Polinski

Futuristic and thoroughly human soundscapes from the electronic mind of 65daysofstatic.

“I still have a lot of faith in human beings. It’s just the system we have built around ourselves, the miserable machine, causing all the problems.”

Paul Wolinski laughs as he says this, almost surprised by his own view of the state of things. Though it’s a stark way of summarising the world outside our window, it’s also a base point for where Paul, as a musician, finds himself right now.

Renowned for his work over the last 20 years in 65daysofstatic, Sheffield’s own multi-faceted, meticulous post-rock/electronica monster, his recent focus has been more toward his solo project Polinski, a private escape of experimentation that he has dabbled in on and off for the last decade. Yet in the wake of the pandemic and 65days’ pivoting more to explorative soundscapes rather than fully-fledged songs, he has found a bit more time and space to give the moniker the attention it deserves.

And that’s how he found himself focusing on the world’s ills whilst piecing together his art. “I would much rather make sure that my anger at the way things are isn’t directed at the wrong places,” he says. “Hating people and blaming people isn’t the right way of doing it. It’s designed by the people in power. We didn’t build this infrastructure. We were born into it.

“That’s when I start thinking of the idea of utopia, but in a sense, I would just like to have higher dreams that matter. Not just things to work, for things to be great.”

That became the focus of //Telex From MIDI City//, a soundtrack to a world that functions as it should, created using instruments and techniques that were already there rather than searching for new ones. Using MIDI sounds, IDM beats pulled from the ’90s and synths synonymous with the ’80s and melding them with his lessons learned whilst playing around with non-linear programming, as well the skills earned from his PhD in algorithmic music, the outcome transports you forwards and paints a picture of a future that we deserve. Both gloriously modern and stunningly calming, it’s also a piece of art that finds Paul at his most comfortable as an artist.

“When 65dos first started, we had this enforced naivety that there was new music to be found and that we could be the ones to find it,” he muses. “But I’m pretty wary of the idea of newness and progress for its own sake. Everything we know is socially constructed, so we can do things differently if we want to.

“Now, much of my focus is on making music with intention and the human communication behind it. Creating little crafted statements made from older ideas without lazy nostalgia. It’s not about this constant and desperate race to the future where we are rebuilding from the bottom of things we are already capable of doing.”

With 65daysofstatic preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their album //Wild Light// in the Autumn out on the road, Paul is still determining when or if he will get to show off Polinski in a live setting any time soon. But he does know that his hunger to delve deeper into what he is capable of is stronger than ever and that only bodes well for the future.

“This has all been a long time coming,” he smiles again. “And I couldn’t be prouder of what I’ve made.” JR

PROG FILE

LINE-UP:

Paul Wolinksi (Programming)

SOUNDS LIKE:

Intricate and awe-inspiring blends of electronica made with tools of the past and present

RELEASE:

Telex from MIDI City is out now via Polinski / Data Airlines

WEBSITE:

www.polin.ski

— Jack Rogers