Exactly one year since our last feature about their impressive self-titled EP, we are pleased to give you “Glad To Be…”, the first full length from Polish ambient / post rock experimentalists THOSE WHO DREAM BY DAY, and surely one of the most interesting offerings the genre has to offer in 2018 so far.
Build upon the concept of their dear friendship, “Glad To Be…” expands their short, yet emotionally capacious collection of tracks into a noteworthy full album that brings in 8 conscious works, all well arranged and expertly produced in Red Yeti Studio. Immersed in pristine melancholic beauty, the album transports the listener into a picturesque dreamscape and settles into the arms of a mysterious nature that is both relaxing and yet fundamentally adventurous. An utterly triumphant, uplifting album. We’re proud to give you its first listen below, along with the first-hand commentary on each and every track.
THOSE WHO DREAM BY DAY are: Karolina ‘Kapka’ Bartkiewicz – electric guitar; Aleks Głowacki – bass guitar / synths; Michał Kaluga – drums; Krzysztof Leoniak – electric guitar / karimba.
“HERE”
Krzysiek: I treat it as a look back. Quite literally. The construction of this track is a kind of mash-up of sounds that appeared on our EP from 2017. Silently, I hope that some listener will pick up this connection and just like us – will smile and think about that previous material.
Aleks: “Here” is like a two-minute warmup before “Glad To Be …”
Kapka: A brief preview of what comes next. For me, it’s also a lot of cool memories from the beginning of the band.
Michał: It’s a link between the past and the present. I think it was important for us to bring some of the past memories into our first full-length album.
“PLAYGROUND”
Krzysiek: Soon after the release of our EP in 2017 we felt that we needed to push ourselves further with our sound. There was some kind of an urge to stand out from this typical post-rock that you can find on every corner. And then.. during one of our rehearsals “Playground” came up. I remember those looks on our faces saying something like “that’s it! this is the path that we need to explore”. We didn’t have to talk this through really. We sticked to it. And worked out this private gem of mine. I think that it also shows how fun the creative process can be, you know… writing songs, talking about serious and not so serious stuff. Love it.
Aleks: I have completely different feeling about this track. To me it’s nostalgic, a recollection of carefree times, when the biggest problem was the sunset ending play time outside. Tomorrow we’ll wake up as responsible adults.
Kapka: I love playing this piece. It has enormous strength – a song about the things that will not come back, because it’s time to be an adult.
Michał: For me, everything flows in this song, the atmosphere and dynamics are fluctuating. I like this feeling while playing.
“LAST SUMMER DAY”
Krzysiek: The most cheerful track on this album. A whole range of bending sounds. Just like a biography of TWDBD. Just stop yourself and have some goddamn fun!
Aleks: We definitely have similar emotions. “LSD” is a musical selfie of Those Who Dream By Day.
Kapka: Roller-coaster ride! I keep coming back to the moment when we played “LSD” for a close group of friends in the garden of my summer house – breathing fresh Masurian air. It was a blast.
Michał: Without pomposity or falling into typical post-rock depths. Pure joy.
“AWARE”
Krzysiek: This one is a protest song against overwhelming degradation of nature that takes place nowadays. It’s frustrating how much damage we’re doing without thinking of future consequences.On the other hand, this track is one of our oldest compositions. It will reward you if you’ll keep listening till the end.
Aleks: Yes. I think that for all of us “Aware” tries to “show” how we neglect our planet. Mother nature will win anyway, she always wins. Let’s respect her.
Kapka: I agree with the guys. For me it’s a very intense song. It is a combination of the chaos of everyday life, all the crap that surrounds us (both literally and figuratively) with the calmness and order that the contact with nature gives me.
Michał: Intense instrumentally, with an important message.
“BIPOLAR PARADISE”
Krzysiek: I remember the first time I heard Karimba (the leading instrument in the song). I immediately wanted to own one and create compositions for TWDBD! All in all, just after the purchase, the sounds that can be heard in the song came out immediately. The track itself in turn is strongly associated with certain places in which we as a band were and experienced adventures…
Aleks: The beautiful text and the work by Wawrzyniec Dąbrowski (Letters From Silence, Henry David’s Gun) completed this composition. When asked about this song, he said: “Thelyrics were created between 00:11 and 00:48 and wrote themselves. As those words existed in me earlier and needed such a genius music to be expressed in”
Kapka: This is a very special song. Wawrzyniec did an incredible job with the vocals and lyrics. Usually, I close my eyes and drift away playing this song, I cannot resist.
