01/07/2025
‘CLICK INTERVIEW’ WITH Paranoia Inducta
‘Anthony Armageddon Destroyer’ has been active in the music scene for many years. He founded PARANOIA INDUCTA over two decades ago and boasts an impressive discography. This Polish artist blends various influences, primarily rooted in Dark-Ambient, but always immersed in an Industrial soundscape and enriched with Ritual elements. His latest album, “Middle Of Nowhere”, released in his home country on Heerwegen Tod Production, is an absolutely magnificent work. In my opinion, it's undoubtedly his strongest release to date—serving as a powerful echo chamber for inner demons, capable of leading to the ultimate act of delusion. A very compelling reason to bring this remarkable artist back into the spotlight.
‘MUSIC WITHOUT EMOTION IS JUST AN EMPTY SHELL’
Q: You’ve been active as PARANOIA INDUCTA for over 20 years, releasing music regularly. When you look back, what comes to mind about this journey, and where does the project stand today compared to when you started in 2003?
AD: I actually started my musical journey way earlier - back when I was a teenager going to music school and playing in Heavy-Metal bands. PARANOIA INDUCTA came out of those early experiences and my growing fascination with Industrial and Dark-Ambient music, which I first got into in the late 90s thanks to the Swedish label Cold Meat Industry.
A friend of mine (who happened to be the singer for PANZERKAMPF) encouraged me to share my early recordings with more people than just close friends - and that’s basically how it all started.
Of course, in the beginning it was pretty rough and amateurish, but even so, a few underground labels took notice. This whole project has been a constant learning experience - figuring out how to express emotions through sound, how to actually compose songs, and getting the hang of new instruments and software.
Q: Each of your albums is built around a conceptual theme. How do you work with those themes? Do you research or read deeply before translating ideas into music? And how did that process shape your new album “Middle Of Nowhere”?
AD: I treat every album like a story - like a book with a beginning and an end. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of themes, because life and the world throw so many at you that sometimes it’s actually hard to pick just one. Sometimes, just out of curiosity or to really dive deeper into a subject, I’ll read up on it - like actual books or research. That’s pretty much how it’s been with every project I’ve worked on. When something grabs my attention or sparks my interest, I like to really dig in and understand it fully.
Q: “Middle Of Nowhere” seems like a very personal work, reflecting on inner demons and emotions. How true is that? How important is music for processing those feelings? Do you need a specific mindset to create?
AD: It’s not just this album – pretty much of my music comes from personal experiences and emotions. That’s probably why you can feel a range of feelings in my tracks - or at least I try to reflect them - both the good and the bad. Sometimes it’s like a full-on emotional storm.
To me, music without emotion is just an empty shell. It might sound nice on the surface, but there’s nothing real inside. When I’m working on music, I try to keep myself as calm and grounded as possible. Emotional rollercoasters don’t really help me - they just throw me off and make it harder to focus.
Q: To me, “Middle Of Nowhere” feels like your most polished and perhaps most innovative album. Do you see it that way? Is the latest album always the best? How did you approach the technical aspects of this record?
AD: I try to make sure every project is as polished as possible. I think that’s part of the constant progress I’m making with what I do. Every time I finish an album, it feels like my best work yet - but then I play it back and start thinking about all the things I could’ve changed or improved. There’s always this lingering feeling that it’s not quite there. Honestly, I’ve never been 100% satisfied with any album I’ve released. That ‘perfect’ one still doesn’t exist - and honestly, I kind of worry that if I ever do make it, I might feel like there’s nothing left to record.
On the technical side, not much has really changed over the years. Maybe I’ve just become more confident and better at handling the instruments. I also feel like I’m getting bolder when it comes to experimenting with composition and trying new ideas.
Q: Speaking of the technical side, can you give us a look inside your studio — the equipment, effects, tools, field recordings ao you use? Do you notice an evolution in your setup over the years?
AD: ‘Studio’ might be a bit of a stretch. What I’ve got is more of a budget-friendly setup typical Home Recording Gear: an audio interface, a MIDI keyboard, a mixer, studio monitors, headphones, a couple of analog synths (Lyra-8 and UNO Synth PRO X), plus software from Steinberg, Native Instruments, and Waves.
As for how things have evolved, the biggest change for me has been how much easier it is now to get access to instruments, effects, and sample libraries. Back in the day, a lot of that stuff was insanely expensive, but now it’s actually within reach for regular people.
Q: Alongside this album, you also released “Extermination Engineering”, the debut from your side project PANZERKAMPF. What’s its core idea, and how does it differ for you from PARANOIA INDUCTA?
AD: PANZERKAMPF is definitely way more extreme. The music - or more like anti-music - we make, I’d describe as Black-Industrial. There’s no room here for Ambient soundscapes or pleasant vocals. It’s heavy, raw, and brutal. I’m really glad that after twenty years since the band started, we finally released our debut. Yeah, it might sound a little old-school now, but I still think it hasn’t lost any of its power. After some line-up changes and a bunch of ups and downs, we’re now working as a duo.
Q: You’re clearly a prolific artist. What are you working on next? And when you’re not making music, what keeps you busy?
AD: Right now, I’m wrapping up a new PARANOIA INDUCTA album, as well as a new PANZERKAMPF release (both will most likely be out next year, as usual, through Heerwegen Tod Production). On top of that, I’m slowly working on new material for EWT 811 and a freshly revived project called NEEDFUL THINGS, which I’m doing with Robert Marciniak (formerly of RUKKANOR).
And if I somehow manage to find a bit of free time - which is pretty rare these days since I’m constantly chasing new musical ideas - I like to dive into a good book, mess around with new instruments and software, or just head out with my camera and wander through fields and backroads.
