ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Q&A: BURN
BURN, made up of Ewa and Bartek, formed online through a trip hop community, connecting Luxembourg and southern Poland. Inspired by Portishead, Massive Attack, William Orbit and Kosheen, they created Chopped and Shattered, blending electronica and vocal chops into a dark yet hopeful debut shaped by instinct, distance and creative chemistry.
1. You both connected online in 2024 what was that first conversation like and when did it turn into a serious project
BURN: We met through the Trip Hop Lovers group on Facebook and started talking about music, and then about collaborating. Ewa was finishing her debut solo album at the time, and Bartek offered to contribute his beats to a few songs. Bartek was also working on a separate project at the same time (not yet released), and he was looking for vocalists. Ewa ended up recording vocals for three songs as part of that project. So, as a result, turning this collaboration into a separate serious project seemed quite natural. We quickly realized we listened to similar music and we were interested in making original music which reflected that vibe. A blend of electronica with trip hop and industrial influences. All we needed was a project name and then we were ready to go.
2. You have been working between Luxembourg and southern Poland how has that long distance setup shaped the way you make music together
BURN: Perhaps surprisingly, this has turned out to be a lot easier than people usually think. We did talk a lot about our visions, though, trying to make sure the end result represents “the best of both words” sort of speak. Of course, we had to create a system for working long distance. This was a combination of remote drives, private playlists and, well, spreadsheets, as we are both very analytical. There was a bit of a trial and error stage at the beginning as well, to make sure all the pieces fit in the right places. However, due to a good communication, we ended up enjoying the process!
3. What changed when you finally met in Kraków for the first time
BURN: Well, it most certainly cemented the future of our collaboration as BURN. We clicked instantly, which is extremely important. We had a few things planned for that weekend in Kraków as well – such as photo and video shoots at one of the abandoned forts outside of the city. Meeting in person was definitely important. The quality of the conversation is different and you get to learn a lot about your “partner in crime”, in a much more comfortable way than when you communicate online. Nothing can replace that for sure.
4. Chopped and Shattered has a strong trip hop feel what drew you to that sound in the first place
BURN: We both have similar stories with our trip hop fascination. For both of us, it started through listening to a lot of classic trip hop records of the 1990s. From Massive Attack to Portishead. And then trying to make similar music, beat-driven, dark and electronic. When we started exchanging memories of the various albums we remembered from our teenage years, a lot of them came from the same artists. Which is amazing. Also because, you don’t get to experience this kind of “mutual understanding” very often or with a lot of people. So, it feels even more precious and unique when it actually happens.
5. Artists like William Orbit and Kosheen are mentioned as influences what elements of their work stuck with you the most
BURN: Their focus on electronica which is beat-driven definitely stood out. That’s something that was undoubtedly inspiring. William Orbit (in his version for the masses) is famous for collaborating with Madonna on her “Ray Of Light” album. And whether it’s mainstream or underground, it does not really matter, to be honest. Because, eventually, we had an impression that these two sides of his creativity amalgamated into one sound. So, William Orbit has left his mark on an entire generation of electronica aficionados, including ourselves. As for Kosheen, it was also the dark, pulsating vibe of their music. It is something that we would like to explore further on our future releases as well.
6. There are also shades of Portishead in the atmosphere how did you make sure your sound still felt fresh and modern
BURN: Yes, it’s hard to avoid being inspired by Portishead when you want to make trip hop. Practically impossible, as they have become (along with Massive Attacks) the blueprint of what the classic trip hop should sound like. We did not necessarily want to stay in this area for too long, though. Our aim was to bring this sound and make it ours somehow. And this is where the idea of focusing on the vox chops came into play.
7. The album title came from experimenting with vocal chops at what point did Chopped and Shattered feel like the right way to describe the whole project
BURN: Great question! It was actually quite early, during the production stage of “Pockets” when we realized that this was the way to go. Experimenting with chopping Ewa’s vocals and blending them with the trip hop/industrial inspiration resulted in something that we felt was different and interesting. Especially once we realised that we can incorporate this idea into an entire album experience and still keep it engaging. So, we kept going and, as a result, the “Chopped and Shattered” phrase became sort of a reference point for a lot of songs. In a sense, there was no other title that would make sense in the end.
8. The tracklist forms a full sentence Pockets That Remain Broken Often Blossom Late At Night whose idea was that and did it come early or later in the process
BURN: This was one of the early album title ideas as well. Although, back then, the sentence was a bit different. It started with “Pockets” and ended with “Broken”, which, at some stage, felt a bit too devoid of hope, sort of speak. And this is when the idea of “blossoming” came up. It sounded more, well, maybe not necessarily optimistic but, somehow, “brighter”. So, the sentence got revised, still early enough in the process to continue with the existing songs. And then “Blossom” became the most positive tune on the album. We feel that it was an important development in our storytelling. One that has turned the narrative into a little beacon of hope after all.
9. Did you always see the album as one continuous story or did that narrative come together naturally as you built the tracks
BURN: It came naturally. We tried to evolve and build the sound and the lyrics as we went along, perhaps at the beginning by pure instinct. At some stage, the concept started solidifying, though. More or less halfway through the album we knew exactly where we were going and there was no turning back.
10. Late is the focus track what made that one stand out as the centrepiece of the album
BURN: “Late” is a fierce tribute to the concept of “self-liberation”. As soon as the demo was ready, we knew it had to be the focal point of the entire track list. It is a story about breaking the chains of a toxic love situation and setting oneself free. We felt it was a powerful message to convey, one that was also reflected in the video made for this song. It also sounded more energetic at that moment on the album which is when we realized we would love to explore this type of energy in more detail in the future.
11. It moves from something quite emotional into a more defiant energy what were you both channeling when making it
BURN: It felt like dancing alone in a club, haha! Perhaps a bit desperate, but also empowering at the same time. We felt that we needed this energy to become part of the album. And as a whole, it made a lot of sense. This is track number 7, pretty close to the end of the story. And we thought it had to be there, and it had to sound the way it does, so that we can finish the story accordingly. Which is really what we wanted. A common thread running through all the tracks and an evolution of the emotions, from self-reflection to action.
12. Ewa your vocals feel really expressive across the record how do you approach recording vocals in such layered electronic settings
EWA: When recording the album, it was crucial that everything flowed together nicely. I wanted the vocals to be part of the arrangement, not the main element. That's why I knew I had to focus on minimalism. So, I tried to create simpler melodies that could be repeated at different points in the song. Combined with the vocal chops, it was sufficient. Crucially, the melody was created first, so all the lyrics were adapted to the melody — I counted the syllables and wrote the lyrics into lines so they were easy to sing rhythmically. And I created everything around the melody, not the other way around.
13. Bartek the production has a lot of depth and tension do you build tracks from rhythm first or from atmosphere
BARTEK: Rhythm first, most of the time. I mean, it’s not set in stone, but since trip hop was one of the layers buried deep in the project, it only made sense to me to start with the beats. I usually create my demos very early in the mornings, like, at 4 am sometimes. So, even with the rhythm only, a lot of the songs already felt quite oneiric at that early stage of production.
14. You released the album via your own label and had support from Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg how important has that balance of independence and support been
BURN: It was important to have a sense of equilibrium. We finished the album before we started looking for support in promoting it. It gave us complete artistic freedom and the ability to run our story the way we had planned it. The support came later, but also at the right time, and we are very grateful for that!
15. Now that the debut album is out what is next for BURN more music live shows or something completely different
BURN: More music for sure! But we also want to work on having these songs performed in the live environment. It is not easy to rehearse while working long distance. But we are already putting our heads together to figure this out!