Moan

Rafal Sadej - the body behind the soul of MOAN - was born and broughtup in Siemianowice Slaskie in the midst of atmosphere and sounds ofindustrial enviroment of ironworks and coal-mines, producing whole lotof unnatural sounds inscribing themselves into ordinariness of surroundingdistricts. You only need to open a window in Rafal's apartament at nightin order to realize why there is a such natural intuition of machineharmony in his music. In every his music achievement you can find anocturnal silence filled with barely audible distant humming, gratingmetallic sounds, pulse of the machines and even noise or chaos.

He took his first steps in grind core band PSYCHONEUROSIS (92-93) asa vocalist and later he founded noise-core band IPEKAKUANA (93-96) inwhich he was a drummer and a vocalist. For his individual ideas, whichhe can't carry in group, he found a way to realize it as project DISAGREEMENT(93-95), where we can hear Rafal's industrial fascinations for firsttime. At last there came into existence two compositions: "Thoughtsgrower" and "Thoughts grower (hypnotic mix)" durningintesive session in July 1996. It is the recording of interaction betweenradio and TV broadcast disturbances with a looped tape accompaniment.At that time MOAN was born.

Next recordings came into being in August in the same year. Authormade use of household equipment, looped, versatile exploitation of aguitar, rhythm and radiotelescope in form of TV set which was turnedon empty channels and connected with radio and FX reverb. The resultof this experiments is ninety minutes tape: "Thoughts grower",MOAN's debiut, issued at Rafal's own expense in small amount of 69 copy.

After two years break, Rafal Sadej came back to musical experimentslate in year 1998. But this time he used possibilities that computergives. At that time next ideas were recorded, and we can notice emphaticsubsiding into silence and slow rhythm quiting. In February 1999 therewere brought four new compositions into being, which were completedwith two tracks from previous tape and published as "Drift"(C-45, 50 copies).

Next months he spent time on going deeply into secrets of making soundsby means of computer and collecting samples. Preparations for next materialrecording were finished in October 1999, then strenous process of feelingsand ideas transformation into CD material of standart value started.Single CD-R "Work report #356" became the auqury of comingrecordings. After four months CD-R "Isolate" (45 minutes,7 tracks) saw the light of day. This material is fondled, breathingwith stifling atmosphere, somewhere from the outskirts of consciousness,minimalistic and yet sonicly diversified. It caused wide response amonglocal and foregin enthusiasts of industrial music. It also met withapprobation of reviewers and creators, fans of industrial feedbacksand isolationist ambient.

Since MOAN issued "Isolate" he worked on remix "Workreport #356" for Japanese compilation, remix of project PALSECAM"There's no way" for English Underwood Audio compilation and"Hidden" of project NEMEZIS for CD containing remixes above-mentionedformation which were interpreted by artists from industrial / experimentalcircle. This favourable confusion about MOAN gave him a chance to presenthis project in public. MOAN's first live performance we could listenon 25 May 2000 in "Program" in Gliwice, where Rafal presentedmaterial from "Isolate".

Rafal says that MOAN is a search, an evolution. He claims he doesn'tlike stagnation, and doesn't cramp himself. It is unlikely that nextmaterial of this project will be similar to previous ones. It doesn'tmatter if it is ambient, industrial or noise, MOAN always will remainfilled with unique atmosphere of industrial enviroment, where he derivesfrom ...

- Leszek Żabiński -