Hiya Mars 999, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What was life like for you before you got into music?
That’s a funny thing, because I’m actually a doctor. A cardiologist. People often wonder how I can reconcile these two worlds. Medicine and art. On the one hand, something that is very exact and precise, and on the other hand, complete freedom, even unfettered emotions, thinking of the art. But I think these two worlds are closer than you might think. They’re both about healing people. Bodies in medicine and souls in art. That’s what it’s all about.
What’s the live music scene like in Slovakia, or more precisely in Bratislava right now?
We live in strange times now. Everything around us is changing, things that were clear and unchanging a moment ago are taking on a different shape and often turning completely upside down. I think we see it everywhere, Europe, the US, the Middle East …
Of course, this also affects the culture and local art and music scene in Slovakia. Even more so, since Slovakia is currently undergoing a state-controlled liquidation of alternative culture, which is terrible but beautiful at the same time. I think, that Authentic art, creativity, free thinking, fantasy, attitude, cannot be destroyed. Because it is the origin, the essence of human existence. When you draw the curtains in your apartment, you can tell yourself that you have pulled the sun from the sky, but the truth is that the sun it is still there, just right outside your windows. I think there’s a greater sense of belonging in the local music and art scene now in Bratislava, people have come together, they’re closer to each other, I feel like this community is stronger now than before and that’s the beautiful “side effect” of repression.
It seems like being a social media curator has become added to the many jobs of a musician, how do you feel about this?
Social media is a part of our world today, whether we like it or not. It’s the concept of Moloch. People curse at it, they have all sorts of strange feelings about it, but in the end they feed it. With the internet and social networks, we were given the gift of absolute freedom and absolute control all in one beautiful fancy package. That’s hard to handle. As Brian Eno says, social media/the internet wants our attention, it’s so invasive, it steals our attention from ourselves and that’s a tricky thing.
How do you manage engagement on your socials?
I personally try to control all my social networks myself, to be like truly truthful, authentic and try to only be be visible for people when I really feel like I have and want something to tell them like artistically, something important to share with people. Otherwise, it’s just an unnecessary pollution on the universe. And there’s too much informational ballast in the space, so why spread it?
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
Again, I see something like the concept of “Moloch” behind all this streaming madness. An independent artist in a small state in Europe can never benefit from this system. We all know that, but we keep adding our music to it. We’ll play this game with them for a while. But people should know, and I believe they do, that the best way to support their favourite artists/musicians is to buy directly. Vinyl, CDs, tapes, merch, or go to the concert/venue.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I think we are in the era of the end of mixing “fast food” and “haute gastronomy” in music. Which I think is great. I have a feeling that in a few years, streaming platforms will offer auto-generated music, hit songs, directly created for the recipient’s profile as a consumer product. So that it best suits the customer, targeted according to data and statistics from social networks and the internet. For relaxing, exercising, for being happy, sad, for fucking too. And then there will be us artists, who will always do our own thing and we will have our own, albeit smaller, but sensitive and receptive audience. Which is great I guess.
Whats the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
That art is everything. Every sound is music. Every word is poetry. You just have to have an open perception and let creativity flow through you spontaneously. You will always find someone who will share it with you. In UK, in Australia, in Africa, or maybe even on Mars 🙂
What was your best experience on stage?
Ugh, this is a difficult question, because I haven’t played live with this project yet. You know, at the beginning I had it strictly as an introspective personal project, a diary of what I live, what I play, I record traces of my life in visual, musical images and texts, so the essence was to capture this flow of my life, without any necessity of anything, then the decision came to show it to people, to publish it and currently I am not far from the idea that I will perform with this material in a live performance. So I am not defending myself, we will see. But I am not playing concerts yet.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
Ok so, you might ask why Mars 999? Well, I know in today’s world, anything remotely “mystical” or “esoteric” (even though I hate that word) often feels devalued. That’s due to societal shifts and how these ideas or philosophies are often misused (in esotericism, conspiracy theories, etc.). I get it, it bothers me too. But… I was born in April, under the Aries sign, and Mars is the planet that astrologically rules this sign. These themes have always resonated with me—my personality, motivation, direction in life—how I move through the world. The number 9 is also my destiny number according to numerology. So okay, maybe it sounds kind of silly, but whatever 🙂
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
Well most of my music were recorded in DIY-style literally in my bedroom — most of the vocals were tracked right on my bed. Many of the songs are built on a modular analog synth, with other instruments layered over that. I then took the finished demos (which in many ways are already the final versions) to Prague, where Australian producer Rohin Brown worked on the sound and production with me. Together, we gave them the “final touch”—sometimes more, sometimes less. The full album—10 to 11 tracks—is already ready and should be released in the coming months.
What was the recording process like and what about the song “Milovať Teba”?
Well “Milovať Teba” is the first track from the album, which will be released in the fall. But I might release some songs from it gradually—I haven’t made a final decision on that yet.There are also 2 versions of this song. One is the video version and second is original version. And why two versions of the song? Well, this happened completely spontaneously and organically—it’s like capturing a process in motion.
The track started as an improvisation on the modular synth, which I later arranged into a structured composition, wrote lyrics for, recorded vocals, and turned it into a song. I was happy with this raw version for a long time and considered it final. Later, I went to Prague to work with Rohin on finishing the tracks. During one session, while listening to what we thought was the final version, I was sitting at the piano and a new melody suddenly came to me. It felt like a strong new impulse, so we followed it—we layered more Steinway piano, and even invited Icelandic pianist Jakob Gunnarsson to record a part.
What you hear in the final version is a kind of piano story: it starts with my part, transitions into Jakob’s, and ends with mine again. Two perspectives on the same idea in one piano track.
The recording process was amazing. I’m incredibly grateful for the circumstances and for whatever is above us that led Rohin and me to cross paths. He’s an amazing person, and it’s largely thanks to him that I gathered the courage to finish and release these things on my own. We recorded in Faust Studio in Prague, which is simply a magical place with real genius loci. While I was there, all my old memories and emotional connections to Prague came rushing back—to legendary Czech artists who deeply influenced me with their lyrics and musical perception: Filip Topol, Psí Vojáci, Egon Bondy, Mejla Hlavsa, The Plastic People of the Universe… it all came alive there.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
For me, creation is a continuous process, so deeply connected with everyday life and experience that sometimes living and creating feel almost like synonyms. I play practically every day. Today’s times are great in that I can record and document every idea by myself and later work on it and develop it in any direction. I’ve been working this way for a long time.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Absolutely no not at all! 🙂
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Free your mind, be kind and mindful toward the world around you, and amazing things will start to happen.
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