Profile
In his childhood Matjaz was always involved into drawing, painting, and music. In his teens he got inspired by 'do it yourself' 'non-profit' ethics of work, and started his tape-labels, tape distribution and made countless effort in DIY activism in Slovenia from 1992. His work includes lots of enthusiasm and self-dedication.
Professional interests, development and education
He obtained a Bachelors degree in Occupational & Fire Safety from the Univeristy of Ljubljana. After the studies he was working for more than 8 years as a project manager in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He obtained his Master of Technology in Safety and Ergonomics at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland, and a PhD in Industrial Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway in Galway, Ireland.
Interests: Safety, Reliability, Ergonomics, Human Factors, Engineering Project Management, Healthcare Safety Systems, Human Error, Human performance, Human-Machine Interaction, Human-Computer Interaction, Workload, Automation, Human:Automation Interaction, Ergonomics Research and Experimental Design.
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Hobbies
Tape-labels, record-labels, fanzines
In 2002 Matjaz started a new label, called [&] (reads as 'and'). He noticed he could promote himself and Slovenian activities, people, labels a lot more. This means Slovenian people, projects, bands 'do' and 'take part' on quality levels in quality things, but these things were somehow unseen, unnoticed or neglected by international 'do-it-yourself scene'. [&] aims highly to present and to promote quality things he does, creates, produces on his personal level, together with Slovenian and international friends, bands, projects.
Making music and expressing through sounds
In late 1990's he started with bedroom projects RADIATOR and ROBOT 3000. With his friend Miha N. they started one of the first shit-noise projects in Slovenia, called SNAJPER. Using no ordinary music equipment they recorded many sessions and released various tapes on different labels all over the world. Influenced by various styles of music and non-music, using their chaos-based ideas, different sound sources and expressing many ideas through this project played a key role for further improvisation-based bands for Matjaz.
In 1999 he started with Miha N. a band called SIST EN 343, which is one of the pioneer bands in the field of experimental music and noise in Slovenia. Sound is made with more or less primitive equipment, different tools and use of different materials from near and far surroundings as a sound source – glass, plastic, different metals, pipes, etc.
This is what they have to say about SIST EN 343: "With SIST EN 343 we wish to make and create different forms of sound and »noise« itself. With sometimes kind, constructive or even destructive approach and mixing layers of noise, creating our own sounds only with improvisation we create worlds of hearable and unhearable tunes, sounds and different atmospheres in places and brains of potential listeners."
From 1999 to 2001 Matjaz took part with noise-core group MASTIKATOR. Together with Primoz C. and Miha N, being a screamer and driver most of the time. MASTIKATOR never rehearsed, and only decent recordings made were from different bedroom sessions and live recordings. They managed to record a few hours of material with many tracks and left some unpublished material. Only one studio session was done in this period, but sound-wise it was bad and therefore never used or released. They played about 30 concerts in Slovenia and abroad (Austria, Switzerland, Italy), recorded one demo tape and appeared on one compilation CD, Difficult music for difficult people vol.1.
In 2002 Matjaz started a solo project, called GEN 26. GEN 26 is dedicated to sound experimentation, natural, urban noise, sound deviation and manipulation. All this is done on the level of improvisation through self-thought manipulation elements. For the difference of SIST EN 343, GEN 26 is soundwise more opened, more personal and can also be more complex.
What Matjaz has to say about his project: "With GEN 26 I want to explore deep sound characteristics, transform it, divert it, design it into construction of soundscapes and create logic to unlogic chaotic sequences of sounds, rhythms, sound waves, voices and sound detonations. My live performances, sets, can vary from ambient orientated, guest appearing to complete chaotic noise deviations and brutal sound interactive actions. Each set is unique and is highly based on improvisation only. So watch out to see it."
One description of the gig announcement read: "Piercing lecture from Gen 26. LEGEND of the Slovenian DIY scene, never compromised, never human, brute reality and clinical dissections of discomfort. Harsh." Other gig announcements read: "A hero of the tape trading scene, should need no introduction, internationaly respected, just awesome.", and "Slovenian LIVING LEGEND. Cornerstone of the harsh euro tape trade scene and master of clinical harshness designed to dissect your ego and sense of self."
A more generic description would read: "Gen 26 is a solo experimental/noise project of Slovenian sound artist Matjaz Galicic and is dedicated to sound experimentation, natural, urban noise, sound deviation and manipulation. He uses different sound sources, from balloons, glas, kitchen utilities to laptop. All this is done on the level of improvisation through self-thought manipulation elements. Matjaz has been involved in DIY music activism in Slovenia since the early 90's and has been involved in several Zines, Labels, Collectives and Radio shows."
Musicwise he is self-thought and still passionate to research, make, create, manipulate, transform sounds, to work by himself or to cooperate and work with people, interested to join the sound experimentation. We can say he is one of rare people in Slovenia into improvised sound manipulation or this kind of music (as we speak of), but of course he is not the only one.
Organising concerts, festivals, events through voluntary work
He finds work as organising concerts, festivals, events, done on voluntary basis much more personally attractive, passionate and human than doing these things on money-based work. According to his words, through this kind of work things can grow, and this leads that people start to recognise the importance of work, which you want to do and like to do on one side, and on the other side the importance of expressing your ideas through art, sounds, music - many times that is related to experimental music and noise, but not always. He has been involved with DRMK Collective since its beginning in 2001; DRMK is known for their longest running Noise festival in the World, for organining gigs, performances, and other art-related products.
Martial arts
From 1998 to 2007 Matjaz was a member of the ki-aikido club Ki Dojo, based in Ljubljana. He finds ki-aikido as one of the most beautiful arts for development of inner qualities through various aikido exercises and techniques. Training ki-aikido does not mean to train and to learn how to kill or beat up people, learning it through previous mentioned basis it has healthier, 'life' purpose. In Ireland he was then practicing judo at University of Limerick's Judo Club where he was also a club chairman for a year. Since 2011 he is practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Meditation
In 2001 Matjaz went to his first workshop, entitled "Awakening The Third Eye", ran by an instructor of the Clairvision School from Sydney, Australia. This led him to recognise the importance of doing spiritual work himself, especially through meditation and unique regression techniques. He found their methods of meditation as one of best and most suitable for his life and decided to go on path of Self-recognition.
Public activities
From December 2003 to April 2007 Matjaz was taking part in radio show on Radio Student in Ljubljana called "Prosti Pad" (translates as "Free Fall"). This radio show was dedicated to hard-core-punk-grind-core and noise-experimental music. In this weekly show (it used to be bi-weekly) many interesting bands, labels, fanzines and individuals were presented and their music played. The radios website for each show tells you a lot about the ‘educational’ side of the radio show, as well as a lot of good and reliable information are published there. Check the Matjaz's playlist here.
From February 2009 to December 2010 he was taking part in bi-weekly on-line radio show called "Tone Plus". The radio show was in English language and was dedicated to experimental music, industrial, noise, improvisation, electro-acoustic, weird sound-scapes and sonic arts supporting independent sound art.
