Record Reviews
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  | MICHAL MILCZAREK TRIO ~ AMBIENT WORKS
NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient
Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016
This is the second album by a Polish trio led by guitarist / composer Michal MilczarekFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Bartek LuczkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz ModrzejewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, which are co-credited as improvisations by all the trio members.
The music is exactly what the album´s title suggests, i.e. a series of improvised ambient pieces, mostly concerned with sounds rather than conventional melodic themes or tonal progressions. Although improvised, the music has little, if any, connection to Jazz and is firmly within the ambient idiom.
This kind of music makes it very difficult to recognize the individual contributions by the trio members, since those are limited by the restricted nature of the music. The guitar mostly plays long series of chords, over a painfully slow background created by the rhythm section, which soon blend into ambiguity, similarity and repetition, which at least in my case bordered on lack of interest. When the music is over, forty three minutes later, there is a feeling of confusion and depravation as to what just happened.
There are a few passages when the music is slightly more energized and has a Fusion tendency, but those are brief and rare, with little impact on the overall result.
Obviously fans of the ambient genre might find this music interesting or enjoyable, but as far as I am concerned it leaves me completely cold.
| | Updated: 23/12/2016Posted: 23/12/2016 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | MICHAL MILCZAREK TRIO ~ SQUIRRELS AND BUTTERFLIES
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903420641967) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion
Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014
This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion trio led by guitarist / composer Michal MilczarekFind albums by this artist, with bassist Bartek LuczkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz ModrzejewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, nine by Milczarek and one by Luczkiewicz.
The music is typical contemporary Jazz-Rock Fusion, with catchy riffs and somewhat unusual sound, which uses ambient effects in addition to the guitar power-trio format. The compositions are pretty basic, but serve the purpose as vehicles for the lengthy improvisations.
The performances are solid, and within the Fusion idiom suit the music well. The overall sound of the album and the flow of the music are a bit repetitive, but there are enough interesting moments here to keep the listener attentive.
Overall this is a promising debut album, which offers some fresh approach to guitar based Fusion, but does not manage to deliver anything truly innovative. However, Fusion fans should find this album very interesting, especially due to the ambient associations and excellent guitar and bass parts. Recommended!
The trio´s second album entitled "Ambient Works", which left the Fusion direction and concentrated on Ambient Music, turned out to be a disappointment for me.
| | Updated: 22/09/2017Posted: 22/09/2017 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
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