Record Reviews

ECSTASY PROJECT ~ EUROPAE MONOTYPE 014 (Barcode: 5908310927022) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 This is the 3rd album by the Polish ensemble Ecstasy ProjectFind albums by this artist, founded and led by drummer / percussionist / composer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist. Gorzycki, who is also active in other musical projects, like the excellent Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist ensemble, formed Ecstasy Project as a vehicle for his compositions, which lay in the fuzzy area between Jazz and contemporary Classical music. The ensemble includes also flautist Tomasz PawlickiFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Pawel NowickiFind albums by this artist, violinist Lukasz GorewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist, and is capable of performing the complex music and creating an atmosphere that bridges between chamber contemporary Classical music and modern Jazz, moving between the two smoothly and seamlessly. The music, almost entirely composed by Gorzycki, is quite intricate at times, but does not cross the point of total alienation to the less experienced listener, keeping enough melody and rhythm to hold on through the more difficult passages. Of course listeners with more experience in Classical music will find this music familiar and quite enchanting from the very first listen. As the title suggests, this is very European music, encapsulating the musical traditions the 19th and 20th Centuries, from neo-romanticism, via atonal experimentation and minimalism, right into the Avant-Garde. And yet the music is not over-intellectual and leaves a lot to feeling and atmosphere, keeping the overall emotional level alive and aesthetically satisfying. Definitely worth investigation for more adventurous listeners!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ECSTASY PROJECT ~ THEY WERE P MW 003 (Barcode: 5903292101118) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the 5th album by the Polish ensemble Ecstasy ProjectFind albums by this artist, founded and led by drummer / percussionist / composer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist. Gorzycki, who is also active in other musical projects, like the excellent Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist ensemble, formed Ecstasy Project as a vehicle for his compositions, which lay in the fuzzy area between Jazz and contemporary Classical music. The ensemble includes also flautist Tomasz PawlickiFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Pawel NowickiFind albums by this artist, violinist Lukasz GorewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist, and is capable of performing the complex music and creating an atmosphere that bridges between chamber contemporary Classical music and modern Jazz, moving between the two smoothly and seamlessly. The music, almost entirely composed by Gorzycki, is quite intricate at times, but does not cross the point of total alienation to the less experienced listener, keeping enough melody and rhythm to hold on through the more difficult passages. Of course listeners with more experience in Classical music will find this music familiar and quite enchanting from the very first listen. This is very European music, encapsulating the musical traditions the 19th and 20th Centuries, from neo-romanticism, via atonal experimentation and minimalism, right into the Avant-Garde. And yet the music is not over-intellectual and leaves a lot to feeling and atmosphere, keeping the overall emotional level alive and aesthetically satisfying. Definitely worth investigation for more adventurous listeners!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

LUKASZ GOREWICZ ~ THE STRING OF HORIZONS BIG FLOW 02 (Barcode: 5904730520010) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is a very interesting solo album by Polish violinist / composer Lukasz GorewiczFind albums by this artist, a prolific figure on the local scene primarily known as a member of the Ecstasy ProjectFind albums by this artist ensemble, but also as author of and participant in many other ventures. On this album, which is performed solely by Gorewicz playing all the instruments, he presents nine original instrumental pieces, the last of which is added as a bonus track. The music is a beautiful mixture of diverse influences, ranging between Classical Music, improvisation and Ambient atmospheric vistas, resulting in a very introvert, deeply melancholic and minimalist pieces, which develop slowly and create a deep sensation of tension and even apprehension, in spite of their subdued intensity. In many respects this music sounds like a soundtrack of an imaginary horror film. Gorewicz plays mostly the violin, which is the most dominant instrument on this album, but he also uses the piano to create a frame of reference for the prolonged violin improvisations and electronics to create some rhythmic patterns and to extend the sonic range of the overall result. This music needs quite a lot of concentration and attentive listening to expose all of its depth and hidden beauty. Although it tends to create a sensation of standstill and little development, in fact it moves along at all times, even when frequently slowed down and almost silenced to a whisper. This technique, which involves playing with the dynamics and changing the tempi, is extremely effective, although not always easy to follow or to enjoy at first. This album is definitely one of the most ambitious and original statements on the Polish musical scene of 2015, but its complexity and intrinsic oddity will make it difficult to achieve a wide popularity, which is sadly the story of all valuable creations. Nevertheless Gorewicz manages to make an uncompromising personal statement, which is here to stay and proves his maturity and obvious talent both as a virtuosic violinist and notable composer. Although every Polish violinist who uses improvisation is almost automatically adopted to the famous Polish Jazz violin school, personally I think Gorewicz, except for the slight similarity to Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, is not a typical Jazz violinist but rather a member of a new Polish Jazz violin school, which is much closer to Classical Music, like the two violinists of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist for example. Overall this is an album definitely worthy of exploration and should delight ambitious music listeners, who have enough patience and open mindedness to embrace it.

Updated: 13/04/2016Posted: 13/04/2016

CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Recommend To A Friend