Last year Polish RIVERSIDE left deep impression when I heard their debut Out Of Myself for the first time: Progressive Rock in the vein of Porcupine Tree or Anathema with some more metallic parts and a great vocalist. The right stuff to melt away… One year later, they are back with their second effort Second Life Syndrome. Time to get some questions answered… Bassist, vocalist and songwriter Mariusz Duda took some time to give me detailed information...

Clemens: Second Life Syndrome is your second CD but has been released only about one year after your debut Out Of Myself. Are you fast songwriters?
Mariusz Duda: You have to bear in mind that Out Of Myself was released in Poland in December 2003, while Laser’s Edge released it in September 2004. So we had a little bit more time. We were preparing the material for this album for almost two years. Though in this period we also recorded Voices In My Head EP so maybe you’re right (laughs). Are we fast songwriters? There are no rules - some tracks take a moment to compose, while the process of writing others can be very strenuous and time-consuming.

Clemens: Out Of Myself debuted on a small label, while your sophomore CD is being put out by the well-known InsideOut Music. How did you get in touch with them? Was where much pressure on you to satisfy them? Did you have other offers as well?
Mariusz: Yes, we had other offers but Inside Out is the best choice for a band that plays this kind of music as we do. And it's an honor to find ourselves next to such splendid artists. It's a chance for the band to gain more listeners, to become more popular. How did we get in touch? We sent our two earlier releases, Out Of Myself and the mini-album Voices In My Head to Inside Out. They listened to them, liked them and trusted that we can make a good album. I think the response to our first European tour, which we organized ourselves in April this year, also contributed to the fact that Inside Out offered us a contract for another album.

Clemens: Where do you personally see the differences between your two releases? In my opinion you got a bit heavier, technical and a bit more "un-commercial", since the melodies are not that catchy any more...
Mariusz: From the very beginning we wanted the album to be heavier, darker, a bit more like RIVERSIDE live. We wanted it to be more of a rock album. We gave up the idea of clear sound, we gave up catchy melodies. Instead, there are more overdriven guitars, more "natural" keyboards like Hammond or piano, more vocal aggression, and I also gave up playing the acoustic guitar to compound the effect. We wanted to make an album which would sound different than Out Of Myself but which would also underline and complement our style. We really wanted to prove that RIVERSIDE is not just a one-album band.
My ambition is that the trilogy maintains a good level and that all the albums sound different. Such three insights into a human soul. Every album must be a surprise.
We only felt the pressure because we wanted to prove that Out Of Myself is not the height of our abilities, that it was just a start. And that was the main reason.

Clemens: When surfing on the net I found some material entitled Voices In My Head. Actually it's not mentioned in your discography but it definitely sounds like RIVERSIDE and furthermore features three live-tracks from your debut. What can you tell me about it?
Mariusz: As I've already said, our debut was released in Poland towards the end of 2003, while Laser's Edge released it 10 months later. Because our second album was planned for the autumn of 2005, we decided to record a few tracks especially for Polish fans and friends who couldn't wait for the new LP. We combined five new pieces with three live versions of the songs from Out Of Myself and we released it as an EP at the beginning of March this year. Maybe in the future this material will be released also outside of Poland? Who knows?

Clemens: You are often compared to bands like Porcupine Tree, Anathema and Opeth. Actually I thought the same when I heard Out Of Myself for the first time. Where do YOU see your biggest influences?
Mariusz: I think that Porcupine Tree and Anathema had some influence on RIVERSIDE music but not greater than lots of other bands we listened to. When we were starting this band, we'd already had some experience. Each of us listens to different stuff, from relaxation music to extreme metal. Also, the films we watch, the books we read – it all depends on the time, the place, the particular moment in our lives... and it is all reflected in our music. When we’re composing, we’re inspired by everything that’s happening around us – these are our biggest influences.

Clemens: To me Progressive/Psychedelic Rock seems to be becoming a bit more popular at the moment. What could be the reason for it? Why are YOU performing this kind of music? Why did you choose this style? What makes P/P Rock that special?
Mariusz: I wrote at the beginning that RIVERSIDE is a way of expressing reflections, dreams and fantasies through music. It is joy and sadness, a whisper and a scream. This is our music. We play these emotions and people call this progressive rock. OK, let it be (laughs). I think that progressive rock is becoming a bit more popular thanks to such bands as Porcupine Tree or Opeth you mentioned. The music of contrasts. RIVERSIDE also uses such contrasts, but we're doing it in our own way. Mounting tension and suspense, short and epic compositions… I think that such diversity appeals to the listeners – especially to the younger ones who are tired of monotony in music and are looking for the genre in which a lot is going on.

Clemens: Actually I don't know many bands from your country. The only well-known acts over here in Austria are brutal bands like Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated. Is there any other more popular "mellow"-groups over there in Poland? As a band from Eastern Europe is it more difficult to sign an international record deal? If so, why is that so/what is the problem?
Mariusz: These days it's difficult to make a presence on the music market. And I don't think it matters whether a band is from Eastern Europe, Great Britain or America. There are many components of becoming successful. Apart from convincing music, you have to chance upon the right time, find a gap in a particular kind of music and have some luck. I think it all worked in our case. Polish music scene, and I think it applies to every country, is dominated by pop, hip-hop and major label money. But there are exceptions like Behemoth or Vader. And now we have some progressive rock, too (laughs).

