ANSWERS

INNER REVOLUTION

"A lizard in the valley of unbearable jokes" 
sheds an old skin for a new view!

Q = This year will see the release of a number of recordings. 
Can you explain the recording process?

A = It was an audio juggling process 

and an attempt to prevent myself from getting bored. 

I prefer to mix different mediums like electronic composition 

with live instrumentation and I never follow 

any typical rules of recording in regards to production. 

It's playtime with room for experimentation. 

A recording of a song is only a document of the tune 

in that moment and not entirely definitive. 

I treat my songs as though they were paintings 

or the viewing of a series of dreams 

so they aren't as melodic as they are abstract. 

The recording process of "Getaway From The Everyday" 

lead into another project titled "REVOLT!" 

which is like a companion piece. 

Most of the album was intentionally completed live on first takes. 

Raw. 

As a listener, I like to get a true sense of emergency and emotion. 

I don't really enjoy over-produced and polished recordings. 

I also don't have the patience to tolerate multiple takes. 

"REVOLT!" is what happens in the process of getting away 

and revolution leads us to "The Waking Dream" 

which is the third installment of this set 

that I hope to release next year. 

Conceptually, the first two albums deal with leaving things behind 

and saying goodbye to certain ideologies, institutions, 

and in particular, a way of life 

that we have all become accustomed to living. 

It's a lie. 

I can appreciate artists who convey a positive message 

in their work but in most cases, 

it is not something I can accomplish easily.

The fact is our environment isn't as nice as our dreams. 

"The Waking Dream" is a positive note 

and a bright light in an audio form. 

It will differ greatly from any other material I've worked on.

Q = You recently released the 

"How Many Times Or What Is In Life?" EP 

which was recorded in 2013. 

What about the "THIRD WORLD" documentary?

A = I destroyed the "THIRD WORLD" documentary. 

There are a few short clips that I've posted online 

which were taken from the film but that's all anyone will ever see 

of what was intended to be released. 

What was left of the remaining footage has been deleted. 

Q = Is it accurate to say that you seem to be 

"disconnecting" to some degree?

A = Yes. There are two sides here. 

Technology has allowed us to connect in many beneficial ways 

but I truly believe the more we connect in that sense, 

the more we actually distance ourselves 

from each other and our emotional selves in the moment of now. 

People are addicted to their cell phones, computers, 

and other electronic gadgets, 

as well as their email accounts and various online profiles. 

I'm guilty of it myself on occassion. 

Sometimes it's even used as a protective shield 

or an intentional barrier to those near and far. 

Most people do this and it's then considered "normal" 

which it certainly is not. 

We still have a lot to learn in the use and misuse 

of these "products" because in absorbing them, 

we then become the product and major corporations 

around the world use this knowledge to their advantage. 

As much as I'm disconnecting from the manmade void, 

I'm reconnecting with the true source 

and I would encourage anyone to do the same. 

"Turn on, tune in, drop out."

Q = It is known that you are an independent artist 

without management or any backing or support from a label. 

Do you have any intentions on performing live 

to promote the new releases?

A = No. Although my health is at 113%, 

I don't have the proper resources 

and I'm not the type of person who craves the stage. 

I'm at odds with myself everyday but I'm onto other things 

and there's more to life 

than marketing one's work and pushing products. 

You find out fast that I'm not utilizing social media platforms 

as a typical artist or musician. 

I believe that a constant flow of promotion lessens the value 

of your work and for me, becomes a complete turn off, 

although I have to admire the artists who do it all themselves 

without relying on anyone else. 

I put the link out there once or twice to spread the word 

but don't shove it down people's throats 

otherwise it's just as bad as anything else shopped around out there. 

Performing live is one of the keys and that's direct communication. 

Another is to keep on keeping on. 

Do or die.

Q = Do you have any advice for other independent artists?

A = Don't compare yourself to others 

or fall into a fool's televised dream of fame and fortune 

because neither exist in the spiritual realm. 