Michał: Whenever I hear it, I am surprised how this tune can move me. When Wawrzyniec sent us his proposal with the vocals, I was totally blown away and I couldn’t wait to share this song with the world.
“BIPOLAR PARADISE” music video:
This is the only track from the album that have vocals in it. Originally it supposed to be another instrumental composition. However, soon after our tour with Frozen Lakes, Wawrzyniec Dąbrowski send us some vocal samples for this track. Immediately we’ve felt that this is it! There’s our missing puzzle! Basically it showed us that there’s so much more than another instrumental that we can present for you guys.
Coordinates in the title refer to a secret place that have a huge meaning for us… not only as a band but mainly as friends. Let’s just say that this is the place where it all started. Overall the material of the LP reflects the emotions that have accompanied us for the last two years.This is a concept album that in its essence describes our friendship. Therefore “Bipolar Paradise” perfectly reflects this concept.
We shot the video at one of our homes. Even though there’s some seriousness in it, we had so much fun creating it!
“YOU”
This is the only track from the album that have vocals in it. Originally it supposed to be another instrumental composition. However, soon after our tour with Frozen Lakes, Wawrzyniec Dąbrowski send us some vocal samples for this track. Immediately we’ve felt that this is it! There’s our missing puzzle! Basically it showed us that there’s so much more than another instrumental that we can present for you guys.
Coordinates in the title refer to a secret place that have a huge meaning for us… not only as a band but mainly as friends. Let’s just say that this is the place where it all started. Overall the material of the LP reflects the emotions that have accompanied us for the last two years.This is a concept album that in its essence describes our friendship. Therefore “Bipolar Paradise” perfectly reflects this concept.
We shot the video at one of our homes. Even though there’s some seriousness in it, we had so much fun creating it!
Krzysiek: It’s the feeling when you want to say “to hell with everything”. This one could be a soundtrack for it. It goes straight to the point. There’s no room for whispers, building tension… there’s only scream!
Aleks: We don’t play many gigs and post-rock scene is very modest. Therefore I think “YOU” is a kind of “thank you” directed at every smile that ever appeared from under the stage.
Kapka: One of the older pieces, reflects the positive spirit of the band.
Michał: Playing this song relaxes me. It’s simple, uncompromising and energetically charged.
“UNITY”
Krzysiek: My favorite one! In my opinion, it captures the essence of the band and its sound style. There’s some kind of weird excitement everytime we play it… starts slowly, bass, kicks… then Kapka starts playing and I simply want to close my eyes and float away.
Aleks: I really like to feel these pulse changes, introducing into some kind of trance fragments that make up this song, we start to vibrate in the same rhythm. I love this feeling!
Kapka: Exactly! From the first sounds I start to fall into a trance, I get lost in the rhythm and then in its hypnotic melody. I love this song!
Michał: This song illustrates where we are currently located as a band. What I value the most in this piece is that I find in it echoes of other bands that I love.
“EMOTIVE”
Krzysiek: Anyone who made it this far – high five! The longest and most extensive composition from the album and probably one of the most post-rock numbers – hahah!. Everything here began with the proposal to play live for a movie at the MÓZG club in Warsaw. A lot of time (probably 2 months!) we spent on creating it. Finally, we played the song to the fragments of the Macbeth movie. Throughout the piece, you’ll find snippets from each of us as musicians. It is a literal hybrid of the instruments of Michał, Kapka, Alex and mine. Simply grand finale!
Aleks: Let me correct you Krzysiu. 6 months earlier we started to write material for this event. This is by far the most complex, well-thought-out and mature composition by Those Who Dream By Day. I am very curious of the reception of this work. What will appear under the eyelids of the listeners? Be sure to let us know! ;)
Kapka: Congratulations from me too :) I am very proud of this piece. The composition is very complex, it travels through different emotional states and moods. And it so great to play live!
Michał: I love to play it. I think that this is a very important piece, mainly because it dared us to compose within completely new areas. Initially, it was called “Chimera”, which was related to the fact that it is our Frankenstein – a monster created with several parts.
