Lunatic Soul represents a progressive rock endeavor incorporating electronic and new age elements, led by Mariusz Duda, who serves as bassist and vocalist for Riverside. Born in Poland on September 25, 1975, Duda entered music during the 1990s through the heavy prog band Xanadu, where he appeared on the album Wczorajsze ślady. He co-founded Riverside in 2002, helping shape its fusion of progressive rock and heavy metal. Seeking an outlet for material unsuited to that group, Duda launched Lunatic Soul in 2008; its self-titled debut, free of guitar parts, arrived that October and reached number 23 on the Polish album charts. He subsequently split his efforts between Riverside and Lunatic Soul, delivering Lunatic Soul II in November 2010, Impressions the following year, and Walking on a Flashlight Beam in October 2014. In 2016 Duda paused those projects to join guitarist Maciej Meller of Quidam and drummer Maciej Gołyźniak of Sorry Boys for a session. Released under the name Meller Gołyźniak Duda, the album Breaking Habits featured Duda on bass and vocals as well as lyrics. The fifth Lunatic Soul album, Fractured, surfaced in June 2017 and drew from a difficult stretch in his personal life.