Create a space.

Let people know you're around and then split, 

leaving your environment in a better state than when you arrived. 

Touch the heart and soul but leave the earth alone.

Q = What can we expect from you for the remainder of the year?

A = The unexpected. Only dying dreams sleep.

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GETTING AWAY FROM THE EVERYDAY

"Dinosaurs around me and I just can't save them..." 

~ Robert Torbica

Q = This year will see the release of 

"GETAWAY FROM THE EVERYDAY" -

an album that revisits your raw "basement tapes" sound; 

what was it like making this album?

A = It was very organic and I had a lot of fun playing it. 

Just really enjoying making music!! 

So far, those who've heard some of the tracks have described it as 

"psychedelic garage rock" and not anything like "Third World". 

Now it's just a matter of sorting through the mixes and picking 

those I like best, which could prove to be a longer process 

than the recording itself.

Q = is there a specific message behind this album 

as there was with "Third World"?

A = The title says it all. 

Q = What else can we expect from you this year?

A = I'll be taking some time off which basically means 

I won't be doing many live shows, 

probably three to five at the most, if that. 

I have a number of projects that are unreleased 

and currently in the works including 

a couple of singles and the remaining four volumes 

of the VISIONARY SERIES. 

I'm now in the process of a collaboration 

with another Toronto artist called Grabhorn 

for an upcoming project that we're hoping to have 

out by the summer. 

Periodically, I'm working on a side project 

with my niece and nephew called 

"Saturday Night Pink & The Impossible Have Not's" 

and we're going to release a covers collection 

called "Pirates" at some point in time. 

I'm in the very slow process of reconstructing 

the unreleased abstract "THIRD WORLD" documentary 

for an eventual internet release. 

I've also been working with Toronto photographer Shane Ramoutar 

on some visuals as well, so there's a lot coming up!

Q = How is your current physical condition?

A = After a food poisoning incident from a local restaurant 

that landed me in the hospital with severe dehydration 

and a gastrointestinal bacterial infection in April 2010, 

I was left with a chronic stomach condition 

well beyond irritable bowel syndrome. 

This condition reduced my ability to travel, work,

 or even attend scheduled events. 

It debilitated me to such a degree that I was unable 

to board a plane or schedule a full tour, 

though I'm soon hoping to resolve this problem 

with recent treatment. 

When I'm sick, I'm sick for at least twenty four hours 

and the following day can go either way. 

Health is the priority. 

My current diet consists of various medications and few solids 

but highlighting fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Aloe Vera juice, tea, and water are my main fluids. 

Meditation, Spectro-Chrome Colour Therapy, 

and Water Therapy help provide 

the much needed relief and prevention of my nausea 

and when I am able, I continue to work on my projects.

Q = Could you please elaborate on colour therapy 

and water therapy?

A = Yes. I can explain how I use it and what it has done for me. 

Just as colour schemes and tones are used 

in businesses as customer tactics, 

this also applies to the natural balance of everyday life. 

A similar example would be Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

A concept I've been working on is a light weight helmet 

with built-in headphones and a 180° screen that projects 

film, lights, images, and text. 

The idea is to have the eyes covered and receive 

these images as a form of auto-suggestive and controlled meditation. 

You can adjust the speed of the projections 

and pick its emotional tone and direction. 

The helmet adjusts to settings like "happy/sad/day/night/forest/beach/desert/summer/winter" 

and you are taken there with the help of these 

images, colours, and text. 

I'm looking at installing cooling system 

as well as a small oxygen tank 

and massaging shoulder attachment (laughs). 

As for water therapy, you can't deny the healing properties 

of this element and it really is the source of life 

so whether I'm drinking it or physically in it, 

it certainly helps me adjust, compose, 

and realign myself.

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ONE WORLD - WHERE'S YOUR PRIDE?

