Record Reviews

BLOTO ~ EROZJE ASTIGMATIC 013 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish quartet BlotoFind albums by this artist, which is a classic "Son of Godzilla" type of offshoot of the popular EABSFind albums by this artist ensemble, comprising of keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. LatarnikFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Ksiaze SaxoniiFind albums by this artist), bassist Pawel StachowiakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Wuja HZGFind albums by this artist) and drummer Marcin RakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Cancer GFind albums by this artist). The quartet and its music are a result of an incidental gathering of these musicians in a studio, during a short break in the EABS tour, which resulted in a spontaneous recording session undertaken without any preparation whatsoever. The well oiled EABS PR machine as well as the contemporary sound and attitude managed to create a stir on the local market and even the COVID-19 pandemic did not manage to halt the viral reaction. The album presents ten tracks, which were cut from the ninety minutes of music that was recorded, lasting just above forty minutes. The music is indeed fresh, vibrant and a great fun to listen to, but it is not that much different from the improvised passages played during EABS live performances, which of course is not very surprising. Hypnotic groove, synthesizer soundscapes, dynamic rhythms and almost Free Jazz solos on top are a well oiled formula that EABS perfected over time and this session basically offers nihil novi sub sole. The album´s title and the PR material allude to a parallelism between this album and the iconic recording "KorozjeFind albums with this title" by Polish Jazz legends Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist. Personally I find nothing in common between these two albums and the unnecessary references to the Polish Jazz history are more damaging than useful. EABS are not like any of the Polish Jazz past icons, and they don´t need to be. They are an excellent ensemble living in a different era and playing music that has five decades of additional musical influences to absorb, which they indeed do all the time. Overall this album offers many great moments and an ambience that brings young generation of listeners closer to Jazz, which by itself is a great success. It is first and foremost oriented towards the wide circle of the EABS fans base, but being less visceral that the EABS albums, it also appeals to new listeners, which again is a good thing. These guys are excellent musicians and they still have a lot of youthful enthusiasm and creativity, so let´s enjoy them as long as that lasts. Is it Jazz?... Frankly, my dears, I don´t give a damn!

Updated: 20/06/2020Posted: 20/06/2020

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BLOTO ~ GRZYBNIA ASTIGMANTIC 029 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 4th album by Polish quartet BlotoFind albums by this artist, which comprises of keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. LatarnikFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. OlafSaxxFind albums by this artist), bassist Pawel StachowiakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Wuja HZGFind albums by this artist) and drummer Marcin RakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Cancer GFind albums by this artist). The quartet members are all also members of the EABSFind albums by this artist ensemble. The album presents nine tracks, with music not credited and assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members. Following an almost three years long gap between releases, the music of Bloto remains faithful to the ideas presented on their earlier output, which I already described in the review of their previous album, as follows: “the music is completely boundless and shuns classification like a snake avoids a grip. Anything goes, as long as it makes sense to these four musicians, which basically is how things should be anyway”. However, personally I find this music moving away from my personal musical taste, despite the fact that I still very much appreciate the talent and creativity of the four musicians. Somehow the charm is gone and the music mostly sounds chaotic, unfocused and cold. There are some great moments here and there, but as a whole this is probably not an album I’d return to any time soon. The tendency to move away from Jazz, almost as if provocatively, and the murky ambience just aren’t my thing anymore. Of course this is just my very personal outlook and this music might be absolutely delightful to others. But it is also possible Bloto need to find a new formula and introduce new elements in their music to make my heart melt again? They seem to be a bit stuck musically. The future will tell. Overall, this is more or less more of the same by this great quartet, which offers incredible potential, but somehow less restraint and focus. It is still an interesting listening experience, especially if it is the first time one listens to their music. Brokenheartedly, I look forward for the next album.

