{"id":705,"date":"2023-02-20T23:15:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T20:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bagnik-zine.net\/?p=705"},"modified":"2023-02-20T23:15:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T20:15:38","slug":"%d0%b8%d0%bd%d1%82%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%b2%d1%8c%d1%8e-%d1%81-werewolf-promotion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bagnik-zine.net\/en\/arch\/705\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Werewolf Promotion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Polish Werewolf Promotion is one of my favorite labels. Its owner, Szymon, is a real hard worker, adequate (even this interview took him less than two weeks, which in my practice happens extremely rarely!), and absolutely not greedy person - always great to make trades with. While not every one of his many releases hits the spot, Werewolf Promotion has consistently put out good music, getting better every year. He is also an active supporter of Krywian scene. Through this interview, I want to draw your attention to his humble persona, who gave way to STWORZ, SEVEROTH, W\u0118DRUJ\u0104CY WIATR and many other great bands.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Hello Szymon! Let\u2019s start our conversation from the very roots of Werewolf Promotion. A desire to open the label is not the most popular thing among extreme metal people; usually, everyone wants to be the musician. When did you realize that you want to start your own label?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Hello! Generally, label started in first weeks of 2007. Earlier, in 2003 I released debut demo of my one-man project \u015al\u0119\u017ca, then during next few years I was involved in some local underground NS\/Pagan activism. I wanted to return to music, but due some circumstances I wasn\u2019t able to continue my project at that time, so to be still active within music I decided to start with label. I am a person who can\u2019t stand stagnation, so new ideas come all the time.<\/p>\n

What ideas, goals and purposes the newfound label had? How Werewolf Promotion get its name? Judging by promotion, one of your main goals was to promote the bands you found worthy. Did these goals, ideas and purposes change somehow after so many years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Main idea was to release\/promote worth and dedicated bands\/projects, which generally didn\u2019t change. To keep active and give small piece of myself into history as well.<\/p>\n

Have you played \/ sang in any bands?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes, as I mentioned above, I released in 2003 a demotape of my project \u015al\u0119\u017ca \u2013 \u201cBlask Gwiazdy Swaroga\u201d, self-released. It was pretty poor and simple Pagan Black Metal with lyrics related to Slavic Faith, antichristianity, and obvious political things. Despite I tried few times, I still couldn\u2019t continue it properly within almost 20 years, but hopefully it will finally happen some day. The name \u2013 \u015al\u0119\u017ca \u2013 was taken from the name of holy Mountain from my area, place of religious cult for all European tribes living here within the history.<\/p>\n

What was your very first release? Was it hard to make it? When we were doing cassettes, it was fine, but when we released our first CD in early 2000s, my colleague had to take the train and travel more than 3000 kms to receive the print run himself, because the closest CD factory was in Russian Urals\u2026 Have you encountered with similar problems at the early stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0First release was tape album from band of my friends from Wroclaw, Flame of War \u2013 \u201cThe Flames Are Rising\u201d. It was not very hard at that time, but of course not as easy as digital myspace release which was already a trend at that moment. Still, blank cassettes were slowly removing from shops, so was hard to find them, anyway I was living in big city so that was yet not a big problem. However, I remember travelling by bicycle and big bag on my back, to bring hundreds of cassettes from wholesaler from far part of the city. But it\u2019s nothing with Your story, he he. CD manufacturing was never a problem here, but tapes later completely disappeared from shops so only abroad wholesale was the way.<\/p>\n

You have\u00a0a lot<\/em>\u00a0of releases, do you remember them all?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Sure. When you are focused on the entire process, you can\u2019t forget it. I think I can\u2019t give you the full list now from the head of course, but looking at every release I can remember a story about it.<\/p>\n

At the time when many labels completely abandoned cassette tapes (before the current trend), you were still releasing them, doing it with huge print runs \u2013 around 500 copies usually, if I am not mistaken. Why do you like cassettes so much? Do they really sell so well?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0I was very big fanatic of tapes. I raised with them, and simply enjoyed them as a listener more than CD or other formats. When many people were abandoning them, as you say, I was still going this path, and before this current \u201ctape trend\u201d the sells were still very high. It\u2019s always funny to hear about this current \u201ctape trend\u201d because it is only small part of tape market from years, let\u2019s say, 2003-2013. Now they are mainly popular as expensive die-hard editions for collectors I would say. Of course now, I still sell tapes, but less than in past. Anyway, I decreased really much amount of tape releases during last years too. The fading interest of people except few fanatics, and I was also tired. Tape release eats much more time than CD release if you do it old-school way, and it wouldn\u2019t be possible work properly having still so big focus on tapes. I release now many CDs and some vinyls, and people are much more interested in them, so sadly tapes are slowly but fading\u2026 Only some demos or special editions nowadays we release, from time to time.<\/p>\n

Do you have other job, aside from label? Do you work alone at the label or there is someone to help?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Label is now, for many years, my only job. It\u2019s not only job, but very big and important part of my life\/ It\u2019s connected with my personal views and interests too, so it\u2019s perfect way. Generally, I work alone but my girlfriend helps me sometimes with some details \u2013 she works as handicraft, so most of special editions or die hards like wooden boxes etc are manufactured by her.<\/p>\n

In my label work, I have to be quite flexible, otherwise we won\u2019t survive, but there are still some fundamental \u201cno-go\u201d principles. For example, I will never sell leftist propaganda stuff, Christian metal or the Russian band Satarial (because it would be fucking disgrace). What are your no-go principles?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Of course, principles are mandatory, not to be just another shitty \u201cfun-factory\u201d music label which delivers entertainment to people, and which only count money and don\u2019t care about the rest. Under the banner of Werewolf Promotion you will never see bands with leftist shit views, abrahamic religions believers, or dirty tribes members.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, ideologically-driven artists tend to change their ideas. Sometimes, these changes are radical. You have people not just abandoning but completely betraying their views. Did you have such cases in your practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0Of course, we all know such situations. Did I have such from people I ever worked with as a label? Honestly, I don\u2019t recall now any situation like this\u2026 many people disappeared within all those years of course, but I don\u2019t remember spectacular betrayals, and going to opposite side. More often just becoming \u201cnormal people\u201d after fascination of extreme music disappeared. Well, of course, several people also became regular thieves, too\u2026<\/p>\n

What is your most commercially successful release? Less successful?<\/strong><\/p>\n

S:<\/strong>\u00a0In purely commercial meaning, most successful releases were both Wedrujacy Wiatr albums. Well, less successful \u2013 I release underground Black Metal mostly, so there is really many \u201cless successful\u201d releases. But money is not our main goal when planning the release or signing the band \u2013 we released many albums without expectations of \u201chigh sales\u201d, but because of true appreciation of musical, ideological and \/ or personal attitude of the artist.<\/p>\n

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