Toronto's shape-shifting, conjurer, herbalist, 

and digitally-enhanced, mystic-revelator speaks out!

"I'm bending realities, worlds and words; 

dismantling and creating new ones in the process.

It may be difficult to understand but if you like stories, 

you'll want to know more. "

~ Robert Torbica, October 2012

Q = IT IS KNOWN THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF SUPPORT 

FROM THE CHURCH STREET BUSINESS COMMUNITY 

TOWARDS THE TORONTO PEOPLE WITH AIDS FOUNDATION'S 

25TH ANNIVERSARY. 

COULD YOU TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT 

AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU RECEIVED ANY HELP 

IN PROMOTION FOR THE EVENT?

A = It was a complete unexpected lack of respect towards 

a good portion of the local gay community 

and those affected by HIV and AIDS.

It was also the last time that I'd be stepping foot 
in any of those bars, clubs or restaurants. 
It also marked the first and last time 
I would ever walk into a bathhouse, that's for sure! 

I honestly don't know why those places still exist these days!

To each their own; I think it's a drag and that pretty much sums up 

how I feel about Toronto's "gay scene".

Not a single individual in the crowd and unless you fit into 

one of their ridiculously stupid labels like a "bear", "cub", "twink" 

or whatever animal is being used to describe a man's physique, 

you really don't fit in anywhere. 

There is no road for someone like myself 
so I am currently paving it.
Can you believe my event also involved women? 
Lesbians, even? Yes! 

Gay men and women can hold a successful event, TOGETHER!

There is still this segregation between genders 
within the gay community and that is simply ignorant.

My impression of the gay village has always been 
that of a very limited, self-absorbed, materialistic, 
and extremely judgmental and superficial

pocket of society saturated with pop culture 
where everything seems to cater to one's sexual desires. 

I've never been interested in it.

The village doesn't seem to want to change that 
outward representation; 

they're perfectly content with replicating and perpetuating 

stereo-types that the media depicts as "gay culture" 

thanks to shows like "Will & Grace" 
and the North American production of 
"Queer As Folk".

Let's remember that the LGBTQ community are everywhere 

and not just in the village and that the opinions from 
a majority of those dwelling in the village differ 
dramatically from gays living outside of it 

and they do not reflect that of the gay community as a whole. 

As for promotion, if it was a gay media source in 

Toronto, Ontario, or Canada, 

I contacted them via email months in advance.

Other than an interview resulting in brief write-up with FAB magazine 

and from what I was able to make mention 
on my interview with Trent Radio in September, 

there was no other form of support 

towards promotion that I did not do myself. 

Regarding certain gay publications, 

I often wonder why they even bother printing words? 

Apart from displaying a limited vocabulary consisting mainly of 

weak sexual puns, it's basically a soft-core catalog 
of underwear ads for men. 

Why bother with the clothes? 

I really don't care to see the meth-stud of the month either.

Clearly it's the sex ads that keep these publications 
running on colour pages from large offices 
located central downtown in major cities. 

I also wonder if these publications were to remove all the bullshit, 

whether or not they would still hold their current office spaces?
The various media sources that I had directed towards PWA 
clearly didn't follow-up with them as we did not receive 
a following response. 
It is not in my character to name those sources 
or to name the twelve unfortunate businesses on Church Street. 
I know who they are and they now know who I am.

A = WHAT WERE THE DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING SPONSORSHIP 

FROM THE CHURCH STREET BUSINESS COMMUNITY 

FOR THE TORONTO PEOPLE WITH AIDS FOUNDATION'S 

25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION THAT YOU ORGANIZED?

Q = The difficulty is that I am one individual approaching bars, clubs 

and bathhouse owners saying "yeah, I don't like this..." 

and they are all connected with each other. 

It's the same people doing the same shit. 

You go to a club, buy their booze, drink all night, find some drugs, 

do a few lines, get fucked up, go to a bathhouse and next week, 

you're at the Hassle Free getting tested and treated 

yet these business owners selfishly failed to realize this

and make the connection themselves.

