BOM is a ONE-MAN-WITH-BASS-BAND by Kornél Bíró, who e.g. also was in legendary yodeling punk group Spatzen Jodler Sextett, which was a side project of Lyuhász Lyácint Bt, the freighter of industrial/noise/experimental music scene in Hungary.

Next month he is going to play in some places in Europe, including Lauter Krach (industrial – elektro – IDM – experimental – hardcore techno – ambient – noise –  powerelektro – musik klänge) festival in Germany

– When, where and why you have started the BOM project?

The first time I gave a solo concert was in 2014 on an event called „Zajkert” (Noisegarden) in my hometown Debrecen. This concert was a 13 minutes long pure improvisation. Before this I was not thinking about this project, but after the concert I knew that I want to do this. The thing I liked the most was the challenge itself, and the total freedom of creating something new. I enjoy pushing the boundaries, even my own ones.

– Your only instrument is the bass guitar, but there are many high tunes in your music. How many effects and gadgets are used by you? And what is about your strings?

I use quite a lot of pedals, for example distortions and delays, an octaver and a lot of other great gadgets, which help me make a bass sound that differs from the traditional bass guitar. My strings are normal. I use the same strings since seven years: DR Sunbeam 45-105. Because they have a brilliant treble and warm sound at the same time, but it can be quite aggressive if needed. The pots settings on my amp are unusual as well. I use a lot of treble and bass, and I cut off the middle tones.

Your guitar is a unique instrument. Could you say something about it?

I designed my guitar and a 29 year old talented friend of mine, Csaba Boldogh, made it up. The body of the instrument was made of cherry tree. It has very colourful and beautiful treble and bass tones, but no middle tones. It’s a neck-thru bass guitar with very good stability. It has a Kahler Bass Tremolo Bridge from the 80s. The pickups were made for me by Kent Armstrong. I told my friend who had built it that I needed something like a vintage instrument regarding its shape and sound. So it would be a beautiful vintage instrument with zero kilometre.

In the beginning there was just improvisation, but are there pre-written parts nowadays?

Yes, it started like that, but at the very beginning there were a few concerts that I could not manage as I expected. Especially one concert in Budapest was a negative experience for me. I had technical problems during the soundcheck, then I had some conflict with the technician. I had to start the concert right after this nerve-racking situation. I was in a very bad state of mind and after about 20 minutes of torture on stage I dropped my instrument and left. After this I decided that I will write the frames in advance. Now the written and improvisation parts are 80%-20%, but sometimes it can change.

You said that when you was listening to recordings of your shows you reckoned those horrible ones even for yourself too, and then you thought that should move toward a more listener friendly direction.  

Yes, that’s right. The last time I gave concert was in November 2015, since that I had problems with a rehearsal room. Listening to the records I made during this time I realised that there was need something else next to the bass. Since then I learned to use a drum machine and learned things about midi as well. These were unknown for me before. Besides these on live concerts I use a small analogue synthesizer and a strongly effected microphone to tell texts. I like to use distortion and delay regarding the microphone as well. In the rehearsal room I use a few other instruments and things to take samples – for example an electric organ.

In early November you are going to start your tour. Some words about it?

Last November I got an invitation for the Lauter Krach Festival III in 2016 which will be held in this November in Lauter, Germany. After this I was mailing with clubs from Germany and I organised a tour with eight stages. There will be five concerts in Germany, one-one in Austria, Hungary and Romania. I will record every concert, then I cut the best parts out on my third album. It will be released on cassette and as well as digitally.

You will get into a van with your equipments and go?

– As you say, with the difference that I will go by my 33 year old VW Golf Mk1.

There are some bands where you are in.

I am a member of a group called Lyuhász Lyácint Bt. since 1997. This year we celebrated its 25th birthday.  I am thankful for being a band member, and we do not plan to make an end of giving wonderful concerts. We give a few shows a year so it is not exacting. An another band which I founded in 2013 called Százaségő is an improvisational noise rock band. The other band members live in Budapest, so it is not an easy thing to organize a concert, and besides that everybody has their own musical project, so nowadays we don’t give concerts. I am also a member of a band called Milzenvirgil which is founded by Sándor Kaszás (guitar) from the Flexible Juice. We did just one gig so far, but it was a great experience.

Furthermore you organize a concert series called BanZaj in Debrecen. We know how very difficult to organize underground shows in any countryside town in Hungary, but your series seem well-founded.

It is true that it is not an easy task, but thanks to these events a lot of great musicians and bands can get to Debrecen. I’m sure these events won’t stop as Modem – Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts – provides us opportunity to hold a few events per year there. Besides that there is the Felező Klub, where I also could manage a few events. And I always try to find new venues. For example the next BanZaj show will be inside a water tower on 2nd of November. It will be the first stage of my tour.