Updated: 09/12/2024Posted: 09/12/2024

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BLOTO ~ KWASY I ZASADY ASTIGMATIC 016 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the third album by Polish quartet BlotoFind albums by this artist, which comprises of keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. LatarnikFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. OlafSaxxFind albums by this artist – new pseudonym), bassist Pawel StachowiakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Wuja HZGFind albums by this artist) and drummer Marcin RakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Cancer GFind albums by this artist). The quartet members are all also members of the EABSFind albums by this artist ensemble. The album presents eleven studio tracks, recorded in one day, with music not credited and assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members, offering a conscious Lo-Fi sound quality. Although seemingly a classic Jazz quartet, Bloto are anything but… their music is completely boundless and shuns classification like a snake avoids a grip. Anything goes, as long as it makes sense to these four musicians, which basically is how things should be anyway. Listening to the album is like taking a night ride with the car radio randomly changing stations every few minutes; Free Jazz, Bass & Drums, Techno, Drone, Jazz again, Punk, Yass; this trip is never over until the music stops. Does it make any sense? Oh well, as usual it depends whom do you ask. I love that shit, but I can understand many people my age seeking a shelter. It is all a question of attitude, I suppose. If the music swings, rocks, grooves or whatever, it is cool with me. Of course in the big scheme of things one has to ask oneself where is this all going? Or better yet, how many times you can get away with it, before the audiences will fall under another spell? This is the third album after all. Watch out guys, you have been warned! Find a freagin concept ;) Overall I like this music a lot, even if it makes sometimes an effort to offend – I have an elephant’s skin. I love the creativity and the talent, the “don’t give a damn” attitude and the youthful naiveté assuming that everything will be forgiven… oh well life is a bitch guys. But as long as you can get away with it, have fun and enjoy life, as it is shockingly short, believe you me… See ya

Updated: 22/06/2021Posted: 22/06/2021

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JAUBI ~ NAFS AT PEACE ASTIGMATIC 017 ~ PAKISTAN ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is an album by Pakistani Jazz-World Fusion quartet JaubiFind albums by this artist, which consists of guitarist Ali Riaz BaqarFind albums by this artist, sarangi player Zohaib Hassan KhanFind albums by this artist, drummer Qammar AbbasFind albums by this artist and tabla player Kashif Ali DhaniFind albums by this artist. The quartet is expanded to a sextet with the addition of Polish Jazz keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. LatarnikFind albums by this artist), a member of Polish ensembles EABSFind albums by this artist and BlotoFind albums by this artist, and British flautist / saxophonist Edward CawthorneFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. TenderloniousFind albums by this artist), who also recorded with EABS. The album presents seven tracks recorded in Lahore, six composed by Baqar and one by Pedziwiatr. Some additional recordings were done in Oslo, involving the Vox Humana Chamber ChoirFind albums by this artist, which appears on the opening track. The music is, as expected, an amalgam of traditional Indian Music elements and Jazz, which of course has its origins back as far as mid-1960s, both in American Jazz (John ColtraneFind albums by this artist of course, but not only) and British Jazz (John MayerFind albums by this artist and others) and European Jazz. The music created by the expanded Jaubi ensemble is similar in some ways to the many earlier attempts, but is also unique, being far more open to listeners, who have little experience with Indian music, as well as younger listeners, who prefer more melodic, accessible, somewhat trance-like auras, which do not involve heavy, complex improvisation, and offers instead a natural melodic flow. This does not mean that the album does not offer splendid soloing, which it certainly does. Both Pedziwiatr and Cawthorne offer some impressive soloing, especially on the final track dedicated to Coltrane and obviously inspired by “A Love Supreme”. Since the original Jaubi quartet involves only two traditional Indian instruments (sarangi and tabla), a priori their sound is not dominated by traditional Indian Music, which can be pretty daunting to Western listeners, and as this album perfectly shows, same like using exotic spices in food, moderation is the wiser solution. The album’s artwork and promo materials offer many references to the spiritual / religious references of this music, namely to the Koran spirituality and the concept of Nafs (from nafas), which became popular in the West with the growing popularity of the New Age in the late 20th Century. Personally I prefer to hide behind my skepticism, as this music is way more appropriate to enjoy and have fun rather than meditation or contemplation of one’s state of their soul. Oh well… Overall this is a wonderful album, extremely listenable and with the delicate smell of mystique and Indian spices, offers a superb musical trip, which is a pleasure to listen to. Well put together and offering some great melodic compositions as well as superb performances, this album is truly addictive. Not to be taken too seriously of course, just relax and flow with the music wherever it takes you – satisfaction guaranteed!

