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RIP Dawid Kowalski, 1986-2026.RIP Dawid Kowalski (1986-2026), known to many as Purgist. I say this without hesitation or hyperbole, but Dawid was the greatest noise artist Ive ever heard. My own work as Uboa was profoundly and deeply inspired by him - his production, use of ambient and cut-ups - and of course the use of noise to express emotion. I considered him my sensei - and listening to his work I still am in awe of what he did. Even listening now, I am still learning from him. I was also honoured to call him a friend. Sadly, despite knowing each other for around a decade, we never had to opportunity to perform together being on opposite sides of the world. I was looking forward to the day we would finally share the stage. He was a frequent collaborator - he mastered Hook Echo and The Sky May Be - and did an incredible job at it. We had collaborated on a song - which he never survived to release. The collage in pictures above by me was for his upcoming record. Whenever I doubted myself, I would send him tracks and he’d shake me out of my self-sabotaging and imposter syndrome tendencies and encourage me to put my music out there. I sent him the origin of my depression just before release, unsure of its quality and I was considering shelving or even deleting the record. He single-handedly convinced me to put it out there. Without Purgist, there would be no Uboa. It’s simple as that. His music - from Sleep Sessions to Purgist - is the apex of atmospheric noise. I recommend “heartsink” and “secret habit”. He was always humble about it, but it deserves a far greater audience. I understand how depression creates self-doubt, but he never should have doubted his brilliance. Please, listen to his work if you are fan of mine. He was a titan of the noise scene. We will never have another Dawid. I’ll miss our long chats and us encouraging each other to be better at making horrid noises. I feel alone without his encouragement. I wish only warmth and kindness on his partner, Justyna, who also designed some of his incredible cover art. See you in the next world, Dawid. Maybe we’ll finally do that gig together in the hereafter. I’m proud of you, and I’ll miss you. -reposted from IG-