Record Reviews

CYCLISTS ~ ETIUDY MIEJSKIE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the second album by Polish experimental quartet CyclistsFind albums by this artist, formed by keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist (Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist) with other musicians from the Bydgoszcz scene: bassist Wojciech WozniakFind albums by this artist, drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist (GlabulatorFind albums by this artist) and DJ G.R.Z.A.N.A.Find albums by this artist Together they play thirteen relatively short pieces, eleven of which were composed / improvised by the entire quartet and two were composed by Krzysztof GruseFind albums by this artist, also a well known Bydgoszcz household name. The music is a mixture between Jazz-Rock Fusion ditties and the ambient ventures produced by the DJ, which together sounds like an updated version of early Soft MachineFind albums by this artist sans the vocals. The compositions, although pretty basic, are all nicely melodic and the Rhodes electric piano brings waves of nostalgia. There is essentially nothing very innovative here, or perhaps the entire proceedings are purposely retrograde; in any case this is a nice and very listenable piece of music, but overall quite déjà vu. Of course these are very talented musicians and they produced some excellent music in the past, so one should accept this project as an attempt to relax and have fun, which is exactly what it is all about.

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RAFAL GORZYCKI ~ SYRIUSZ REQUIEM 139 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a solo album by Polish drummer / multi-instrumentalist / composer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist, one of the most proactive and prolific musicians on the local scene with a steady stream of excellent releases since the early 2000s, which represent some of the most interesting music created in Poland by the young generation of the country´s musicians. On this album Gorzycki faces his listeners as a soloist, playing a wide array of instruments and even reciting poetry written by Polish poet Krzysztof GruseFind albums by this artist. The album presents eighteen relatively short pieces, obviously parts of a continuous conceptual work. The music is quite different from Gorzycki´s earlier efforts, which were mostly associated with some degree of Jazz or Improvised Music. This time Gorzycki offers music which avoids categorization almost completely, and is conceptually closest to contemporary Classical Music, although it is atypical in many aspects. There is almost no melodic content as such, but rather a kaleidoscopic collection of fragments and allusions, which leaves it to the listener to collect the dots. The overall atmosphere the piece is alienated and creates a feeling of detachment and doom, somewhat similar to soundtracks of Avant-Garde movies, which present a hyper-reality floating in between worlds. Although the album´s artwork does not disclose any clues as to the composer´s intentions, the album´s title and its mythological connotations might support the idea that the ambience was deliberately set as such. As usual with Gorzycki´s projects, this music requires some serious investigation and attention on the listener´s part, both due to its complexity and uniqueness, surely more so that most other albums people come across. The intellectual challenge and the emotional effort might be strenuous at first, but are definitely worth persevering, as in time this music becomes absorbing and rewarding. It is good to see that some musicians are treating their music as a piece of Art rather than a commodity created for financial gain, and Gorzycki is definitely one of these Artists. Perhaps less immediately affable than his early works but definitely worth being discovered, this album is unquestionably a milestone in Gorzycki´s career, which seems to be in full swing with sky being the limit.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 27/02/2017

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JANUSZ ZDUNEK / 4 SYFON ~ BATERIE NOT TWO 730 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001 This is the 3rd album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Janusz ZdunekFind albums by this artist and his quartet called 4 SyfonFind albums by this artist, which also included saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, bassist Wladyslaw ReflingFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. Of the fifteen relatively short tracks on this album, six were composed by Zdunek, three by Buhl, another three (or in fact one repeated three times) by guest vocalist Krzysztof GruseFind albums by this artist, one by Refling, one is a folk tune and the remaining one is by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of Polish Jazz. Although recorded after the heyday of the Polish Yass movement, which happened in the late 1990s, Zdunek continues the nonchalant, almost Punk attitude towards Jazz on this album. Based on simple, repetitive rhythm patterns, which originate mostly in Rock, the melody and the improvisation is played on top, sometimes by one instrument and sometimes by both soloists. A few tracks are pretty "free" (written, not surprisingly by Buhl, who would be drawn towards the Free Jazz movement later on in his career), but they are definitely exceptions. The group´s treatment of the Komeda tune is perhaps the most typical example of the idea behind this music; rhythmic simplicity and improvisation on top, with some Rap elements and overall atmosphere of "we do our thing and don´t give a fuck what you think about it". Strangely enough it works just fine. It´s pretty obvious that these are greatly talented musicians, trying very hard not to show it. Over a decade after it was recorded, this music definitely lost some of its initial innovative approach and edge, but most of it still sounds pretty cool today. Not for everybody, but there are enough weirdoes out there to enjoy this stuff immensely forever.

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