Matei Tibacu-Blendea
“Omule : Hi, can you tell me how everything started?”
“Matei : First, God was playing with Playdoh and made some dinosaur figurines. Then he’s like “Wait a minute,
I’m God, let’s give these creatures a pulse!” and then after he created their playground he said “let me make some smaller and more aesthetically efficient beings, so he made people. Then he said “ok now they need some drama, I want them to entertain me while I work on other lifeforms and dimensions…here’s a few books with religious rules that I will plant in different parts of the world and let them fight for which is the true one. Hahaha, this will be good *grabs popcorn*. Then every time he’d come back to watch, he felt they were dying to soon so he hinted at them to invent clothes and wheels and technology for themselves, cause the nudity was getting too distracting. After many seasons of human life, I was cast to play the role of Matei Tibacu-Blendea in October 1989. I’m curious to how the series is doing now, in the eyes of the critics!”
“Omule : Where do you get your inspiration from? Can you remember some of your earliest influences?”
“Matei : I went many directions, and they were all due to finding a logic in the actions of many of my heroes. The first song I learned on guitar was “Hate To Say I Told You So” by The Hives. I was living in Blythe, California and had only once touched an acoustic guitar…after which I swore I never would again, because it hurt my fingers and no intelligible sound came out. But when a friend of mine Ryan Reyes used to bring his amp and electric guitar to school and would ja to The Misfits, The Hives, The Adicts, and Dead Kennedys at school…I could see it was a different story.
The first solo I learned (besides the tapping part from Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” – form Ryan’s brother) was either a Children of Bodom song off “Something Wild”, a King Diamond one off Abigail, or an Iron Maiden song off “Brave New World”…those were the three records that got me hooked on solos, and then when I heard Yngwie Malmsteen, it changed everything.
Another big influence on me, because I always had the tendency to do things by myself and not be part
of a group (because at the time, I didn’t know how roles are divided, I thought everyone writes their own songs and lyrics and all the parts) was Burzum (around the same time with Bathory and Windir). He was the first artist that made me feel like I’m not on my own at…doing stuff on my own, but of course musically it was very limited. Naturally I gravitated towards current heroes like Todd Rundgren, Emitt Rhodes, people like Pete Townshend of The Who, Eric Carmen of The Raspberries, or Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys who would write the music for their groups, and even a good friend of mine and genius musician from Romania, Stefan Hancu with his project Dulceata Mortii. I’ll always be a one-man project type of guy. I do appreciate artistic solitude/dictatorship.
Atheist was the first band that allowed me to broaden my musical horizons, which were exclusively punk
and metal at the time. If you were to watch me listen to their song “Mother Man” the first time, you could hear the wheels in my head spinning, as my brain was expanding from all the new possibilities that I now saw in music. In that respect, in 2014 after I thought I heard everything that all forms of music have to offer, the freshly released album “Bish Bosch” by my favorite artist in the world, Scott Walker, confirmed that it doesn’t even need to stop at music. I can do anything that is in recorded form, as far as it makes me and others feel new emotions and opening microcosms intellectually.
And as far as discipline goes, not only in music, but in being multi-faceted, in always doing something and not allowing any free time for myself, and even as a paternal figure, as an individual mindset...Henry Rollins was always a father figure for me that I still very much take after. I would say these aspects are pivotal in what helped define the path I chose and still follow.”
“Omule : Do you have an ideal creative environment? Do you have any kind of creative patterns and routines?”
“Matei : Good question(s). Yes I do. First of all, my favorite place to compose and carry out any creative endeavors is a place in Romania called Azuga. I have a small place there where I always retreat to either create, or edit without the pressure of knowing I have to be other places and do a number of other activities during the day, which is the case in Bucharest. There, I take walks during winter time (or anytime really, the air is much cleaner and makes me think in a much clearer manner), I get recharged, and I climb up the 4 floors always ready to spend a whole day doing 3- or 4- days’ worth of work. Also, relationship wise, the place is very dense with romantic and abandonment feelings, bringing back memories of various times I was there with someone I deeply cared about, or by myself after a significant break-up. So that’s also part of the muse that makes my music flow a bit more naturally.
After that, it’s time to be more pragmatic. I once read an interview with Nick Cave in which he said he works in a windowless office room, from 9 to 5, with just a piano and a desk. I like that very much and always tackle work as if it were a job. I prefer this sort of discipline and putting all ideas in order in a much more professional way. There is a time the ideas come to you, and then there is a time you have to help them come to life…not expect everything to be handed on a platter. I have to feel like I literally worked for something, in order to feel that I achieved a goal. My favorite apps are Microsoft Excel, Word, and To-Do-ist. Go figure.”
“Omule : What do you love to do in your spare time? Do you have a favorite place to go on a holiday?”