A = YOU HAVE JUST RELEASED "WHERE'S YOUR PRIDE?", 

AN EXCLUSIVE 40 MINUTE FILM DOCUMENTING 

THE "ONE WORLD" EVENT. 

CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT CAME ABOUT 

AND WHAT THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN?

Q = A good portion of the event was filmed in HD with multiple cameras. 

The footage was reviewed and quickly edited 

immediately following a private reception after my performance. 

I personally uploaded it onto YouTube and circulated it on Twitter. 

I'm a sexually active and open-minded man 
with an incredibly healthy libido. 

As a self-confessed, periodical, hedonistic sexual deviant,

I find a lot of what has generally been accepted and passed off 
as typical gay culture, thanks to the media 
and those who feel the need to replicate it, 

to be offensive, distasteful and a poor, inaccurate depiction 

of nothing other than a gross exaggeration of a stereo-type. 

There is a time and a place for everything and knowing 

when and where is a matter of tact. 

It's an honest and raw film. 

Whether or not people agree or disagree with it is irrelevant 

because this is who we are and how we feel; 

we're stating the facts and representing a healthy alternative 

and a progressive state of social evolution. 

It is now widely speculated among those who have seen the film 
and who are acquainted with my work that I would have received 

additional sponsorship had I presented an event 

under different circumstances. 

The difference between myself and all the rest is that 

I'm trying to revitalize our culture.

Q = WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TORONTO'S 

NIGHTLIFE AND GAY VILLAGE?

A = I don't think too much of it at all. 

Nothing has changed. Very little inspiration. 

It's the same people who've just gained a bit of weight 

and the music is getting worse. 

I went out to a couple of clubs one night this past summer 

to say hello to some folks I hadn't seen in about a decade. 

Everyone still doing the same old boring thing. 

As for the village, there isn't much of a difference 
in the music genres they offer so if you go to one place, 
you'll hear the same shit in the next. 

I certainly can't tell one DJ spinning from the next. 

Drag acts are lip-synching those predictable remixes 

from you could probably guess who 

and there is very little inspiration or any original creativity. 

I find it to be incredibly depressing. 

I don't come out often and I just wanted to say thank you 

for the good times in the past, buy a few drinks 

and spread my music around to clear the stagnant air. 

As a teenager, everyone wanted to get out of the suburbs 

and into the city in hopes of finding themselves 
and blossom as an individual. 

Then around my early 20's everyone flocked to the city 
only to fall victim to it. 
People are exhausted and miserable.

They're working just to pay their rent and when they come home, 

they seek an escape as an attempt to relax. 

All these lost souls gather together hoping to find their voice 

when the whole time it has been with them all along. 

That's how you get scenesters. 

You don't stand out as an individual, you are part of the mass. 

They're running themselves down, wearing themselves thin, 

resulting in a shadow of their former self. 

It's sad.

Q = DID YOU ATTEND THIS YEAR'S NUIT BLANCHE?

A = No. I stay away. 

Unfortunately, it has very little to do with art.
I don't like the vibe that goes down.

You have large groups of people going out just to get wasted 

and I don't want to deal with those idiots. 

Q = WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT FOLLOWING THE 
CANADIAN FALL TOUR 2012? 

CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE YOU PERFORMING MORE 
AND TOURING ELSEWHERE IN 2013?

A = This recently came up during an explicit interview 

with Ronnie Rucker of BeneathEverything.com 

and it really all depends on my health which is a top priority. 

If I'm taking on a tour, I need days in between dates 

to pace myself with enough time to relax. 

I'm on a strict diet of a select number of foods. 

Oatmeal, rice, bananas, pineapple, tea 

and water therapy is a regular part of my life. 

An obstacle with touring is the choice of venue 

which is a matter of concern. 

