Record Reviews

RAATZ / WESTON ~ ELECTRIC STORIES (TOTAL MUSIC VOL.1) RG 112 (Barcode: 5904873488000) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2025 - 2026 Released: 2026 This is an album by the duo comprising of Polish guitarist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist and American drummer Calvin WestonFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Grant Calvin WestonFind albums by this artist), recorded with a large group of guest artists / friends, including bassists Grzegorz KorybalskiFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof MajchrzakFind albums by this artist, American violinist Steve KindlerFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, percussionist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents ten tracks, all composed and arranged by Raatz, except one co-composed with Majchrzak. The music is an eclectic amalgam of cross-genre influences, which could be classified under many labels, but who cares about labels? The result is quite “total”, like the title promises and basically everybody should be able to find something that fits his specific musical palette, like Ambient, Electronic, Jazz, Fusion, Cinematic Music, etc. depending of the particular set of mind one happens to be in at the moment. Despite the fact that Raatz is first and foremost a guitarist, the guitar sound does not dominate the proceedings, often hidden beneath a layer of effects and synthesized sounds, except perhaps on the final track, where he delivers a guitar solo, which easily knocks every guitar lover’s socks off. There are many brilliant Jazz oriented moments created by the soloists, but again, the music is not focused on the Jazz elements, which appear mostly as ornamentations. The dense and heavy base / drums background layer drives the music with a steady forward thrust, promising a climax, which surprisingly refuses to erupt, leaving the listener constantly on edge, waiting for more. This is one of those albums, which require several listening sessions, each exposing new elements, which were missed during the previous encounter. This process of discovery, stage by stage, is certainly a fascinating, hypnotic journey, rarely found on record, and as such truly inspiring. It fits perfectly the long excursion of discovery initiated by Raatz decades ago and still continues to develop. Overall, this is another splendid addition to the impressive recorded legacy by Raatz and his cohorts, an Artists who refuses to join trends and follow clichés and does his own thing, including running his own label. Thanks for the music to everybody who took part in this project, some of which I happen to consider as my personal Friends ;)

Updated: 16/03/2026Posted: 16/03/2026

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend