artists are aware of what they create and what influence they have on fans and other musicians.

However, it seems to me that a real artist, whether from a great and well known or from a small and unknown band, first creates. Moreover, it would be wonderful if an artist could create without any external, environmental and economical restrictions. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, but it that is a different story….

On the other hand, Tony Iommi recording the debut album of Black Sabbath certainly did not expect to become an icon, and that albums and the style of Black Sabbath would mark the beginning of so many different musical genres, haha.

CV: Does music need to be influential to be considered worth listening to in your opinion? Or can music simply be just an enjoyable auditory experience devoid of substance?
Tomasz: I do not know exactly what you mean by the words 'influential' and 'devoid of substance'. Anyway, I love music, I listen to so many different genres - from pop to death metal…not only classic bands, but also quite of number of new ones. For me, the most important criteria is whether there is any “substance" in the music I listen to.

Recently I have discovered a few young bands like Mooch, Lucid Void, Gaupa, Kimono Drag Queens or Gone Cosmic. These bands play fantastic music. Surely I prefer them to most of the "influential" bands from the mainstream. But everything is a matter of taste, what someone likes.

CV: The world has been rocked by the COVID pandemic.  The economy has been sent into a tail spin in its wake, unfortunately.  Bands worldwide have been restricted with performing live and some it seems, restricted from earning a living.  How has the pandemic affected your band? Are you hopeful that 2021 will see many of the restrictions lifted?
Tomasz: Giants Dwarfs And Black Holes was formed back in December 2019, that is just a year ago. Anyway, we are all experienced musicians and have played music for years.

In fact, we were planning to record a demo somehow in February maybe March 2020 and to start with local concerts. Corona forced us to change our plans. In the face of a spreading pandemic, we could not think about playing live too much. But we have used this time, polished the songs and in summer 2020, we recorded our debut album “Everwill.” Since November, we cannot even rehearse again, because of the second lockdown all over Germany. The first lock-down, we had in spring. I have no idea how long it will take...

Besides, we do have “normal” jobs and we do not play music to make a living. Actually, it has never been our goal. At least it has never been mine. I even consciously and with full determination, have chosen the non-musical faculty of studies, although I've played music since primary school.

CV: What do you feel artists and bands can do right now to stay relevant, especially in an environment, such as the present, where performing in front of a live audience is being restricted? What immediate options do you see available?
Tomasz: The artist, first of all, creates something and is thereby usually somewhat isolated from surrounding reality. In the present situation nothing else remains. I hope, that the world will finally get over this pandemic and we will return to normality and live concerts really soon. Everybody longs for live music! I hope that we will not have to switch to digital ghost-gigs without an audience... That really does not seem very attractive to me. Nevertheless, we will see.

CV: As an artist, what have you learned from the events of 2020? Are those lessons learned different for you as a person than as an artist or are they one in the same in your opinion?
Tomasz: They are naturally one and the same. Yes, I feel I am an artist to a certain significant degree, haha. All areas of my life permeate each other, one determines the other.

One thing I am quite sure about is the way which I had taken as an artist years ago, was the right way for me…the way that gave me freedom and artistic independence.

CV: What's next? What can fans expect to see coming in 2021?
Tomasz: I hope that we will finally get off with concerts with Giants Dwarfs And Black Holes. We will certainly want to record our second full-length album as well. The tracks are ready and wait to be rehearsed and refined.

CV: Thank you again Tomasz for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was such a pleasure. I wish you all the best.
Tomasz: Thank you very much for the interview and all these interesting questions. I encourage everyone to listen to our album "Everwill." It is available on our Bandcamp as well as on YouTube. A very beautiful transparent green/black marble vinyl and eco digi-pack CD will be available on Interstellar Smoke Records and Galactic Smokehouse in January 2021. Stay tuned!

Check out Giants Dwarfs And Black Holes at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com.GiantsDwarfsAndBlackHoles
Bandcamp: https://giantsdwarfsandblackholes.bandcamp.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/giantsdwarfsandblackholes

 

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

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