Adam Majdecki-Janicki, sometimes known by the pseudonym A.J. Kaufmann, is a Polish poet, musician, and composer. He is a prolific artist and a longtime friend of Harbinger Magazine. Dave Bixby has called him “a national treasure of Poland” while interviewing him in 2023. After three years, we catch up with Adam to see what is new in his world…
Thank you for agreeing to another interview with Harbinger Magazine!
My pleasure, dear friend. Always an honor to talk to Harbinger.
For someone that hasn’t yet heard your music, which three albums/projects would you recommend as the best starting point?
That would certainly be the “Adam Majdecki-Janicki” lathe-cut LP on Herby Records (2023), that neatly summarizes the first 25 years of my work 1998-2023. Also might be worth checking out “Ur” (PLAYNFLATE, 2026). “Ur” was actually recorded in 2004, just days before my 19th birthday, and would be my debut album proper if fate hadn’t decided otherwise. It’s also worth checking out Fairyport Convent if you dig psych-noise-assault on all senses, full-frontal and raw like Iggy Pop’s power.
Your musical catalog weaves in and out of all sorts of diverse and loosely defined genres from psychedelic, folk, industrial, noise, krautrock, and much more – is there any underlying thread that connects these various songs/albums/projects in your mind?
I think that would be Spirituality. We can talk buddhism, judaism, hinduism, all kinds of -isms, but it all comes down to Spirit. I was never interested in “genre”, rather in “sound”, “perception”, and “space”. It was always a manifestation of the spirit. I actually discovered this only shortly after my 40th birthday. Before that, it seemed it was all just pure chaos held together by titles, projects, and “major albums” (vinyl releases, CD releases, etc). But then I reflected deeply on the work of Dave Bixby, and many other artists, like Angus MacLise, or Yuri Morozov, or Maurizio Bianchi, or even Genesis P. Orridge, dedicated to Spirit. And there it was inside me, satori, revelation, epiphany. I am not a “genre” or a “product”. I am a Spirit traveling in a bodily suitcase. Leaving some traces of song, noise, words, image, here and there, and anywhere the Wind may blow.
How important or prominent is improvisation in your creative process?
Currently it’s very important, as it’s basically the only way I operate at the moment. When I was younger, I was more into songwriting and poetic lyrics and what not. I actually studied songwriting really hard, even if I never was part of the “academic scene”, which always was, is, and will be dead and boring by the way, in my opinion. But these days, I just hit the record button. I started improvising consciously around 2019, around the time of the “Astrea” sessions. It freed me from writing lyrics with “meaning”, chord structures, scales, verse/chorus/verse, all the traps of being “just a songwriter”. But I believe you have to learn the basics first, and only then it’s time for full creative freedom. You can have freedom right away, but that would be an illusion, “just a child lost in a fog”, to quote Vonnegut. I am eternally grateful to Johann Gottlob von Wrochem for showing me the necessity of hard work at the core of anything, and everything with real “meaning”. If there is a “meaning” anyway. Once there was for sure. He was one of the pillars of the older generation of German pianists and composers.
You are well known for your collaborative approach to music working with other Polish musicians as well as groups and individuals around the world. Do you have any favorite collaborations or projects to share?
I liked jamming with Bezkwit. I liked jamming with Psychedelic Mayhem, and with Cybernetic Spin. We played live, recorded lots of sessions, it was cool. But at the moment I most often look back to 2002, when I started Strange World with Mateusz Nowicki. Man, those were crazy days. Sci-fi lyrics met heavy riffs, we drank more beer than the local brewery could produce, smoked some forbidden plants, and just made pure teenage noise. People thought we were insane. I miss those days. I finally digitized those crazy tapes this year and you can listen to a modest (we recorded 9 or 10 90-minute tapes over two summers) selection HERE.
You are certainly one of the main figures of the Poznań Underground Music Scene. What is the music scene like in your town? Is there an identifiable “sound”?
I don’t think there is. I never was a part of that scene, if we ever had one. But in 2026 with more gray hair than talent I actually dig some bands. Like Extraterrestial Dreamsucker, or Izzy and the Black Trees. Good stuff!
Poland has a long tradition of experimental and outsider art. Which Polish writers, musicians, or visual artists do you feel the most influenced by?
I think I was always into Western music. Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Amon Duul, Gong, Cathedral, Monster Magnet, Mouse on Mars, Iron Butterfly, Kraan… but yes. We had a brilliant scene in the 70s. If someone’s not familiar with it I recommend googling: Niebiesko-Czarni, Andre Mikola, Wojtek Korda, Niemen, SBB, Klan, Krzak, RSC, Czerwone Gitary, Skaldowie, Bractwo Kurkowe, Breakout, Urszula Sipińska (my neighbor until I moved to the city centre last year!), Mech. We also had killer punk in the 80s! Moskwa, Siekiera, KSU, Deuter (not the German Deuter), Tilt, Brygada Kryzys. And in the 90s we had a great noise/alt-rock scene with Ewa Braun, Guernica Y Luno, Ścianka… speaking of writers, I’m most influenced by a Polish sci-fi writer Emma Popik. Visually I won’t be original – Nikifor – outsider painter. He’s brilliant. There’s also a cool 60s Polish psych-folk album called “Nikifor” by the band No To Co. Musicians – Niemen, Korda and Andre Mikola. Korda was the first guy to play Jimi Hendrix music behind the Iron Curtain. He and Andre also made it possible for me to join ZaiKS (the union of Polish artists and composers).
Some people have described your music as “cinematic”. Do you have any experience working with filmmakers to make movie scores or is that something you would be interested in?
I would be interested. I never worked with bigger filmmakers, just with some underground projects on a really small scale. If someone cool contacts me, I probably won’t say no. Depending on how much they pay (laughter).
Please tell us about your work with Wino i Winyle.
It’s currently a small local project that’s focused on saving and preserving old vinyl, releasing new cool artists on Bandcamp, plus I am also organizing small meetings called “Poznański Klub Osobowości” (Poznań’s Personality Club) at the atelier. I started working with Igor 3 years ago and I’m very happy about our friendship and cooperation. He’s passionate about music, wine, and mental health. The perfect combination. His son is also a musician, and he released his debut EP this year. From my perspective, it’s cool work and an extension of my artistic path. Thanks to your recommendation we also have great Guerssen records in our offer. We are the only store in Poznań, Poland to have such a wide selection of Guerssen titles. I am happy about it. We also have exclusive Herby Records and TIBProd. Italy compilations available on Bandcamp. I am super proud of those.
What have you been listening to lately (new or old)? Anything you would like to recommend?
This short mix has some stuff from albums I’ve been listening to lately: https://soundcloud.com/newpolishbeat/my-pineal-records-mix-001. As I’m writing this I’m listening to the first Voivod album. I’d like to recommend all the Polish musicians/bands I mentioned in the Polish influences question. There’s a whole new world to discover in Poland if you look around!
What do you currently have in the works and what is next for you?
I actually finished and released a new Fairyport Convent album on May 11th. Also 2 or 3 new Gita Ra albums since the beginning of 2026. I am now recording improvisations and cover versions of some favorite tunes. Nothing big. I think I’ll release a cassette soon with a nice label called Per Musica Ad Astra. There’s gonna be some surprises on PLAYNFLATE as well! But no “big major idea” or “title” or “idee fixe”. Just sound.
Thank you so much for your time!
And thank you for your friendship, kindness, and great questions!
Find out more about Adam on his Bandcamp, Youtube, Soundcloud, and WordPress!
– Justin Jackley
Dave Bixby 