Record Reviews

INNERCITY ENSEMBLE ~ II INSTANT CLASSIC 019 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the Polish Improvised Music group Innercity EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, guitarists Artur MackowiakFind albums by this artist and Jakub ZiolekFind albums by this artist, drummer Tomasz PopowskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Rafal IwanskiFind albums by this artist, Rafal KolackiFind albums by this artist and Radek DziubekFind albums by this artist, who is also in charge of electronics. A guest percussionist Witold BargielFind albums by this artist also participates. The double CD album documents the output created during three-day long meeting dedicated to spontaneous improvisations and the six tracks on CD one and five tracks on CD two are all improvisations not credited to any specific musicians and are therefore assumed to be co-composed by all the participants. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Ambient / Electronic / Industrial / Jazz / World Music and a plethora of other influences, all combined to create dreamy sound vistas and atmospheric soundtracks, which flow gently influencing a serene and relaxed feeling of Nirvana. The music is completely non-aggressive and accommodating, which is a rarity as far as Improvised Music is concerned. Jachna plays some remarkable trumpet parts all along the developing pieces and his contributions are of course the most distinctive, whereas the rest of the musicians are more subdued into the amalgamated multilayered background. As I have already stated in the past Innercity Ensemble is one of the most original and interesting Polish acts of this kind and all three of their albums so far are absolutely worth getting and should bring a lot of joy to open minded listeners.

Updated: 10/05/2017Posted: 10/05/2017

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

INNERCITY ENSEMBLE ~ III ISTANT CLASSIC 047 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by Polish Improvised Music group Innercity EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which consists of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, guitarists Jakub ZiolekFind albums by this artist and Artur MackowiakFind albums by this artist, drummer Tomasz PopowskiFind albums by this artist, percussionists Rafal IwanskiFind albums by this artist and Rafal KolackiFind albums by this artist and Radek DziubekFind albums by this artist, who is in charge of electronics. In fact all the members play a plethora of different, mostly percussive, instruments on this album, which is characterized by this powerful percussive sound. Together they perform seven original compositions, which are not credited on the album´s packaging and therefore are assumed to be co-composed / improvised by all seven members of the band. For improvised music this album is remarkably well organized, with clear melodic themes and steady, although polyrhythmic intense percussive background. The music is beyond simple classification, as it mixes many diverse genres, like Jazz, Ethno, Jungle, Ambient and many other flavors, but the important thing is of course that the result sounds beautifully coherent and highly fascinating. The music creates a trance-like atmosphere, which absorbs the listener completely, taking him away from reality into an imaginary world of its own. Jachna plays most of the solo parts and his heartwrenching performances are the absolute centerpiece of this album. In the course of just a few years Jachna established his position as one of the most creative Polish trumpeters on a scene exploding with talent and fiercely competitive. Music connoisseurs with a developed imagination could envisage this music as "Miles DavisFind albums by this artist in a jungle". But of course the rest of the band also contributes beautiful sound vistas and percussive backgrounds, which are rich in textures and intricate details. Although there is a certain element of repetition, the mantra-like parts are never long enough to become boring and are always ornamented by a multitude if minimalistic musical gems. Overall this is a beautiful and fascinating piece music, which explores and probes uncharted territory, as music always should. This is definitely something ambitious music livers should enjoy immensely and as such is wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 11/11/2016Posted: 11/11/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

INNERCITY ENSEMBLE ~ KATAHDIN WET MUSIC 04 (Barcode: 5904259353915) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 The Polish Innercity EnsembleFind albums by this artist is one of many experimental music groups, which pop up on the local scene like mushrooms after rain. The incredible beehive of frenzy activity, which encompasses the Polish improvisational music scene is a phenomenon of truly gigantic proportions, and most surprisingly unparalleled by any other country in the world. As usual in such a case, the quality of the music varies significantly, but the exploration and sense of urgency prevail universally. The group is a septet and the musicians come from several different Jazz, Rock and Ambient groups. The most dominant musician is trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, who is a member of the excellent Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist. Not surprisingly, for those familiar with the Polish Avant-Garde scene, the album was recorded at the Mozg Club in Bydgoszcz, one of the epicenters of the improvisational activity. In addition to Jachna, whose trumpet is the leading voice of the album, the ensemble includes also two guitar players, three percussionists and one person using electronic devices. This unusual lineup dictates the overall musical direction of the proceedings, which basically features ambient and percussive background, with trumpet solos on top. There is limited melodic content and the music develops slowly, if at all, like in a meditative trance. The trumpet solos are, in contrast, quite spectacular. Although potentially interesting the album somehow leaves me cold, except for the trumpet solos. Lovers of Ambient and perhaps World Music originating in Far East will probably enjoy this music, others might enter the meditative mood and float with it, but for me this music simply does not go anywhere. Nevertheless I appreciate the energy and effort that went into making this album.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend