WDWRM

Everything is connected, even the parts we don’t like, especially the parts we don’t like.” – A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters – Julian Barnes

His name is Vlad, and he lets his music speak for him. He will guide you through the darkest corners of his soul, yet he will show you hidden corners of your own. His wordless songs are unique proof that in life everything is connected, you and I as listeners, he, as a performer, the space. The only thing you have to do is let music be your guide.

There is no doubt that his two singles, Black stars and Almost provide unique experience while listening, so feel free to check them out. We cannot wait to see Vlad’s next performance, but in the meantime, let’s see what an aspiring artist has got to say regarding his work.

Would you be so kind as to tell us a few words about yourself (with respect to WDWRM)

Well, I’m Vlad and I believe that I have an obsession when it comes to synths. WDWRM is a project in which I use them (along with drums and occasional vocals) to tell stories and particular experiences.

What’s hidden behind the WDWRM acronym?

I’ve been toying around with the idea of creating an album, the concept of which would be a sort of transcendental journey, covering (my visions of) birth, death and existence in general. So, while each song can certainly stand by itself, it is in no way isolated, and should be experienced along with the rest as these give it a full meaning. Without further digressing, it was during that particular period that I have discovered for myself Julian Barnes’History of The World in 1/2 Chapters. It was a book which I almost instantly became amazed by, particularly the character of woodworm –a kind of small yet continuous observer of different realities being formed and destroyed. It was a perfect match. Hence, I disemvowelled the word, and this is how WDWRM was born.

Please, share some unforgettable moments from your first gig…

The most intense moment was definitely when I first got on stage. The fact that I had never played any of my material to an audience larger than 2-3 people at a time made me super anxious. I remember almost losing my mind, thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong during my set. That night, a dear friend of mine –Lazar Kalember was working on the visualizations for my performance which were projected directly onto me – a sort of audio-visual experience. When I got on stage and tried to take a look at the crowd, I was completely blinded by the projector, seeing this really strange wall of shadows formed by the crowd. That was definitely one of the surrealist experiences in my life.

How do you feel upon seeing the audience’s reaction to your truly intimate music?

It’s positively strange, really. The fact that the music itself is so abstract, enables the audience to form their own experiences. It puts them on a journey that is unique and different than mine. I love discussing them and hearing of, let’s call them “visions”that may not have anything in common with my initial inspiration, but absolutely contribute to my growth as musician and a person.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is your music deeply original, or perhaps, are there any traces of some of your idols?

It would be quite pretentious of me to say that my music is deeply original. Some of the melodies may have already been discovered by someone the past (hope not!), however these same melodies are personal and I believe the ways in which they are created, combined and performed make a unique sound. When it comes to inspiration, I believe I have now finally moved on from consciously trying to sound like some artist I happen to stumble upon and fall in love with, to a point where I may pick up a thing or two, experiment with it and eventually create my own sound. In this sense, in my slower, more mellow songs, one can hear clear influences of post-rock and drone, while others stem from chaotic noise music.

What are the ambitions of WDWRM in relation to their professional career?

Just like any other artist, I hope to be able to travel around the world and share my music with people, however I am also very interested in looking into new ways in which electronic music may be used to tell, or contribute to telling stories. For the past year or so, I’ve been collaborating with a theatre troupe “Teatar Libero” in a creation of a performance where the music plays the role of an unpredictable character, rendering each performance essentially unique, and I am very excited to see this how this project will evolve.

Is it realistic to say that music can make a living?

Oh, absolutely. However, a lot of effort, patience and even luck must be involved in that process. It’s a long way to the top and considering that there have never been as many artists as there are right now, most will probably never reach the goal and will have to keep it a hobby. The internet serves as a great tool to bringing music or any kind of art closer to people. Sites such as bandcamp and soundcloud make it much easier to connect fellow artists and fans, however nowadays people have less and less time to really stop for a moment and appreciate a piece of art. In order to grab someone’s attention, one must truly stick out from the rest. At this point, being a great musician or band is not enough and one must find unique ways to be able to swim against the stream of mediocre mainstream music.