Get to know: Sukubizm

One of the most fundamental aspects of running an independent imprint is the artwork. Without even realising it, certain artwork can influence your decision to attend a party or buy a record - it’s the first thing that hits you in the face before glancing at a line-up or listening to a track. 

The visual aspect of our in-house label is something immensely important to us. After showcasing the designs of Italian graffiti artist Hunto - who also designed the exterior, eye-popping facade of the club - for previous WCF releases, we’re delighted to welcome a new visual artist on the board in the form of Sukubizm. 

Heavily involved on the techno soundscape, Sukubizm has VJ’d for Nina Kraviz, Marcel Dettmann, Chris Liebing, Speedy J, Pan-Pot, Dense and Pika, Oscar Mulero,  Dasha Rush, Function, Oake, our own Kyle E and lots more. 

With a string on strong visual work already under her belt for some of the biggest festivals across Europe - Parklife, Dour, Electric Picnic and Secret Garden Party to name a few - Sukubizm will bring her abstract aesthetic to the forefront of the label with her first WCF design coming out mid August for Kyle E’s upcoming ‘Wavetable’ EP. 

Tell us about your background? 

I am a graphic designer, video designer and a VJ. I graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw. I have also studied at Guildhall, London at the faculty of Video Design for Live Performance which helped get my foot in the door of VJing. I have gained experience as a visual artist in creative agencies in London and Warsaw. I collaborate with art galleries, music and art festivals. 

What inspires your creative direction? 

Music is the main source of my inspiration. It is my personal choice and preference to work on electronic music and techno projects because I genuinely enjoy these genres over the others. 

I worked as a resident VJ in a club in Brixton for a while. That gave me exposure to r&b, hip-hop, tech house, house, pop, drum n bass, techno, trance - pretty much everything. Now I find some pleasure VJing with any of those genres but it is techno that really gives me the thrill. 

Visuals by Sukubizm - Instytut Festival 2018

What's the starting point when you are first given a project or brief to work on? 

Just listening to a track or an album is a very starting point during my work. I let myself get inspired by the sounds and try to convey visually what I feel and see in my mind when experiencing the music and I hope that even if it is just my individual experience, it will be at least interesting visually for others. 

Especially when I work on a project not directly connected to the music, I talk with my collaborator deeply and freely, trying to grasp the whole idea behind their concept, see it from different angles and get inspired. Also, a mood board always comes in handy. 

Which artists have influenced your portfolio over the years? 

I love minimalism in a form connected with advanced technologies and automation. I think my artistic aesthetics has been most affected by the art by Rothko, Pollock, Ives Klein, conceptualism, the Russian Avant-Garde (mostly Lisicky), DADA and surreal films. 

When thinking about the living artists, United Visual Artists is the company I look up to. Eric Prydz shows are a visual and technological masterpiece. Photon by Ben Klock is an audiovisual concept that is just so good. 

With the progress of technology and social media, what do you think is next in terms of visuals and graphic design in the music industry? 

Short animated graphics, music videos that are totally automated and interactive and live videos. 

Can you tell us more about the design you’re working on for Kyle E’s upcoming release? 

It will be dark but playful, as the track itself!