It's difficult to be in club or a bar when that environment 

is not conducive to my health and lifestyle 

so I really do prefer the theatre, cabaret, a quieter 

 more intimate atmosphere. 

At the moment, my physical condition won't allow me to fly anywhere 

but I'm hoping to change that in the new year. 

Until then, I will continue to write, record and produce.

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MUSIC AS A LANGUAGE / DELUSIONS 

Q = You describe music as "a spiritual language that transcends 

national barriers with the purpose to heal"

Could you please explain this with a little more detail? 

A = It's true that spirit is magic and that music is a magical language. 

It's a form of communication that is so pure, it allows you to make contact 

with both good and evil forces and that's what music represents; 

all aspects of being and a celebration of existence in one realm or another. 

It reveals a movement and transition beyond the flesh, 

conjuring magic to make us feel alive.

Q = You've also said that "right now, it's better to be an independent artist 

and embrace the tools available to us at the moment" - 

in what way, would you say that it has become better nowadays 

and what tools are currently available?

A = To begin with, technology in the past twenty years, 

both with the personal home computer and developments 

made specifically in regards to audio and visual programs and devices 

which are now better, cheaper, easier to use, and more widely available. 

Another example is the internet and all the tools available online. 

There are many sites that allow you to create a profile 

and showcase your work, free of charge. 

We have Blogspot, MySpace, Facebook, Reverbnation, 
Soundcloud, and YouTube just to mention a few. 
Of course, there are certain limitations on these sites before you consider 
paying for additional services but anyone with a computer can get off 
to a good start and thankfully, it's all easy to use! 
Releases also no longer have to become physical objects 
put out by record companies, relying on their promotion. 
An independent musician can now, arguably reach more people 
via their personal home computer with the internet 
and that's great for artist like myself! 

THE COLLAPSE OF THE INDUSTRY / OCCUPIED

Q = As an independent artist who embraces 

tools of technology and the internet, 

what is your view on the collapse of the music industry?

A = The collapse of the music and entire entertainment industry 

symbolizes the beginning of the current economic social collapse; 

a desperately urgent need to restructure our society. 

I'm growing up in it and with it so I see things differently. 

Real art will always appeal to people so that's never a threat 

and it will always be around, you just have to look. 

It's when you've been sold the same trash over and over again, 

who'll be buying it anymore? 

No one's going to pay for albums or concert tickets 

for some flash-in-the-pan act of today 

with little to no creativity or originality - 

who are supported by the music industry, which is thus, 

destroying itself by not investing in real art. 

It's greed and I like the fact that it is eating itself away from the inside. 

You'll know when people are hungry and close to starving 

because you'll be in similar situation as our current state 

and that should really inspire people! 

I find it interesting to see how certain established musicians have been 

adjusting to this change; new and upcoming releases, live shows, 

even the concept of direct fan-funded projects all appear 

with new possibilities without the middle man of the record industry. 

The humble are quite progressive, using the same tools available 

to you or I and they're thinking ahead in their direction 

while some are arrogantly waiting around. 

They are that 1% and it pleases me to know that these "musicians" 

have been brought back down to earth. 

What we have to understand that is happening globally 

is that the system we live in has effectively eradicated the middle class. 

There was never security for us and there was never security for them. 

If anyone in this world should be making money, it should be doctors, scientists, teachers, and those protecting peace and the environment. 

Q = So you're a supporter of the current global Occupy movement?

A = I will always support a movement directed against 

economic and social inequality though it would never occur 

to an environmentalist like myself, to protest a matter like this 

by setting up camp in a city park, destroying the only greens 

a downtown city-core has to offer 
so I can pay for its repairs in taxes later. 

I would, however, find that the message would resonate properly 

in a zen-like manner if someone with a strong enough, individual character 

set-up a tent in the middle of an intersection in their 

city's financial district, effectively shutting down traffic. 

Sadly, no one is on the same page and there is no leadership.

THIRD WORLD and 2012

Q = So where is this, THIRD WORLD?