“Matei : I don’t believe in spare time. I feel very uncomfortable if I’m in a situation where I simply don’t do
anything. Most of the time, I work. But I have the luxury of having my definition of work also branch out into many creative categories. The more I create, the more I feel I beat death, and leave more behind. My favorite places in the world are the US (I lived in Phoenix, AZ for 8 years and would love to return), London (lived studied there and around for 4 years), and Barcelona. London is a place I could see myself moving back to. Barcelona is good for a few days or going with someone, but I can’t see myself living in such a relaxed environment (plus, I prefer the cold), so busy crowded cities like New York, London, and even Bucharest are much more suitable for my hyper-active mind.”
“Omule : Who is on the guest list for your ideal dinner party?”
“Matei : My family, my close friends from Romania and some from abroad. Do you mean people that are known internationally? Well I can tell you I once had my favorite band ever, called Atheist (from Florida) have dinner at my house, right before their gig that day (in 2006). My Grandma cooked the traditional 100 courses like Romanians like to eat, they were so grateful and still hold that day as a fond memory in their life. At the end, we gave each of them a small gift and two of them broke into tears. So situations like that where the guests also have a good time are more valuable than if it’s just me going “LOOK WHO’S NEXT TO ME, ROBERT FRIPP OF KING CRIMSON, NOW ENVY ME!””
“Omule : What superpower would you like to have and why? Also , if you had the power, what would you forbid ?”
“Matei : I’d like to be able to “undo” actions of mine in real life. Let’s say one Ctrl + Z per month…that way I choose each action more wisely. But then if it doesn’t happen in one month, I don’t want it to disappear…I wanna keep it in a bonus undo bank. It already seems more plausible.”
“Omule : What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?”
“Matei : Wow, great question! I was given much advice by people I idolize, especially my Mom and Grandma. For example, I was taught to never simply reply “I don’t know” to a question and leave it at that…but instead
to follow with some research and at least do something about finding out an answer, not just to choose
the simple path that anyone can choose. In turn, this made me never take “no” or “I don’t know” for an
answer, and put me on a path of finding out stuff on my own, when there is no assistance available. Music-wise, I received a lot of good advice from my friends DJ Hefe and Victor Panfilov, either regarding how to talk to and treat people in the industry, and to pay attention to the most important elements in a song and try to make them shine, rather than overcrowd the song (more instruments, more rhythm suggestions, additional melody lines, busy guitars). Stefan Hancu said “If you release a CD and pay for the whole production, and 80 minutes of music fit on it…make it worth your while and fill it up!” I still try to apply that, as well as his technique of writing long songs (of course I’ll have to kill you if I told you). Another surprisingly helpful word of advice came from Morbid Angel guitarist Trey Azagthoth, after I had the fortune of hanging out with him for almost 2 days at Sziget Festival in 2006. He said “if you have two guitars in a band, never make them play the same thing. Always have one guitar complement the other by doing something different, that, if listened to separately, you could not picture going together with the other guitar. Then make them go together.” He also listened to rap in that period, for finding rhythms on guitar, which was more visible on the album that came afterwards, but was also a very helpful tip.
Aside from music, my trainer and dear friend Florin Anghel helped me be able to say “no” without
feeling guilty, and to not be afraid to speak my mind when something is bothering me, but the actual
advice that had impact on me is too explicit for me to write here. I have been given many wise pieces of
advice and learned valuable information from others. Sometimes I apply it, sometimes I don’t. But it’s in
the database. Also, while living in London, I found “mind the gap” to be surprisingly helpful many a times.”
“Omule : All in all, what would be a great achievement for you?”
“Matei : Artistically? Doing as much as possible and not regretting I haven’t done as much as I would’ve liked.
Also, knowing I did everything I could to get something out there. More specifically, being able to reach those who influenced me, with my music, and getting their validation/approval.”
“Omule : Tell me something about your new project, The Details.”
“Matei : It’s the first - and so far only - Power Pop project in Romania. A 60’s revival and reinterpretation. It’s my output, and I have a lot to “put out”. I prefer to be by myself most of the time, and to get swamped in work, or something that makes the time go by and I come out triumphant at the end, for doing something constructive. I plotted the whole plan for The Details to last for years on end, so that there will always be a lot to do. It’s this universe I built from which I unfortunately rarely want to exit from, and I often feel whatever else it is I’m doing, I’d rather be working on something Details related. It’s one of those situations where you don’t know where an actor’s character ends, and the real person begins…same with me, I tend to represent the Details more often than my personal self. It’s a deeply personal project that gives me more opportunities to realize how many personal and artistical boundaries I can break, it helps me always push myself to do more, and to also learn from shortcomings.
