From First Demos to Evolution: Blitz Union on Four Years of Work, World-Class Videos, International Ambitions, and the Mysterious Mr. Blitz.

Blitz Union was formed in 2019 in Prague and consists of Mark Blitz, Schtorm, Governor, and Shodushi, with guitarist Gor joining in 2025. The band blends diverse musical influences, a visually elaborate show, and striking stage presence – all guided by the enigmatic Mr. Blitz, an unofficial member who has accompanied the band since its inception, spreading his messages.

In an interview with Mark Blitz, we discussed their new album Evolution, their courage to experiment, international ambitions, and concert plans. The conversation also offered a behind-the-scenes look at the demanding production of their visually sophisticated music videos and the challenge of balancing a music career with personal life. We even touched on the mysterious figure of Mr. Blitz – an entity accompanying the band from the very beginning. Is he an alter ego of one of the members, or an independent presence with his own agenda? Find out more in the full interview.

The album Evolution was released on January 16, 2026. How long did the creation process take, and how much did the final version differ from your very first demo recordings?

We worked on the album for just under four years, which is quite intense. (laughs) 

The album Evolution was released on January 16, 2026. How long did the creation process take, and how much did the final version differ from your very first demo recordings?

The final recordings differ massively from the initial demos – the final versions always include a lot of details, sometimes even almost inaudible, hidden melodies.

However, even in the demo, the main part of the song must be clearly audible, as everything will be built around it.

The album was released under the German label DreamStart Music. Your bassist, Jan Šorm, took on the role of producer, while Dino Medanhodzic handled the mixing and mastering. How did this collaboration work, and how did each of them influence the final sound?

Schtorm (Jan Šorm) handles all production related to programming and sound design – from all keyboards to electronic drums – so the core sound of Blitz Union is primarily based on his work.

As for Dino, through post-production, mixing, and mastering, he can take that chaos of all possible sounds, pick the most prominent ones, and mix them perfectly into the version you hear on the album. I think this collaboration and flow work really well.

Why the name Evolution? Where do you see the biggest progress – is it more in musical maturity or in the band's overall approach?

We chose the name Evolution for several reasons – primarily, it emerged alongside the composition of the song of the same name, which opens the album. Also, since our previous albums were titled Revolution and Absolution, the decision to name this one accordingly was almost immediate. Moreover, almost every song on the album touches on themes of evolution to some extent – human development with AI, human versus nature, the colonization of Mars, etc.

Regarding the evolution of us as a band and individuals, I don't see it as a "we're better" kind of progress, but more as natural maturity – musically, we knew exactly what we wanted the album to sound like, and lyrically, there is more refinement and deeper reflection on specific themes and individual songs compared to our first album.

How does Evolution differ the most from your debut Absolution? Has your approach to sound, production, or music style fundamentally changed?

Probably in the lyrics and perhaps a greater honesty in the sense that we weren't afraid to experiment more. If we felt a song should lean more toward disco, we didn't hesitate to go for it.

On the album, you experiment with various genres, and each track has its own distinctive signature. During this experimentation, did you find a style where you feel most "at home," or is this variety your main identity?

We had to find a foundation first to be able to experiment later, if you know what I mean. (laughs) The rhythm and sound of electronic drums, phrasing of keyboards in the choruses, repeated vocal effects – these are the basic building blocks of each song. After that, we have almost complete freedom, and we know that whatever we do with a song, it will still maintain a certain Blitz Union standard.

Evolution shows that you are not afraid to push boundaries and experiment. Do you plan to continue this in future recordings?

At the moment, it's hard to answer. We'll see what ideas come up – that's what it's based on. In this regard, we don't plan too much. We always try to give each specific idea or song what it "asks for," so to speak.

Who among you is the biggest perfectionist? Do you often end up taking an almost finished song back to the start because someone isn't satisfied with a passage or detail?

Definitely me. (laughs) But taking a song back to the very beginning in the final stage? No. Everything is refined continuously – that's why it takes us four years to finish an album. (laughs)

If a listener were to take away only one thought after the first listen of Evolution, what should it be?

Honestly, probably whatever thought comes to them after listening – I'd like to leave that to the listener and not impose what they should think.

Your lyrics often reflect social and political issues – technology, AI, loss of humanity, manipulation. Was it always a conscious vision to become a sort of "mirror of the times," or did it naturally emerge from how you perceive the world around you?

