Your joy for music is on full display: crafting numerous DJ mixes fusing electronic and jazz with dance music; producing amazing dance records with prominent labels in the industry. I don’t see much information about your personal life! What was it like growing up in Warsaw, Poland, and how did your experiences there shape your perspective on music?
First of all, I’d like to sincerely thank you for inviting me to this interview. I’m really glad you’ve connected with what I do – it truly means a lot to me. It’s incredibly motivating and inspiring, and above all, it shows me that what I’m doing actually makes sense.
I look back on growing up in Warsaw and its surroundings with deep fondness. The city has always been unique to me—full of history, culture, art, and music, where the weight of the past meets the rhythm of modern life. Yet my childhood was spent just outside Warsaw, surrounded by nature—lakes and forests that became my everyday world. Many of my most formative moments were with my aunt, a devoted teacher, who opened the doors of history, literature, and art for me. She showed me remarkable places and taught me to look at the world with sensitivity and curiosity.
The Warsaw of my childhood, however, was not an easy place to live. It was a time when the country was just emerging from the shadow of communism—jobs were scarce, and access to many things was severely limited. Music albums were often brought over from Germany, the UK, or France by friends, while favorite songs were recorded off the radio onto cassette tapes. Later, with the arrival of digital formats, things slowly became easier. Personally, I did not feel the weight of these hardships too strongly, as my parents did their best to shield me, but such were the realities of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Looking back, I believe that growing up in such a dynamic environment taught me openness and curiosity—qualities that later found, and still continue to find, expression in my music, as well as in the music I search for and discover.
You later moved to London. Can you describe the significance of London’s music scene in shaping your sound?
London is one of the most inspiring music cities in the world, especially for me. After graduating from high school in 2003, I moved to the UK. Although I initially planned to settle in London, I eventually ended up in Birmingham. This city, though rarely mentioned in discussions about electronic music, played a key role in my musical journey.
Birmingham became the place where I truly discovered high-quality house and techno. It was here that I bought my first pair of Technics SL1200 turntables, which I still have to this day. It was also in this city that my love for vinyl fully developed, thanks to the legendary HTFR (Hard To Find Records) store, where I spent every afternoon searching for new records. While industrial Birmingham isn’t as famous as Detroit or Chicago, it holds great significance in the development of British electronic music, particularly in the realms of rave, hardcore, breakbeat, and drum & bass.
On the other hand, London is the city where my journey into music production began. It was there that I started to explore the intricacies of music production by attending Point Blank Music School. In London, I discovered how a wide range of genres can influence the development of one’s own style, and how important it is to experiment with different sounds. This experience made London a place that forever changed my approach to music, and the city and its music scene became an endless source of inspiration.
How did you produce the hit song “Lost Tape?” I stumbled on the video while perusing music elsewhere and was instantly hooked. The drums, particularly the hi-hats, are infectious; the kick, round and welcoming; the synthesizers created a sense of nostalgia in me as I watched the dancer move around London.
Yes, the music video features Kezza Palmer, also known as Mr Shapes – a London-based artist who is considered one of the leading figures of the London “shuffle” dance scene. The video was filmed in London, which is particularly interesting because this city is very close to me due to the beginning of my music production journey. “Lost Tape” was the first track to be officially released.
However, this whole situation wasn’t planned by me – the production was handled by George Mavrikos, the owner of the record label Nous Disques, under which the track was released. Interestingly, the music video was directed by Kasia Sobocińska, a Polish woman living in London, who works professionally in multimedia journalism and video production for The Times magazine. It’s fascinating how all these elements came together – almost like some subconscious coincidences.
“Lost Tape” was recorded spontaneously in the summer of 2014. It was created in the moment, driven by emotion, while sitting by the instruments. It was a form of live jamming recorded onto tape. Initially, the tape recorded 17 minutes, but the track was shortened for the purpose of the release. For many years, I wasn’t a fan of this track because I hear many mistakes in it. However, the track ended up going very far and has helped create many friendships all over the world.
Is it true that you’re a musicologist? If that’s true, as a musicologist, what’s the one thing you would teach to help people’s understanding of music?
Yes, I studied music at an academic level after returning from the UK, and I am still deeply interested in understanding it. I believe that music is one of the most profound languages of communication, it is a powerful tool for conveying emotions, history, and cultural identity. I would like people to open themselves to the diversity of sounds and see music not only as entertainment but also as a form of art and dialogue. I want them to approach music with curiosity, listening not only to the surface sounds but also to what lies behind them.
Musicology reveals how history, context, and emotions influence the creation and reception of music. If I were to share a message to help people better understand music, it would sound like this:
Listen consciously
Learn the context
Experiment with listening
Develop emotional awareness
What were some of the highlights from your career as a DJ and producer?
Every moment I’ve had the chance to share my music, whether during DJ sets or more intimate listening sessions, has been and still is exceptional to me. It’s so much more than just the act of playing music – it’s a true form of communication. By sharing my music with others, I feel like I’m entering a deeper, almost intimate dialogue with the people who’ve come to listen, those who open themselves up to what I have to offer. And it’s this connection – between the music, myself, and the audience – that is the most beautiful form of happiness for me.