Updated: 01/07/2021Posted: 01/07/2021

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LATARNIK ~ MARIANNA ASTIGMATIC 019 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut solo album by Polish keyboardist / composer LatarnikFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist), the driving force behind Polish ensembles EABSFind albums by this artist and BlotoFind albums by this artist, which is an acoustic solo piano recording. The album presents nine original compositions by Pedziwiatr, dedicated to the memory of his Great-Grandmother. The music is all melody based, very lyrical and contemplative, quite different from the music Pedziwiatr is associated with, based on his earlier recording legacy. It is a very concise, intimate album, which offers a series of vistas which gently flow from under the keyboards, slowly disappearing into silence and returning in a transformed identity, and so on. The music does not seem to have a beginning to end continuity, but is rather an evolving creative experience, which lets the listener’s mind to connect the dots by himself. The overall sound is of course close to Classical music, but the textures include improvisation, so for a lack of a better point of reference I call it a Jazz-Classical Fusion, but what the heck, it’s just a label… In time I have grown to like Pedziwiatr and his music, initially being afraid that he dealt more in gimmickry than in artistry, but slowly he managed to win me over, especially after I attended several live gigs he played with his groups. This album reveals yet another layer of his musical personality, that of a romantic dreamer; definitely nothing to be ashamed of. This is apparently a limited numbered edition and my number is 245/600. Overall, this is a peaceful, contemplative solo piano album, which offers some beautiful melodies and delicate playing, offering a hazy / dreamy atmosphere. Definitely something worth exploring for listeners who like solo piano music, which is definitely not for everybody but can be highly rewarding. The album is just under forty minutes in duration, which is exactly the right amount of time before most listeners will lose their attention span.

Updated: 03/05/2022Posted: 03/05/2022

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ZIMA STULECIA ~ MINUS 30°C ASTIGMATIC 022 ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2021 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by the Polish duo called Zima StuleciaFind albums by this artist, which is yet another offshoot of the EABSFind albums by this artist ensemble, comprising of keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. LatarnikFind albums by this artist) and drummer Marcin RakFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Cancer GFind albums by this artist). The album presents ten original compositions, which remain uncredited and are assumed to be co-composed by the duo members. For people familiar with the music of EABS and BlotoFind albums by this artist (which also includes these two musicians), the music is not really surprising, considering how unpredictable these young musicians can be, on one hand, and how talented they are, on the other. This time they combine many elements, all of which are somewhat “natural” to their age group, like House, Techno, Ambient and Electronic Music, with a dash of Jazz improvisation, a mishmash of sorts, yet an appealing listening trip, as usual with these guys. Recorded in the midst of the Covid pandemic, the music, at least to me, is laden with somber accents and reflective solemnity, so anybody looking for an easy ride and tuches shakin’ danceable ditty is in for a big surprise. Despite some dangerous proximity to the dreaded New Age schmaltz, the duo manages to arise victorious from this adventure, creating a concise set of musical pieces, that has a storytelling quality and keeps the listener on edge for the duration. And they sure can write a nice melody as well. Overall, this is another piece of music, which the EABS stable releases to the world, which manages to maintain the high Artistic standard they established over time. The change in musical direction or stylistic preferences keeps things interesting and brings new fans of their music aboard, which is always a good thing. In time they managed to convince me that that are what they claim to be: honest, hardworking and heartfelt musicians. So keep on moving on!

Updated: 23/03/2023Posted: 23/03/2023

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