It's natural for us in the sense that we only process topics pointed out by Mr. Blitz – a mysterious entity behind the band's formation in this form. You can think of him as a muse, a source of the band's inspiration and direction.

When you dive into these topics while writing, what fascinates or frightens you the most?

We're fascinated by the unlimited amount of contradictory information, where even absolute opposites can end up being similar. That's probably what both scares and fascinates us the most – the fact that one can never be sure if they are on the "right" side. That's why we try to present topics from a slightly different, more neutral perspective, leaving it to the listener to take what they will.

What does your creative process look like? Is it a collaborative effort, or does each member bring a finished base for the others to add to? And which comes first for you – deciding on the topic of the lyrics or composing the music first?

On this album, we worked primarily in tandem with Schtorm. The rest of the band intervened later, mostly fine-tuning the final song structures (shortening, repeating sections, etc.). Usually, I come up with a chorus melody and a lyrical idea around which we build the whole song. Once we are satisfied with the vocal phrasing and melodies, Schtorm dives into instrumental production. This is our most common approach, though there are exceptions.

You've stuck to English since The Snuff. Was this a clear choice from the start due to ambitions abroad, or does this language just fit the style of your music better than Czech?

It's probably a combination of both, at least for Blitz Union. In The Snuff, English just fit the music better – we even tried Czech lyrics, but it always sounded terrible. (laughs)

However, you recorded the song "Plastic" in Czech. What led you to that, and why this song? Was it just a one-time experiment, or an attempt to appeal more to the local audience?

We chose "Plastic" because it's probably our most popular track – we thought it would be fun to sing it in different languages. Since we had also recorded it in Spanish and Japanese, including Czech made sense. It was a challenge, but we enjoyed it – and I think the Czech version turned out decent.

I can't avoid asking about the song FOTC. I have to admit, the first time I heard it, I thought: "What on earth is this?" Whose idea was it, and how did you manage to turn it into an incredibly catchy song?

Haha, FOTC stands out both lyrically and instrumentally. We debated for a long time whether it even suited us as a song, but the idea was so fun that we worked on it over three years until we got it to a point where we thought, "Yes, this could work." (laughs)

The lyrics are wild, revolving around acronyms from adult movies. However, the overall message still has an educational/general relevance.

Is there any topic you as a band would never sing about?

Right now, nothing comes to mind – it's always about clever/creative execution. With that, you can sing about almost anything.

Few Czech bands can boast that they premiered their concert at a legend like Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. What was that like for you? How did the American audience receive you?

It was incredible how everything came together. (laughs) We were completely blown away, especially when we learned that the headliner was Alien Ant Farm, mostly known for their cover of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal. The audience received us well, though there weren't many people in front of the stage. (laughs) We were the first opening band (out of about five), playing as the doors opened – so by the time people bought a drink, we were nearly finished. But we still gained some fans who came to see us again at the same venue three years later.

Can you compare Czech and international audiences? Are fans abroad different, or does the energy at concerts feel the same everywhere?

It seems a bit different in each country. Czechs and Poles like to drink at concerts, and if they enjoy the band, they party fully. In Germany, people go more for a cultural experience – though they can also enjoy themselves, they don't go wild like here. In Spain, where we had debut concerts two years ago, the crowd was crazy from the first song, fighting and shoving each other. (laughs) That energy is immediately noticeable. Of course, these are just my observations, not generalizations.

Regarding the local scene – do you plan to play more concerts in the Czech Republic, or stick to your annual show at Prague's Palác Akropolis?

We plan to add at least Brno and Liberec to the Prague concert this fall. Other dates are still under discussion, so we'll see how it turns out.

Do you have a memorable concert experience – positive or bizarre – that you'll probably never forget?

A funny situation happened at our first German concert ever in Braunschweig. We were opening for Oomph!, and my brother Shodushi decided to jump into the crowd during the last song. Being inexperienced, he didn't signal he was about to jump – instead, he sprinted from behind the stage and landed far into the audience. People instinctively moved aside, but one woman with glasses was too slow and got knocked down. (laughs) She was a bit shaken but fine. After the show, we gave her T-shirts and bracelets as an apology, and she ended up laughing it off.

