Record Reviews

HERA ~ WHERE MY COMPLETE BELOVED IS MULTIKULTI 016 (Barcode: 5907529223161) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the second album by Polish Avant-Garde ensemble HeraFind albums by this artist, led by multi-instrumentalist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, one of the most important representatives of the European Improvised Music scene in the last decade. The album comprises of four extended pieces (three of which have a duration of about 20 minutes), as appropriate for this kind of music, where space and freedom are of the essence, which were recorded live. The first piece was composed by Zimpel, the following two are credited as group compositions and the last is a Russian folk song. Zimpel plays bass clarinet and harmonium and the ensemble includes also saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. Guest musicians include Sara KaluznaFind albums by this artist, who plays tampura on one track and Maniucha BikontFind albums by this artist, who sings the vocals and plays harmonium on the last track. The music of Hera completely escapes any attempt of classification and is so incredibly rich and amalgamated that expanding on the subject would be pretty futile. After all music is intended to be listened to, not written about, and great music has a tendency to slip through words trying to encapsulate it. There is no doubt that the atmosphere and modus operandi of the ensemble is influenced by Indian and other Far East Cultures, where extended improvisation and contemplative treatment of musical pieces is a way of life, with time playing little or no role at all. The music starts and continues and comes to an end when it naturally concludes its intrinsic message. Naming the pieces after titles of poems written by the Indian mystic poet Kabir are ample evidence as to the intended aesthetic prevailing herein. The meditative / contemplative nature of the music does not mean it lacks excitement, quite on the contrary, it is full of passionate improvisations, which appear on a separate plane, as if floating above the firm recurring basis, complementing the overall result. This is truly a music of the "higher spheres", which requires total attention and acquiescence from the listener joining the musicians in the process of aural communication. Absolutely brilliant stuff wholeheartedly recommended to bold souls with refined taste!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT STAR GUIDING ~ LIGHT STAR GUIDING NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish quartet called Light Star GuidingFind albums by this artist, which comprises of British (resident in Poland) saxophonist Ray DickatyFind albums by this artist and Polish guitarist Mikolaj PoncyljuszFind albums by this artist, bassist Staszek CzyzewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Dominik MokrzewskiFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Maniucha BikontFind albums by this artist appears on one track. The album presents six original pieces, which are not credited on the album´s artwork and are assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members. The members of the quartet are usually associated with the Polish Avant-Garde / Improvised Music scene, but the music on this album is overtly contemplative and surprisingly melodic, bordering on contemporary Classical chamber music, with some Jazz and Rock influences. The pieces develop slowly and gradually increase the intensity and tempo, moving towards a climax and then stop abruptly. There is a lot of trancelike repetition and ambient mood, and the overall effort is more about atmosphere than actual content. It is difficult to separate the pre-composed and the improvised parts, but there is not much individual soloing and most of the time the quartet plays in unison and perfect harmony, rather than freely improvising. There are some obvious conceptual similarities between this music and the music of the RdzaFind albums by this artist ensemble, which also includes Dickaty and Mokrzewski. Although instrumentally Rdza is a big ensemble and LSG is a quartet, the approach is quite related and they both represent a relatively new stream in Polish Jazz, which combines ambient / trance experiments with Jazz tradition. Overall this is definitely an interesting listening experience, which requires patience and piece of mind to get into, but is eventually very rewarding. There is not that much happening within the music, but the mood and ambience are tantalizing and keep the listener mesmerized for the entire duration. Warmly recommended and surely worth checking out!

Updated: 14/08/2020Posted: 14/08/2020

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend