SONIC technician Robert Babicz is back with his eighth album.
Utopia was released last month on Marc Romboy’s Systematic Recordings and is a veritable cornucopia of intoxicating synthesis. The long player follows the impeccable single Come Down which was released in October.
Utopia touches upon some of society’s fundamental challenges, most notable of which is our search for the ideal world. Perhaps most strikingly is Robert’s assertion that the ‘Utopia’ we seek is not in fact a destination; rather it is a journey, one in which we must introspectively assess the notion that to find “a better world to live in, we must create it each day ourselves.”
Having recently relocated to the picturesque island of Malta from Germany, Robert Babicz remains a staple artist in electronic music, a position he has occupied for nearly three decades now. Cutting his teeth in the acid house era of the early nineties under his Rob Acid moniker, Robert’s innate ability to resonate with listeners has seen him produce several acclaimed albums for Marc Romboy’s Systematic Recordings, alongside connecting with audiences around the world through regular performances across Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as North and South America. Utopia is another amazing addition to an incredible legacy of music.
Since 2010 Robert has used his own label Babiczstyle to put out self-produced work and has released twenty five EPs on the imprint in just ten years, a testament to his creative zest and inherent talent for production.
To mark the release of Utopia, we caught up with Robert and asked him to talk us through a playlist of his musical influences.
Jean Michel Jarre – Oxygene Part 2
“Right after my parents moved from Poland to Germany, I started school. My first German friend, Dieter, had an older brother with a record collection, and this music reminded me of traveling through the Universe with Captain Kirk and his enterprise. I was six years old.”
Frankie goes to Hollywood – Relax 12″ extended
“A few years later another friend with an older brother had a collection of FGTH records, and especially the 12″ inch versions were so fascinating to me. I think this is one of the blueprints for how I create an arrangement.”
Marshall Jefferson – Move Your Body
“When I first heard house music, it was so different to the pop music back then. The rhythm of the drum machines and the repeating vocals were like a mantra.”
Peter Gabriel – Don’t Give Up (ft. Kate Bush)
“This piece of art is resonating with my inner melancholy. It’s still giving me hope. Something I try to archive with my music.”
Brian Eno – Music For Airports
“This is a placeholder for eno’s theme and the concept of making music that fills up a room and melts with your inner self.”
The Irresistible force – Flying High
“I think this is one of my most listened to CDs’s back then. An adventure in electronic music, travel music for the mind.”
Phuture – Acid Tracks
“Impossible to have a list without this track, for me this was intergalactic dance music. It was coming from an alien spaceship party.”
Karl Heinz Stockhausen – Kontakte
“This music was created in the late 1960s and some of the first electronic music. I came to this music when I wanted to understand the origin of my music. Then, just two years later, I moved to Kuerten, a small town close to Cologne/Germany, where he was one of my neighbors. This music is still way ahead of us, and I bow down.”
f.u.s.e – f.u.2
“This track was the new rock’n’roll. Techno became the new wild; everything was possible. The love parade was bringing people from all around the world together to enjoy life in peace.”
Robert Plant / Alison Kraus – Polly come home
“This piece stands for music that I like to listen to, connected to the love for music and sound. I feel joy.”
Robert Babicz – Utopia is out now on Systematic Recordings. Click HERE to grab your copy.