Clemens: You are the songwriter of the band. Since being bass-player – are you capable of playing other instruments too or how does your songwriting process work? I suppose psychedelic/art rock is hard to be created without playing keyboards or guitars... What is the other band-members' function in the whole process? What do they contribute?
Mariusz: RIVERSIDE is a band. Usually, I come up with the basics, I build up the outline of a composition and then every one of us works on his parts. We compose during our rehearsals, and then we arrange it and put it together as a whole. We always find a solution that satisfies each of us. I think that if any of us doesn't like a piece, it means that piece is not good enough, so, we all have to like the final version. I write lyrics at the end.

Clemens: OuT Of Myself and Second Life Syndrom are part of a trilogy that will end with your third release. It's about a person searching for the inner "I". Can you tell us a bit more about it?
Mariusz: Our trilogy is a story in three parts about a lonely man in quest for his own self. It's written in the form of "pages from a diary." I had the idea for continuing the story from Out Of Myself just after we finished working on the debut album. Second Life Syndrome is the second part of the trilogy; it starts AFTER the events from Out Of Myself and ends BEFORE the third part of it. On Out Of Myself the hero was trying to find his place in a normal world. He didn't succeed, so he retreated to his isolation. However, he managed to find some inner peace. On the second album, he is determined to do something with his life. He decides to change it. Second Life Syndrome has two threads; the first is about transformation of the hero into a self-confident person; the second one is about getting rid of memories which stand in the way of the transformation. In the last track on the album, called Before, the hero cuts himself off completely from the past and erases his memories. But he also asks himself a question if he has reached the place he wanted to reach and if this is what he really wanted. I hope we'll find out about it on the third album.

Clemens: Since the story is meant to be used for three CDs, is there already songs written for the next release? Will there be any dramatic changes in style?
Mariusz: The third album will be definitely different from the debut and different from Second Life Syndrome but it will be in the same RIVERSIDE style. I can only tell you that the acoustic guitar will be back in grace and the album will be a bit more melodious. The first part of the trilogy was lyrical, the second is dark and aggressive, so I guess the third will be more about reflections and optimism, and less about shouting. But I can't promise you that we will totally give up the latter. We'll certainly keep proportions between heavy and mellow playing. And we'll do everything to maintain a good level of the whole trilogy. We want to show the full picture of RIVERSIDE's music and style on it.

Clemens: Your former keyboarder left the band and got replaced by Michal Lapaj. Did he change the band's sound in any way?
Mariusz: I think that Michal's style of playing considerably influenced the sound of the second album. Our former keyboardist was more lyrical and Michal plays with verve, which is plain to hear. Thanks to it, our second album sounds exactly the way we planned.

Clemens: You have seldom played live-gigs. Will that change with InsideOut Music in your back? Can you live off the music?
Mariusz: We're still trying to combine playing in RIVERSIDE with our regular jobs and I'm surprised it still works (laughs). You know, our concerts depend on our days off and on how much holiday we can take. Who knows, perhaps we'll have to make a choice soon. We all know how difficult it is to live off music. It all depends on how popular you are. Right now the situation is good, but what if it changes tomorrow? Well, I hope that the contract with Inside Out is the beginning of the changes for us, I hope we'll be playing live more and one day we'll also perform for instance in Austria ?

Clemens: Will there be a tour this time?
Mariusz: Yes, we're planning a European tour Second LIVE Syndrome for April/May 2006.

Clemens: I really like the sound of your albums. Especially the drums sound special somehow. It seems that you have found a very own drum-sound for RIVERSIDE. Was that your aim or was it just "by accident"?
Mariusz: We're working on both our style and distinctive sound. There are no coincidences. It has to be obvious that it's RIVERSIDE. If you think that we already have our specific drum-sound, then I'm really happy about it (laughs).

Clemens: RIVERSIDE does have a lot of potential in my eyes. Where do you see the band in five years' time yourself? Any goals you'd like to reach? Could you imagine becoming a bit more commercial if you were on the verge of living off the band then?
Mariusz: We're trying to constantly improve our style. And if it turns out that "Reality Dream Trilogy" appeals to critics and listeners, it won't mean that all our future albums will be the same. We're not afraid of experimenting and recording controversial albums. No one says we can't release a record full of commercial songs or with just one 50-minute instrumental track. It will all depend on what we feel like playing in the future. I believe that recording a commercial album doesn't necessarily have to be a sign that the band is in a bad way and that's why they decided to satisfy the tastes of the average listeners. We want to record different albums. If we're consistent and if we keep doing what we really like, then perhaps in five years we'll be a really famous band, not only in progressive circles. But these are just plans and dreams we can discuss further when we hav4e recorded the third album, hopefully the best of the trilogy.

Clemens: InsideOut Music is known for its special-edition-releases. Will there be any limited version of Second Life Syndrome with bonus-material?
Mariusz: It's hard to say at the moment, but who knows what surprises and special editions the future brings when we finish our Reality Dream Trilogy…?

Clemens: Name me your current 5 favorite albums...
Mariusz:
BUSH KATE Aerial
DEPECHE MODE Playing The Angel,
ULVER Blood Inside
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND Stand Up
FROESE EDGAR Dalineotopia

Clemens: Good luck with you new release, hope to see you on tour!