Interview with Proletarian Poetry
- Eryk The Strange
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Q: Introduce yourself to the readers.
A: Proletarian Poetry is an electronic one-man project based in Sweden's second city, Gothenburg, which I (Patrik) started in the fall of 2003. The first single Demonize Dehumanize came in February 2024, and since then Proletarian Poetry has released three five-track EPs.
The musical starting point is Swedish synth in the end the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s. The weight and intensity of Electronic Body Music (EBM) is combined with melodies and darkness from Synthpop and Darkwave.
The lyrics reflect the troubled times we live in with insane wars, repression, climate crisis and powerful leaders who primarily protect their own interests. The message in the songs is important. Each artist does as they please, but for me it is important to reflect issues that I think are important and take a stand through the music.
Q: What made you decide to call your band “Proletarian Poetry”?
A: As a young teenager in Northern Sweden, I played in a couple of electronic-based bands. At that time I wrote significantly more songs than the bands needed. The music that was “left over” ended up on demo cassettes under the name Proletarian Poetry. I think I chose that working name because the lyrics already had a perspective from below and critically examined the people in power. When I resumed music making three years ago, I chose to give new life to this name.
Q: How did you first get into darker music?
A: Just like for many others, it started with bands like Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk, which eventually led to harder and darker electronic music and also goth bands, like Sisters Of Mercy. And once you get there, you know where you belong musically.
Q: What inspired you to start making your own music?
A: As a child I played the electric organ in the Swedish municipal music school. It has been an important gateway into music for many Swedish children for decades. In my teens, after I bought my first synthesizers and drum machine, I wanted to create something of my own instead of playing other people's music. After the bands I had during my teenage years broke up, I didn't make any music at all for many years. But the desire to create remained, and eventually it became so great that the first new songs took shape at the turn of the year 2023/2024. Since then, Proletariat Poetry has released about twenty songs.
Today, our world and everything crazy that happens is a source of inspiration, or perhaps rather a source of frustration, which I can get out of myself by making music and writing lyrics.
Q: What are the most challenging and most rewarding parts of being a musician?
A: The hardest part is not making music but spreading the music to listeners. As an independent, new artist, you have to put a lot of effort into spreading the music in the forums that exist, not least via radio channels that play electronic music and social media. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes it's tough.
Q: What is the music scene like in Sweden?
A: Sweden has a vibrant electronic music scene, ranging from synthpop and EBM to darkwave and postpunk. There are a lot of active bands and both large and small gigs are held in many Swedish cities. You can also see that Swedish bands are often played on electronic-oriented radio shows all over Europe.
Q: Tell me a little bit more about “Devil in Disguise”.
A: The song has a special history. The first version of the song was written and recorded on a Portastudio 35 years ago in northern Sweden. I remember it was during the dark and cold winter. There were probably no more than a dozen people in my band projects at the time who heard the song. But the bands were shut down and the song was forgotten.
32 years later, I found the song on an old demo tape and I still thought it was great. A first attempt was made to create a new version of the song. It took another few years before it was re-recorded in a revised version. And this new recording was released in February 2026, 35 years after the first demo was recorded. To tie the new version to the original, I choose to cut in a piece from the demo cassette from 1991 at the end. This way, the music from 1991 is united with what we are releasing in 2026. Devil In Disguise is definitely one of my favorite songs.
Q: If you could go back in time to when you wrote your 1990-1991 demos, with all the knowledge you have now, what would you do differently?
A: I do not think I would have done anything differently. The music was made from the conditions of that time. The only thing I maybe would have changed, if I could, is that I should have started playing again long before 2023, because it's so fantastically fun to create and release new music.
Q: Do you have any shows booked?
A: The premiere gig is booked for November 21st when Proletarian Poetry is supporting Turkish darkwave band Ductape. It is taking place in Gothenburg and is arranged by Klubb Död, who arranges many gigs with bands in the dark music genre. I am looking forward to the gig immensely and a preliminary setlist is already starting to take shape. In addition to songs released by Proletariat Poetry, I will play one of my old songs that no one has heard since it was played last time in a show in Strömsund in Northern Sweden 1992. It will be awesome!
Hopefully there will be more gigs after this.
Q: Describe the most interesting venue bathroom you’ve visited.
A: Yesterday I was at a gig at a place called The Abyss (that’s where Proletarian Poetry will play in November). The toilet there gave the feeling of a real rock club. The door was made of solid sheet metal, it was dark and rough. It fits in with the music I like.
Q: Are you working on anything new?
A: Yes, the fourth EP with the name Shouting In Despair will be released in April. Devil in Disguise is one of five tracks on it. I'm currently working on finishing the mixing of the last songs and finishing the cover. The listeners will discover a partly new sound, more darkness than ever, and the songs on the EP are more well-crafted than before. This is without a doubt Proletarian Poetry's strongest EP to date.
If you enjoyed reading this, make sure you follow Proletarian Poetry!
Bandcamp: https://proletarianpoetry.bandcamp.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/proletarianpoetry
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