Live, it’s a different creature. Actually, a six-headed creature. The other 5 pillars that make the project
come out of the house are Dan, Emma, Tiberius, Teo, and Marina, and I never thought I would meet
such devoted, lovely, like-minded people on the sole criteria that they would appreciate the music being
made. They didn’t know about Power Pop before this, and they are fighting the battle with me, to get it
across to as many people as possible. How cool is that?
The debut EP called “To Charles and Back” has been released at the end of 2018. It has been
conceptualized starting with 2010 and recorded in Canterbury (UK), Bucharest, and Azuga, up until 2016.
“To Charles Dickens and Back” features two musicians – Stevie Kalinich and Greg Kuehn - that worked
with such artists as Beach Boys, Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Brian May of Queen, The Cult, T.S.O.L.
and more. It features my favorite instrument, the theremin, quite heavily (as it is part of the signature
sound) as well as dense orchestration, multiple-part harmonies, a concept, and many instruments that
shine especially on the two soundtrack-like long songs that open and close the album. People such as
Henry Rollins, John Densmore of the Doors, Bill Gould of Faith No More, Jody Stephens of Big Star, and
even Brian Wilson liked what they heard…which was very encouraging to hurry up with the following
releases.
The Details aims to present the evolution of music from The Beatles onwards, through my own lens.”
“Omule : How about Power Pop. What do you like the most about this genre?”
“Matei : Its ambivalence. It’s the happiest-sounding subgenre with the most tragic past and “upbringing”. The
genre itself can be traced back to The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, Badfinger, Big Star, Dwight Twilley
Band, and then each decade had their own power pop heroes. The thing with it is that it always had this
idiotic fate: just as it rose to mass popularity, another genre came with a left hook, knocked it off it
throne, causing even suicidal casualties (look up the tragic histories of some of the aforementioned bands). It is such a permissive form of music that combines elements of pop (short songs, 4/4 danceable
beat, jangly guitar, vocal harmonies, lyrics about naïve love, and youthful energy) with the best parts of rock ’n’ roll, folk, classical music…and no matter how dated some of these forms may sound now, the formula will always prevail. Most of the bands you know and like, are Power Pop-rooted and you don’t even know (spanning from Weezer and Blink-182 to emo acts like Jimmy Eat World, to Blondie, Ramones, Tom Petty…you name it!). For me, it was a perfect output to talk about relationships (from love, to infatuations, to break-ups, to romantic maturity…which I am still on the path of) using tools such as jazz theory, rich orchestration, many instruments, vocal harmonies, a radio-friendly sound…and just take it from there and adapt it as I see fit, to create a whole story. As someone that came from metal, I feel Power Pop is the most permissive genre, and the most creatively-encouraging one too. Everything starts from something simple. Most of the people that make it sound simple…are really good. It’s a full circle of finding out the hard way how to trim the fat and only extract the most important elements of something. That’s how successful pop music is still being made.”
“Omule : Favourite artists and albums? Concerts in the near future with your new band?”
“Matei : My personal top 10 favorite artists are Scott Walker, Atheist, King Diamond, The Damned, King Crimson, Sieges Even, Mars Volta/At The Drive-In, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and I leave an open slot for an ever changing number 10.
A personal top 15 Power Pop artists with afferent albums, that have influenced The Details:
The Raspberries (all 4 albums)
Big Star (first 3 albums + Chris Bell’s “I Am The Cosmos”)
The Dwight Twilley Band (first 2 albums + Phil Seymour’s only 2 albums)
The Who – Tommy
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
The Keys – The Keys (the only album)
Jellyfish – Spilt Milk
Blue Ash – No More, No Less
The Knack – Get The Knack
Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything?
Emitt Rhodes (first 4 albums)
Cheap Trick (first 5 albums)
The Flamin’ Groovies – Shake Some Action
Badfinger (first 2 albums)
The Nerves (debut album)
I wrote “top 10” initially, but as I got to number 2 I knew there was no way I can limit myself to 10, and
still I cheated and crammed more albums in. It is implied that everything the Beatles did up to and
including Rubber Soul, is an automatic influence on everyone listed above. There is a good 3-part
compilation called “Poptopia!” that has the best of 70s, 80s, and 90s Power Pop, as well as a book by
John Borack called “Shake Some Action” that is basically a 200 best albums of the genre.”
“Omule : Concerts in the near future with your new band?”
“Matei : We’re just starting to book them for this year! So far we have:
February 25 – Bucharest (Club Expirat)
March 12 – Cluj (@/Form Space with Bosquito)
March 13 – Brasov (@Kruhnenhalle with Bosquito)
March 14 – Iasi (@Underground Pub with Bosquito)
April 1 – Bucharest (@Hard Rock Café with Coma)
And more to be announced soon! Our facebook page is www.facebook.com/theofficialdetails/”
“Omule : Thank you very much, Matei.”
“Matei : Thank you so much for the questions, and for your interest and time to read this!”
