The most essential facts about POLYGON. When it was born, who are behind the project, what do they want to achieve with it, etc?...

The project POLYGON exists since 1994. Physically it started with the day of my birth. All the creations of POLYGON are the results of impressions and influences in my life. A platform for all of my musical expressions. This project gives me the possibility to work without any compromise. Sometimes I prefer to work with other people, to learn from the ideas of others. But sometimes it is important for me to release my ideas directly without touch of another �.

How do you record your music - which equipment you use? Have you own studio?

For some years now I have my own little private studio at home. Here I can finish all of my works up to the master CD. In this studio I sometimes do masters for other musicians as ARBRE NOIR or APOPTOSE. The last releases are the results of almost one synthesizer (Yamaha SY99) and some computer stuff. For the future there will be some more equipment to explore new sounds. To make music is like painting pictures for me, first you mix the colours (sound) , then you start painting.

I like the quite professional design of your releases and also POLYGON's web-site is a very sympathetic one. How did you acquire such habits? Also, you always had credited POLYGON for the layout, but recently OMNON took its place. Is it the current "label" for your visual works?

Yes, since January 2001 OMNON is the platform for my graphical work. On this platform I am doing several works like posters, web-sites, CD designs and more. A lot of the needful things for this work I learned on my main job. There I am doing textile graphic design.
It is a very important point for me to create the graphics for my own CDs, to complete the whole concept. The graphics should be an optical transmission of the music. That's what I try with all of my CD designs.

Uwe from Polymorph Records sent me your 7" Beyond Nothing. Was it the first POLYGON release?

No, the first POLYGON release was the "Refuge" CD. This CD was released in 1995. Before that I was a member of MORTAL CONSTRAINT. Beyond Nothing was the second POLYGON release.

Science fiction influence is very noticeable in many POLYGON works. What does attract you in such pieces? Which themes and images?...

I've been interested in science fiction as long as I remember. I am fascinated by the freedom of imagination, the visions and fantasies. A door to transfer yourself into the farthest distances.
In fact it is a possibility to realise what it means to be human. All our boundaries, our fears and longings.

Which is your top-list of science fiction authors and books?

Arthur C Clarke, Stanislav Lem, Lovecraft, HG Wells to name some authors. I can't give you a top list because I think it wouldn't be fair to top one book over the other. My favourites change from day to day. Sometimes I prefer science fiction films, to experience what kind of visual imagination growths there in the heads of the directors. A lot of films do have a special optical speech�."Pitch black" for example. I like this film because of that. The story itself is more like watching something you already seen.

What about Ray Bradburry? I do love his "Marsian Chronicles" and many of short stories and in facts these are the only sci-fi stuff I re-read sometimes. There is quite unique blend of poetry and philosophy, true tragedy and irony in his writings...

Never heard of him. I think I should try one of his books.

How do you like Stephen King?

I read some books of King years ago. In these times I liked him very much. But for now this horror visions are not that interesting for me anymore. I also had a lot of books of Koontz but with him it's the same. Other things and books became more interesting for me. Since I started with music and graphics I have less time so I have not so much energy for books�so I have to select.

Are you optimistic as regards the future? Which scenarios are more probably ...and preferably from your point of views? Do you believe in progress?

Which future do you mean? Future is every new minute we experience and yes I am optimistic about this future. I also believe we can have a lot of fulfilled days and years (some of us�.). If you take a look around and think about the past, what do you see. Wars, starving, hate� these things have been there in the past too? I think some parts of our progress had a very negative influence all over the world, but we also can see positive things. Everything is two faced. If there had been no progress this interview never would happen.

In 1999 A.C. Clarke made a prophecy "beyond 2001". Some of the forecasts are too naive for me, but some are quite interesting. In particular, he predicts for 2040: "...agriculture and industry are phased out, ending that recent invention in human history - work! There is an explosion in arts, entertainment and education". Is not it already started?

To be honest, I never read this book but I think some of these visions had started long ago. Entertainment, arts and education had always been a big part in human history. Our technical evolution now gives the possibility to spread everything all around the world. The exchange between cultures forms new cultures. The computer as a tool gives much more possibility to be an artist then ever before. So now everybody can explore thy own creativity and via internet you can share this with anybody you like. The possibility to get any information any time makes this explosion come true.

