Interview: Brian Gawlik

Meet Brian Gawlik, a New York-based ambient artist and programmer who blends emotion with code. With 15 years of music-making experience, his work explores the intersection of generative systems and deep feeling. From Max-based tools to live improvisation, Brian’s approach is both technical and heartfelt. In this interview, he opens up about creative ruts, sonic identity, and the power of ambient music to express loneliness and beauty.

General info

Artist Name: Brian Gawlik

Age: 34

Location: New York City, US

Social Media / Music Links

instagram.com/briangawlikmusic

youtube.com/@BrianGawlik

soundcloud.com/briangawlik

briangawlik.com/music

How long have you been making music?

~15 years

Do you release music under a label or independently?

Independent

Creative process and inspiration

What drew you to ambient music in the first place?

More than anything, it was changes in the way I made music that led me to creating ambient music. And creating ambient had the side effect of turning me into a listener.

Before getting into ambient music, I had been producing in Ableton for roughly a decade. Just 'regular' music, mainly electronic stuff. At some point, I got into Max and started experimenting with generative and algorithmic techniques. I didn't go in thinking I would end up making ambient, but given that environment — and the kind of stuff I wanted to program — it just ended up turning out that way.

Can you describe your creative process when starting a new track?

Almost always, my creative process begins with a technological idea: whether it's a note-picking algorithm, an update to one of my synth patches, a new user interface, or a new language/environment.

I'll have an idea and just start building it. Once the thing starts making sound, it'll have its own character and personality, and I'll just roll with that, giving it what it needs: a good mix, enough reverb, supporting elements, etc. 

Where do you find inspiration? Emotion, nature, science fiction, or something else?

The inspiration to create usually originates with a technological idea, but on a more emotional level, it comes from pains like longing, loneliness, and emptiness. I'm a bit of a lone wolf, a hopeless romantic, and someone who lives with depression. For me, music, at its best, can capture those emotions in the most beautiful way. 

How would you describe your sonic identity or the mood you aim to create?

I have a range of styles, but if I had to boil it down, I think there are two sounds that I've explored in ambient thus far.

(In no particular order): 

One sound is a more neutral ambient style. This sound has emerged from my web-app work. It's kind of agnostic — that's to say, it isn't particularly emotive or themed, which makes sense because these are supposed to be used mainly as ambient soundscapes.

The other sound is what has emerged out of my live sets. This sound ended up being very emotional and narrative — it really comes with feelings and something to say. At least that's how I interpret it. On a more technical level, this sound is more tape'y and is driven by piano, horn synths, and samples, including plenty of noise.

Are there any artists that deeply influenced your style?

I don’t think I’ve ever approached music with the intention of sounding like another artist or matching the style of a specific song, so no particular artists come to mind as direct influences. That being said, I'm positive that, on a deeper level, my work and sound has been guided by the music that I've emotionally resonated with over the years. There are countless artists whose music has left me overflowing with inspiration or has made me cry. Whenever I encounter music like that, I feel this, almost uncomfortable, urge to create something: not with the same sound, but equally impactful. 

I also have to mention that I'm very influenced by my many years of exposure to classical music as a kid. I was a trumpet player all throughout middle school and high school. That's originally what got me obsessed with music, and I think you can hear the classical influence in my work. I’ve always had a soft spot for romantic classical, in particular. Though, ironically, I probably couldn’t name a single piece.

Gear and setup

Are you using hardware, software, or a hybrid setup?

100% software. As a programmer, and for what I'm trying to do specifically, the digital environment is absolutely essential. The freedom to rapidly prototype and fully customize UI's on a whim is indispensable.

What’s your favorite piece of gear or plugin, and why?

Not sure if 'gear' is really the best word for it, but Max is by far my favorite music tool. I was so frustrated all those years working in Ableton, but once I got into Max, it felt like my creative workflow had been completely unlocked.

Now that Cyling '74 has added RNBO to the Max ecosystem, I've been experimenting with the ability to make stuff in Max and put it on the web. It's really exciting, because it enables me to make tools that other people can use. So, my current favorite thing might actually be RNBO, specifically.

Challenges

What’s been the biggest challenge so far in creating ambient music?

Doing it live... From the very beginning — even extending back to my Ableton days — I've had this vision of being able to play music on stage. I didn't want to just be pressing play on loops that I had produced; I wanted to really be making sound up there, like, in the moment, and with the freedom to improvise, the burden of messing up, and all that.

I've always viewed this as a technological challenge, and even before getting into coding and software, I pictured something like a really modern and complex 'instrument' that would get the job done.

Getting into Max, and, more generally, music software, opened the door for me, because it put me in a sandbox where I could actually develop the ideas I'd been holding onto for years. 

Of course, the actual implementation phase for those ideas has been long and challenging. I've made tons of progress and have even performed a handful of times, but I still feel like there are many miles ahead.

How do you stay motivated or inspired when you're in a creative rut?

Oof, that's a tough one... Honestly, I'm not sure that I stay motivated or inspired when I'm in a creative rut. Haha. I think I just kind of endure the ruts and assume that eventually I will find the next creative phase. 

I think I believe ruts are just part of the process, and we aren't supposed to be motivated or inspired constantly. If I had to guess, I'd bet that ruts should be accepted/embraced instead of being fought against. 

But ruts are definitely difficult as an artist. I think we need something else to focus on during those phases, but if art and creating are among the only things one really does outside of work (as it is for me), a rut phase can be a really empty, difficult block of time.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

My recordings and songs are mostly on YouTube (at least, for now), but I've also mentioned my soundscape web-app work which anyone can go listen to, and play with, online. You can find them here: briangawlik.com/music. I recommend putting them on for background noise, meditation sessions, or just to drown out the noise of roommates and neighbors :)