The music I create and play is something completely natural and integral to my life. It’s not just a way to express myself, but also a tool for connecting with others on a deeper level. In my view, there is no moment more important than another – every performance, every moment spent with music, is equally valuable to me. Looking back, I can see how much emotion, memories, and energy are embedded in each of those moments – they all create a continuous, seamless creative and emotional process in my life.
The music that has come from my experiences not only gives me a way to express myself but has also opened doors to incredible encounters with people all over the world. I’ve met many wonderful, beloved people who share my passion and understand it on a deeper level. This, in turn, has led to lifelong friendships, which are one of the most cherished aspects of what I do. Looking back, I know that these relationships, formed through music, represent the greatest value and reward for me.
How did you get into DJ’ing? Curious to know if you started DJ’ing, then produced records, or vice-versa.
My journey into music started with DJing when I was 15 or 16, all thanks to my high school friend, Piotr Klejment, who is a representative of the Warsaw techno scene. I remember we would spend entire nights playing at my friend’s house. We would rent equipment and play every day, losing track of time. It was an incredible time, full of passion and youthful energy.
Later, the moment came when I started playing in clubs. I was still underage, so my dad would drive me to the club and pick me up afterward. I remember playing 8-hour sets from Thursday to Sunday. Looking back, I really appreciate that experience because it allowed me to discover a vast amount of music. At the time, nothing mattered more than playing – it was the most important thing in the world to me.
I hear a passion for improvisational jazz and also harsher styles of techno, as you often seamlessly blend each style into your DJ mixes. How do you decide when to lean more into the jazzy, organic instrumentation versus the more rigid, distorted techno sounds?
For me, jazz is techno, and techno is jazz. Both are built on the same foundation – improvisation, experimentation, rhythm, groove, emotion, texture, and collective experience. Jazz is techno for acoustic instruments, and techno is jazz for synthesizers and samplers. Both genres explore the same areas, but in different sound materials. I don’t have a method for it, it just comes naturally.
What record labels and artists do you keep an eye on when searching for new music?
It’s hard to pinpoint which labels or artists I follow most closely, as there are so many. Recently, though, I’ve really been enjoying the Mother Tongue distribution from Verona, run by Patrick Gibin. I find a lot of new records there that inspire me. I also regularly follow Gilles Peterson, Theo Parrish, Benji B, Kaidi Tatham and Ron Trent, as well as stores like SideOne, AsfaltShop, Rush Hour, and Hardwax.
There are also a few labels I’ve been particularly fond of lately, such as Forbidden Dance, Neroli, Time To Play, Ten Lovers Music, BBE, Sound Signature and International Anthem. I also tune into shows on NTS, Worldwide FM, Refuge Worldwide, The Lot Radio, and many others.
How do you find music you love? Any recommended destinations for crate diggers and music aficionados?
The only way is to dig, dig, and dig some more! Support local vinyl stores. My favorite spot in Warsaw is the iconic SideOne store, located in the heart of the city at 21 Chmielna Street. This legendary Warsaw record shop has been a meeting place for industry people – DJs, collectors, promoters – for 18 years, as well as a space for interesting conversations and inspiring recommendations. SideOne was created by Wojtek Żdanuk, known as DJ WWW, who from the very beginning was driven by a simple idea: to create a space where people could exchange music, inspirations, and energy, not just buy vinyl. It’s a place that has become more of a community than a business – anyone who’s been there knows that it’s about conversation, discovering music, and sharing passions. SideOne is a space that documents and co-creates the history of music in Poland. It’s an absolute must-visit spot on the map of Warsaw and the place where I bought most of the records in my collection.
www.sideone.pl
What’s next for Mutual Attraction? Any more DJ mixes or productions on the horizon?
Yes, I’ve recorded a few new mixes that will be released in the near future, and I plan to return to the studio in September. There are a few label proposals on the table, so we’ll see how things unfold. I’ve also got some gigs lined up, including in Berlin. You’ll be able to hear me on Refuge Worldwide alongside the wonderful George Snow (@georgesnw), who runs the cassette label Onda Tapes (@onda_tapes), as well as at the listening bar Unkompress.
Additionally, together with my friend Oskar (@oskarsienickidj) and diggers from Warsaw, we’re creating a channel called Słuchowisko (@sluchowisko_youtube), which aims to showcase and talk about our favorite records. The channel will also feature DJ sets from various locations. I encourage you to follow along.
Soon, there will also be a cassette release featuring one of my older tracks, coming out through the Laral Tapes (@laraltapes) label, run by Verlake (@verlake0) and Dextre (@dextre._) It will be a V.A. compilation featuring Polish underground producers, and the pre-order is available on Bandcamp and at SideOne’s store.
I’m also hoping to return to Italy soon for a few performances with the Diagonal (@diagonal_event) crew from Salerno. Amazing people, and incredible DJs like Alessandro and Luca – a big inspiration. Overall, I try not to plan too much, but instead, focus on actively engaging in my activities.