Marek Kubala
Electronic artist Marek Kubala has had a diverse career since the release of his debut EP, ‘Awhile’, in 2018. Not one to be pigeonholed, Marek signed to shoegaze label Shore Dive Records, with the project embracing a chameleonic approach to songwriting. Fusing crisp electro with indie guitars and soulful vocals, Marek’s expansive sound has attracted attention from the likes of BBC 6 Music’s Guy Garvey, BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, Americana UK, GigSoup and many more.
Indeed, Marek’s follow up single, ‘Fault Lines’, saw the artist blend upbeat, lo-fi indie sounds with quirky electronics, leading to the track featuring on a number of influential Spotify playlists as well as hit BBC 1 TV show ‘Cheaters’, alongside pioneering artists such as Jungle, Metronomy and BC Camplight.
Fast forward to 2024 and Marek has returned, as he prepares to release his forthcoming EP, Peeping Tom. Combining the futuristic soundscapes of NZCA Lines with the ambitious new wave influences of Talk Talk, Peeping Tom encapsulates Marek’s progressive take on electro music. The EP opens with the haunting, ambient, ‘Half The Man (Feat. Leo Abrahams)’. Produced by Leo Abrahams, longtime Brian Eno and Jon Hopkins collaborator and producer of Ghostpoet, the track marries Marek’s vocals with dramatic synth chords, creating a lush melancholic soundscape. Title track ‘Peeping Tom’, merges light with dark, the song building throughout and echoing the slick, brooding sonics of Depeche Mode. ‘Before The Calm’ injects energy into proceedings as Marek’s shimmering vocals undulate, the track blooming into a synth-pop banger. Highlighting Marek’s willingness to experiment with an eclectic range of genres, the EP closes with Polish electronic producer Trauma Phase’ dark wave remix of ‘Peeping Tom’.
Commenting on the recording of the EP, Marek said, “for one reason or another there were several connections to Berlin in the making of this EP, including some musicians who worked on it as well as being mastered in Berlin. So I'm dubbing this my own little “Berlin period”.”
Peeping Tom EP is out on 11th October via Shore Dive Records. The record will have a limited run of CD’s available on the labels Bandcamp, as well as streaming on all digital services.