You've come a long way from The Snuff to the current Blitz Union. Looking back, what keeps you going and evolving together?

It's probably a combination of proving it's possible – that even Czech bands have a place on the European or global stage. We keep pushing because our "spot" isn't fully established yet. We're only now starting our first proper headline tour, so there's a lot ahead. And of course, concerts we love are the biggest reward. Looking back, those early years were a necessary phase – very wild. (laughs)

You've achieved successes in Germany and abroad that most Czech bands can only dream of. Why do you think that is? Is it because you sing in English and in your genre, or do you feel international audiences engage with your music differently than domestic fans?

I wouldn't overstate it. (laughs) But probably it's a combination of everything – also, having foreign labels and distributors helps. From the start, we aimed at the international market, so everything is adjusted for that.

There's a lot of secrecy around Mr. Blitz, almost as if he owns you rather than the other way around. How did this phenomenon start, and how much influence does he have over your direction?

We don't own him, and he doesn't own us. We're slowly documenting all "facts" about Mr. Blitz and hope to release a mini-book one day, so I won't go into too many details. He doesn't directly interfere or command – he shows possibilities, and it's up to us what we take from them.

Watching you, I can't help but feel Mr. Blitz is just Mark's alter ego given a face and voice. Is that true, or is he a separate entity?

He speaks to me the most, but he's not my alter ego – more like a muse. Sometimes I'm unsure if he truly has intentions with us or is just playing – he sometimes goes silent for a long time.

In 2025, guitarist Gor joined the band. How did his arrival change the dynamics, and what did he bring to your sound or live shows?

Honestly, it helped a lot – Gor brought fresh energy. He contributed significantly to Evolution, especially during the final recording phase. He's disciplined and precise musically – exactly the kind of person you want in a band.

Many compare you to the Czech version of Rammstein. Is that an honor, or does it annoy you because it overshadows your originality? Where does this comparison come from?

Probably our look, stage presence, and some song compositions – for example, "Candidate" has a very Rammstein feel. (laughs) We all grew up with Rammstein, so the inspiration is natural.

Most songs from Evolution have world-class videos, which isn't standard in the Czech Republic. Do you see visuals as essential for success, or could your music break through without them?

From the start, we've treated Blitz Union as an audio-visual project. If time and budget allow, we aim to have a video for each song. Each song tells a story, and the video supports it further.

How much work, time, and money goes into one of these videos?

It varies. To make a video look good, you need to invest at least 50,000 CZK – with smaller budgets, it's better to invest in multiple short social media clips.

For bigger videos like Plastic or Hotel India Victoria, the budget is around 200,000 CZK, even though we handle many things ourselves – props, lighting rental, etc. Before filming, we ideally have a storyboard and script ready.

Which video was the biggest challenge – physically, financially, or production-wise?

Definitely Plastic. It was demanding in every aspect – production, shooting conditions. We filmed in December in sub-zero temperatures, with barely any space to warm up. Between shots, we wrapped ourselves in blankets and had tea with rum. (laughs)

How does it feel to take off the "mask" after a concert and go casually to a store the next day? Is it important for you to keep the concert and personal worlds separate?

Switching between personas is a bit schizophrenic and takes time. I can't say if it's particularly important. Maybe having a normal job alongside the band helps mental health more than staying in "musician mode" all the time.

Can family life be balanced with such an active music career and constant travel – how do you manage it?

Not very well. (laughs) I'm currently the only childless member, and it shows – everything must be planned well in advance. Finding the right balance between music and family life is really hard – whoever achieves it, congratulations, because we haven't quite managed it yet. (laughs)

I have to ask about Marek and Tomáš in the show Zrádci. What was the experience like, and did it help you reach new audiences?

Being on Zrádci was a once-in-a-lifetime experience — we had an absolute blast. Especially me, honestly. (laughs) Somehow, in a strange way, I even managed to relax there — it felt a bit like a kids' summer camp… on steroids. (laughs)

We didn't want to bring the band into the show at all — we weren't there for straightforward promotion. But over time, people started discovering it naturally through social media.

I wouldn't say our fanbase suddenly skyrocketed, but we definitely picked up a few new, loyal fans along the way.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview and letting us look into the world of Blitz Union. Do you have a final message for your fans and Rebel Sound readers?

We thank you for the opportunity and wish everyone happiness and success!