Record Reviews

DYMNY / TRILLA ~ CAVE CANEM FMR 399 (Barcode: 642415162685) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is an album by a duo comprising of Polish guitarist Michal DymnyFind albums by this artist and Portuguese / Catalan drummer Vasco TrillaFind albums by this artist. Polish saxophonist Paulina OwczarekFind albums by this artist guests on a couple of tracks. The album presents nine pieces, assumed to be spontaneous improvisations, which are not specifically credited on the album´s artwork. The content of this album is a typical radical Avant-Garde offering, which can only be considered as "music" under the most flexible definition of the term. There is plenty of sound creation and even interplay, but devoid completely of any melodic or harmonic substance this Art Form is accessible to a very narrow audience, and even then mostly live on stage rather than in recorded form. The two tracks with Owczarek participating are strikingly more accessible by the way. But searching and exploring is an essential part of the artistic process and has its place among the many Improvised Music / ambient recordings, even if it is able to reach a limited audience. The fact that the musicians / performers are able to cooperate and communicate within this sonic environment is already a proof that such experimentation has its justification. The question of course is if this music is able to make listeners place this album in the player more than once? I am not qualified to judge it beyond my personal universe, but I rather doubt it. Nevertheless the fact that this music was recorded and released is a statement, which left a mark on the overall artistic fabric of our common universe, and is already fully valid as such. In order to be alive, music has to have its Avant-Garde, as much as it needs its mainstream. Therefore these efforts, which might seem extreme and narcissistic at one point of time, might prove to be prophetic some time in the future. Who can tell?

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 26/07/2017

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NUCLEON ~ GALOFALOT NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Polish Avant-Garde Jazz group NucleonFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Aleksander PapierzFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal DymnyFind albums by this artist, electronics man Tomasz GlucFind albums by this artist and drummer Jakub RutkowskiFind albums by this artist. Two guest musicians: trombonist Bronislaw DuzyFind albums by this artist and Marcin GagolaFind albums by this artist who uses FX (whatever special effects that means) also make an appearance. Their music is an amalgam of Jazz, Improvised Music, Rock, Ambient and Electronics, which somehow manages to sound sane and even make perfect sense. The album includes ten original compositions, which are mostly credited to the entire ensemble. Although the music is obviously rather free and spontaneous, there is enough melodic content and rhythmic sanity, which make it fairly effortless to listen to, albeit perhaps not by less experienced music connoisseurs. This kind of musical creation is all about group improvisation and close cooperation between the musicians, which are splendidly achieved herein. As a result there are a few solos per se and most of the music is worked out between the collective performances. And yet there is melody, stated mostly by the saxophone, harmony and clear rhythmic patterns, which are easy to follow. Paradoxically this truly "strange" music is simply "nice" and pleasant. Nucleon is just one of many superb Improvised Music / Avant-Garde ensembles active currently in Poland, and they certainly represent the renaissance of musical inventiveness, similar to what happened (on a different musical plane) to the early Polish Jazz after WWII. This phenomenon is heartwarming, especially at a time when Culture and Art are on the defense and retreat most of the time. This album requires several listening sessions in order to really get into it, but it only gets better each time it´s played, so the process is really a pleasant experience. I had tremendous fun getting to know this album and enjoyed every minute of it. This is "weird" music in the best meaning of the term and wholeheartedly recommended to every serious music lover. Brace yourself for a ride!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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