As for the internet, I have to say you are not of those who use it aggressively to promote their music. For example, you still have not your section on www.mp3.com, though it could bring much more fame and profits than limited edition CDs�

I never thought of this possibility. In the last years the web became so big, there are so many possibilities. I should think of this idea but for the moment I am not hunting for more fame and profit. If I had been interested in more of that I should rethink my music. Other things are more important in the moment.. POLYGON is always a king of experiment. I am not so much thinking of the commercial effect. But some other projects I am involved in do have more of this substance so perhaps we should integrate this idea.

The first work with POLYGON contribution I ever heard is the Solaris project. Please explain the way this idea did appear. How much did the result deviate from the initial conception?

As I first read the book I have been impressed so deeply, as never any other book did until now. So the idea came up to translate this masterpiece into music. First I planed to do this by myself but in the following months the idea developed. I asked some friends for being part in this idea. It took about two years in the end to release this work and I am very pleased about it. I think ideas like this always change during the process. In the beginning you cant see every inspiration and so the result in the end is like a plant grown from a little seed.

There were samples from Tarkovsky's movie used on the CD. Have you heard that Lem was somewhat disappointed and angry with Tarkovsky's interpretation of the book? Lem said his idea was to show how it's beautiful in the space, while Tarkovsky glorified quite opposite things - Earth, Mother-land... What do you think about this?

For me the book and the film are two different visions, which started from one idea. I think Lem's book gives you so much freedom for interpretation, as we have done by ourselves. I don't know what he would think about our musical translation. I think Lem shouldn't be angry about Tarkovsky exploring Solaris in his own way�

I just was about to ask you whether you have sent a copy of this CD to Lem. You really should! And had to! Were you ever thinking about this?

In the first time I had this idea but the idea faded away. Why do you think I should do it? Sure, it would be really interesting if he is disappointed or pleased with the musical interpretation of his work. But I once heard of law problems of people who wanted to bring one of his books on stage in a theatre. So before we get the same problems� we better leave this idea.

Ok. In April there was 70th anniversary of Andrey Tarkovsky, so it's about the time to dwell on his works more detailed. Which his films you have seen and which are the most favourite for you? What do you think about "Stalker"?

I have seen four of Tarkovsky's works. Mirror, Nostalgia, Stalker and of course Solaris. My favourite one is Stalker. I like the way of painting deep silent atmospheres combined with this essential questions of human longings. A lot of people think of Stalker as too silent but this is the deepest part for me. This film is a piece of art � go out and see it for yourself!

What do you think about project dedicated to Stalker? Can you imagine how the music should sound for it?

There already exists a great Stalker CD. This CD is created by Robert Rich and Brian Wiliams and from my point of view this is a masterpiece. So for now one CD is enough and there are so much more ideas waiting to be released that I like to spent my time into something new.

The "Stalker" film is based on rather short novel written by famous Soviet authors - Strugatsky brothers. Are they known in Germany wide enough? Is Russian sci-fi known at all?

I don't think so. It was hard enough to find the Stalker. Perhaps you can give me same Names of interesting authors so I can dive into their works. I am always interested in new stuff from your side.

Before "Solaris" there was Omnon DoCD album. Is it an attempt to create a soundtrack to your own sci-fi story or imaginary movie? Could you explain the conception of Omnon and omnoid?

I always had the idea for something like the Omnon release. In the years of making music more and more fragments came together to the day in which the concept for this idea came up into my head. After that there had been three years of collecting, creating and recreating. As the most of the music was finished Uwe (from Polymorph Records) offered me to release this idea. This moment also was the birth of Polymorph Records. I have to thank Uwe for this possibility.
Omnon is in fact as you think a soundtrack for an imaginary sci-fi movie. To give a short view into the concept. A human being getting a kind of message through his dreams. This message leads him into space to a small planet called Omnon. After landing the explorers find traces to humanity and to a species (the Omnoid) which vanished long time ago. But some other creatures are living there and after some artifacts had been found the riddle gets solved and this human finds some answers and a new way for humanity. I do not want to tell more. Try to find your own story on the Omnon. Perhaps I will create a little flash movie on my second web space www.omnoid.com which will explain more of the story. I will put an info on my main web www.omnon.de when the movie is finished.

You deal with a very specific kind of music which perfectly does without any additional verbal messages, as its main goal is to create moods or feelings and let listeners to go with their stream freely . Though in "Omnon" your wish to express something through the words was more than obvious and the texts as if aimed a listener at certain directions� Do you feel sometimes the shortage of the accompanying texts or lyrics now?