A = Originally, this album was suppose to have already come out! 
(laughs) 

It's all done and it'll be out in the new year! 

Back in the autumn, I had circulated a rough mix of the first side of 

"THIRD WORLD" online for free via a downloadable link, 

which I have since removed. 

I had also anticipated a christmas release for the second side 

but have since decided to hold back on its release 

in favour of putting out the "13" compilation vinyl, 

in the first quarter of the new year.

"13" is a collection of some of my solo work 

recorded between 2006 and 2011 

and it features a few tracks from the THIRD WORLD album. 

It will also include the track "Thirteen Pale Moments" 

which is not included on any other release. 
THIRD WORLD will be out and available 

for streaming and digital purchase via my blog in April 2012.

Q = What does the new year have in store?

A = I'm currently collaborating with my father 

on an illustrated children's book to be published in late 2012. 

January through February of the new year is booked with sessions, 

finalizing material for two additional audio releases, 

expected to come out in the fourth quarter of the new year; 

this includes an all instrumental release called "VISIONS". 

After that, I'll be releasing the "13" compilation LP in March 

and the "THIRD WORLD" digital album in April. 

I'm also hoping to complete the "THIRD WORLD" 

multi-media stage production 

that I've been working on recently which I'm hoping will see 

one single performance in Toronto, sometime in the summer. 

After which, I'll be playfully quiet until the cooler part of the year 

when I'll be back in action!

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♫•*¨`*•♫ ANSWERS FROM THE "THIRD WORLD" ♫•*¨`*•♫

Q = What and where is this "Third World"?

A = We're all currently living in the Third World. We can change and improve the conditions we live in if we apply ourselves. I don't believe that we're living to our full potential and I also don't believe that we have necessarily been going in the right direction. Atrocities are happening everyday, everywhere yet we all know the alleviation of harmony and who can deny the power of a smile? It blows my mind that one part of the world can be so "under-developed" and another part completely "over-developed" but the compassion to restore and then to maintain peace within it all is lost, and that's exactly what it is at the moment, just lost. The first step is to acknowledge the current state in which we live in and realize that we are ALL living here in the Third World together... 
now is the time for long overdue change!

Q = Why do you call this a "children's album"?

A = This is an album that children can listen to and understand on a deeper, instinctive level probably more so than adults. It's a very simple message that I'm communicating here; emotionally, it's universal and children are more open to that sort of thing as highly receptive beings. They are the future and this is an awakening! My niece is a big fan! 

Q = You're a reclusive artist who doesn't perform live too often, 

yet you're a prolific songwriter. 

Will you be performing live to promote this release?

A = Unless I have organized the event myself, have over-seen the development and organization either directly or from afar as a guest, I am not a fan of gigging to begin with. This is due to the lack of professionalism I've dealt with in the past regarding this matter so I started organizing events myself and booking my own gigs when I choose to do them. 
Funny 'cause I'm a joke with equipment! 

As for a live performance, it would be difficult for me to perform this piece live by myself without the aid of a laptop and at that point, how much of it is live? Though I am considering some sort of multi-media project to coincide with the album's release and over-all, conceptual theme.

Q =How do see yourself in comparison to other independent musicians 

or those represented by a major label?

A = I don't. Just like many others, I have an idea of what I want to do and I do it. The amount of time musicians who go out gigging, is the same amount of time I spend in my studio improvising, producing, working out ideas and promoting my work elsewhere. I'm not much of a social person either so I prefer the advantage we have with home technology, allowing us to directly connect with people all over the world on more of a 'one on one' basis. By limiting myself in a sense, I ensure success in other, ultimately more gratifying and uncompromising areas. Today's music industry is nothing in comparison to what it was forty years ago so right now it's better to be an independent artist and embrace the tools available to us at the moment. It's simply a form of expression in my current chosen medium. I have no obligations other than to myself and that's a very good step towards freedom.

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