Record Reviews

TATVAMASI ~ AMOR FATI OBUH 33 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by Polish ensemble TatvamasiFind albums by this artist, which undoubtedly is one of the most fascinating and totally unpredictable ensembles on the local scene. The core quartet of the ensemble, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz LesiakFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Tomasz PiatekFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz DownarFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof RedasFind albums by this artist, is expanded by a string trio: violinists Anna WitkowskaFind albums by this artist and Michal OstrowskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Malgorzata PietronFind albums by this artist. Legendary musician / producer and ObuhFind albums on this label label owner Wojcek CzernFind albums by this artist is also featured on electronics. The album presents six original compositions, all composed by Lesiak. The music is, as usual, quite beyond classification. The addition of the strings and electronics expends the usual ingredients, such as Jazz and Rock, to include also contemporary Classical, Folklore and Ambient elements. This time the Free Improvisation parts are much more dominant and the music is more Avant-Garde oriented in comparison to their earlier recordings, with the distinct Rocky guitar element almost completely gone. As already stated, the music of Tatvamasi is completely unpredictable and every track brigs entirely different sounds and emotions. Such diversity has of course its advantages and is very interesting intellectually, but on the other hand lacks certain focus and coherency and is very difficult for "conventional" listeners. In some respects this lack of stability and jumpiness is somehow reminiscent of Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist´s approach, which of course is commendable, but might create a barrier between the music and the audiences. For a studio recording, the sound quality of the album is somewhat muddy and does not allow the small, delicate details of the music to be easily audible; perhaps purposely recorded / mixed this way, but the result is (for me) somewhat problematic. Overall this is a very interesting album, living up to the ensemble´s already established reputation, although personally for me it is not their best work to date and I enjoyed more their earlier recordings. Still this is definitely more ambitious than the vast majority of albums recorded on the Polish scene and anywhere else for that matter. I am sure they will return triumphantly again!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 09/01/2018

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TATVAMASI ~ HALDUR BILDUR AUDIO CAVE 2019/010 (Barcode: 5905669566827) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the fifth album by Polish quartet TatvamasiFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz LesiakFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Tomasz PiatekFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz DownarFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof RedasFind albums by this artist. On this album the quartet is expanded to a septet with the addition of violinist Anna WitkowskaFind albums by this artist-Piatek, cellist Malgorzata PietronFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Jan MichalecFind albums by this artist (all three participated on earlier albums of the quartet). The album presents just four extended tracks, all composed by Lesiak. As usual with Tatvamasi´s music, it manages to stay beyond conventional categorization, which is obviously its strength and magic. These long expanded sonic vistas are explorations of melodic themes, riffs, groove, beat and World Music influences, completely intertwined within each other. The best strategy is simply to let go of any attempt of analyzing this music intellectually and let it take you wherever it goes by itself, trusting the musicians submissively. The music is considerably less Avant-Garde oriented this time (except for the last piece), with way more melodic contents, which obviously serves the group´s ability to communicate with the listener. Whereas the previous album by Tatvamasi ("Amor FatiFind albums with this title") left me somewhat cold / confused, they returned with vengeance this time producing a condensed, fully focused and better recorded piece of superb music, which takes no prisoners. The strings are this time completely integrated within the fabric of the group´s sound and add another important dimension. Michalec, who already appeared on two earlier albums by the group, seems to be an integral part of the improvising tour de force. Overall this is an excellent album, probably the group´s best offering to date, which finds the group in top form and takes the listener on a hypnotic and unstoppable ride through a kaleidoscope of sounds, rhythms and melodies, which are continuously changing and chasing one development after another and yet manage to stay focused and coherent for the entire duration. Regardless if you are into Rock, Prog, Jazz or Fusion, this album offers plenty of all of those and more. Hats off!

Updated: 26/10/2019Posted: 26/10/2019

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