The Polish Ambassador

On Saturday, The Polish Ambassador and Ample Mammal are coming to the Daily Dose all the way from San Francisco. The secret: They are one in the same person.

Electronic music wizard Dave Sugalski is behind both of these musical endeavors. He uses aliases to distinguish between the genres of electronic jams. The Polish Ambassador was his first alias.



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A composer of glitchy vocals, mashed-up beats and strong, catchy synth melodies, San Francisco-based Ample Mammal (David Sugalski, aka The Polish Ambassador) is quickly becoming a West Coast version of Girl Talk. Catch him at the Daily Dose Cafe on Saturday.
"It started back in Chicago, when I was working a job I didn't want to be working, so I invented this persona," Sugalsi said. It sort of started off as a big joke. I found this old record in some vintage record shop, and they were making fun of polish people on it. There was this one part of it that was making fun of a Polish Ambassador."

Being half-Polish himself, Sugalski sampled a clip in his first song that said, "Here comes the Polish Ambassador."

This particular alias produces upbeat, infectious electronic dance music. Sugalski takes part in the rising musical trend of live mixing, using computers and midi instruments to produce his album tracks differently at every performance. He also performs in full regalia: a vintage 1980s one-piece jumpsuit.

"The story behind it is when I was in Chicago, I was in a vintage shop," Sugalski said. "This was when I was in the conceiving process of the Polish Ambassador. Immediately, like a tractor beam, I was drawn to it. It's this Swedish ski suit from 1982. I forget exactly how the transaction went down, but I talked them down $15 to $5 bucks. I have to attribute some success to it."

Ample Mammal is another persona that Sugalski created, concentrating less on layers and layers of melodies, like The Polish Ambassador does. Ample Mammal focuses in on only a few layered melodies while relying on more processed drum tracks.

"Ample Mammal is a brand-new alias," Sugalski said. "I just put out my first album. The reason that I came up with that moniker is because this particular music I've been making has had a hip-hop slant. I wanted to create another character and branch out."

The show at the Daily Dose is a small festival of sorts called Flow. Also sharing the stage will be Noise[Org] of Auburn, Ala.; Science Factory of Myrtle Beach; and Droppin' Joints Magically, Danis and The Glo-Glo Girls of Charleston. Mark Moshtaghi of Bizee Body Entertainment is putting the show on in conjunction with John Coleman and Barney McIntyre.

if you go
what: Flow: Full Moon Convergence featuring The Polish Ambassador and others

when: Saturday, 9:30 p.m.

where: the Daily Dose, 1622 Highland Avenue

tickets and more info: 225-3367 or thepolishambassador.com

Sugalski hasn't ever been to the Charleston area, but is excited to tour the Southeast. The show Saturday is part of a larger tour that also will hit Savannah, Georgia, Johnson City, Tenn, and Chapel Hill and Greensboro, N.C.

What's next for the seemingly schizophrenic elecronica musician?

"I have a completely new Polish Ambassador album that's close to being mastered. I probably won't release it for a few months, but I have that ready to go. I have another album full of Ample Mammal tracks as well. I spend 80 hours a week composing, so I have stockpiles of music." - Charleston Scene

And now for something completely silly: the Polish Ambassador, hailing from Berkeley, California, is self-described as sounding like "a gay cyborg with Tourette's Syndrome." What that means in practice is unpretentious, deceptively sophisticated techno shamelessly inspired by Super NES, neon colors, and freaky space fantasies. After the jump, check out his video for "Earth Vs. The World," a low-budget farce on diplomatic life, which includes face painting, Boggle, and automatic weapons. He states on Myspace that he's "doing his part to set the Polish community forward;" if all nationalistic pursuits aimed for this level of revelry, I think there really would be world peace.

The Polish Ambassador plays with Portland's Copy and DJ Recess tonight at Chop Suey for $6. - Seattle Weekly

When critics write about Berkeley-based electronica artist the Polish Ambassador, they can’t help but quote his self-described “a gay cyborg with Tourette’s Syndrome” analogy. I’m not sure if it’s apropos of his techno-dance beats, heavy on the synths, like Gary Numan meets 8-bit meets house. I also hear there’s some kind of hilarious, jokey quality to his live set, but that has yet to be confirmed; do so this Friday at Sol Collective. This is an all-ages show, with SeventhSwami, DJ Whores, DJ Mupetblast and DJ CrushDelight. 2574 21st Street, - Sacramento News and Review

Dave Sugalski’s alter ego the Polish Ambassador may not be doing a whole lot for Polish-American relations, but Sugalski’s synth-pop collages could really benefit from a little diplomatic immunity. His glitched-out layers of samples and synth noodling lie somewhere on the digital spectrum between Girl Talk’s (otherwise known as Greg Gillis) spastic sardine-tin collages and Dan Deacon’s android music: It’s not so bubblegum that it’ll scare away the technophiles, but it’s dancey enough to entice more conventional pop fans onto the floor. And like Dan Deacon, Sugalski doesn’t lack for a sense of showmanship. He’s known for performing in a neon yellow jumpsuit, and his shows can get pretty wild. How wild? Well, not quite as wild as Greg Gillis’ — so far, no one’s been caught (and encouraged to continue) screwing onstage at a Polish Ambassador show — but Sugalski is poised to become the West Coast’s answer to Girl Talk. If October release First Words can improve upon Sugalski’s prior efforts, in a short time he will be hosting the same sorts of orgiastic, spastic affairs that have come to define Gillis’ and Deacons’ shows. Sugalski’s well on his way, meaning this show will surely sell out. Make sure to get your tickets in advance ... but if you forget, you can still dress up like an alien or an animal for a $2 discount off the door price. The Polish Ambassador performs with Sporeganic, Undermind and DJ Diogi at 10 pm Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Agate Alley Bistro. $10 adv., $15 door. 21+. — Sara Brickner - Eugene Weekly

?In a world filled with war and a society that will squabble over anything, it's good to know that there are still some fights where both sides are winners. At the Elbo Room tonight, Battle of the Suits will find local beatmakers the Polish Ambassador and Mochipet seeing who can make the most bodies move on the dancefloor.

"Battle of the Suits [promotes] that the two headliners will be donning eye-dazzling garments while performing," says David Sugalski, aka the Polish Ambassador. "This party is for people who like to shake that bottom, pump that fist, and jump around with other creatures of the night."

Deceptikon opens a night that will feature an array of sounds born from the artists' love of bass, beats, and whatever else they can get their hands on. Battle of the Suits is presented by UC Berkeley's KALX 90.7 FM as well as Bikes N Beats, a new self-explanatory promotional group that's giving San Francisco Bike Coalition members a two-dollar discount off the $12 door price. "This is our first show, and it is more an informer show for Bikes N Beats than anything," Sugalski says. "We will be setting up a promotional table with stickers, a human being to answer questions, and a newsletter signup for future events. In the future, Bikes and Beats hopes to incorporate a bike valet at bigger events." - SF Weekly