I already worked with voice on my first release Refuge. It's interesting you ask of voice in the Omnon release. In the creation process there was the idea for a voice to lead through the story as a kind of story-teller. But when the music was finished there was no more space for a voice so I put my thoughts in some short sentences into the booklet. The same happened with the images. I had some texts but in the end it was like taking some finished blue pictures and over-painting them with red.

Do you like fantasy genre? Talkien and others of that ilk? Had you seen that newly-fledged "The Lord of Rings"?

I have read the "Lord of the Rings" several times and I think the new film is well done. Beside this I am not so much into fantasy stories. Sometimes science fiction and fantasy are mixed as the "Star Wars" films for example, but most of them are not so much interesting for me.

As for me, I did not like "The Lord of Rings" at all. I think Talkien was quite right saying that it's impossible to make a screen version of his novels. There is neither space nor distances in this film. It reminds some Disneyland or playing screen in a computer game like Warcraft or Heroes of Might and Magic, when enemies constructions and forces are located in maximum 100 metres from player's base. And what is even worse - the player plainly uses cheats to win, in stupid Hollywoodish way. Happy end was inevitable from the very beginning, so I spent 3 hours just to see how the decorations and visual effects been changed. Talkien had created the wonderful mythology, but they have emasculated it to an adventure story.

It's the same like the Solaris. Different visions of the same idea. Film translations of books are disappointing very often. Most of them just put the main part in visual effects but that's boring in almost every film. Its the same with all of those remakes�.did you see the new "Time machine"? The old film is one of my all-time favourites, but the new one is only a way to show what computers can do.

Have you any interest in religious and esoteric matters, such as some people you work (or worked) with - APOPTOSE, ARBRE NOIR - do have?

No, sorry. Its fascinating to talk with people about these things and I respect their believes (allmost). Perhaps some of my thoughts and dreams are touched be ideas coming from this matters but I do not link them directly with a religious or esoteric believe.

CD Traveller with ARBRE NOIR - what this work is about? Where these travels can be directed to?

The people behind ARBRE NOIR are good friends of mine. After creating the artwork if their first CD Beyond we had the idea of another level for our collaboration work. So we started creating this acoustic paintings. The tracks on this CD are about travelling from the dark sides to visions of light and warmth.

How would you determine the style of the latest POLYGON's work Images? I must admit that I am a total profane in such kind of music and call similar stuff "club-house" all together...

This is one of the hardest things for me� to find a title for my music. Words cannot really explain what I put into it. It's better to pass this search for a box to the listeners. If you think its clubhouse for you, so be it. The opinions about the images have been very different. From experimental ambient to club-house. But I think compared with some club stuff the Images is not danceable enough.

"Irrational behave", "Idealism" - how much these things are your way? Could you formulate what does life worth to live for?

You have to understand the main theme of images. It's about all the images around us from the past, present and the future. Most of these images we have in our mind are retouched and filtered when we are recalling them, idealised situations sometimes.
Life is worth in each moment. It's the possibility to exchange, create, to give and take...

Is suicide a solution?

A solution for what?� A solution for life� No!!!!

Saying about the music of POLYGON, which are the most evident stylistic influences, preferences and features you could mark out?

In the beginning there have been bands as KLINIK, CLOCK DVA and also the music from John Carpenter. In nowadays there are so many influences that it is nearly impossible to select which musician is more responsible than the other. I am listening to music from Bjork, LUSTMORD, BULGARIAN VOICES, NIN and many soundtracks. But I am influenced not only by music. Everything around me that touches my awareness is a part of the puzzle.

Which were the most interesting results of the first year of the new Millenium - both musical and in general?

The new Millenium didn't change things for me directly. I moved on with my projects. There have been some personal changes but the year 2000 has not been the impulse for that. So the big hit which a lot of people expected did not come up� for me !

What about future POLYGON's plans and current work?

I am working on several collaborations. One is together with the project ForASpace. The other one is with one member of ARBRE NOIR. Both projects are still in the beginning and it would be too early to think about releases. Beside this I am doing a lot of experiments with sounds and arrangements, looking for inspiration for the next polygon works. In a few days there will be a new release of the collaboration work of HALBSCHLAF (ex-AMBIT) and POLYGON which will be released on Polymorph Records. This is a concept work named Kalt ("cold"). In the last months I found new spaces for my work� the web. So I will dive into this more in the future.