Record Reviews

ARTRA ~ KRONIKI MIEJSKIE STUDIO METROPOLIS 002 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz trio ArtraFind albums by this artist which comprises of trumpeter / clarinetist Witold PopielFind albums by this artist, percussionist Leszek GapskiFind albums by this artist and vocalist Joanna SwirskaFind albums by this artist. The music, recorded live, is a continuous improvised piece later divided into six tracks, with the vocal parts overdubbed later on in the studio. No compositional credits are stated on the album´s artwork (created by Popiel, who is also a renowned graphic Artist and painter) and therefore are assumed to belong to the musicians involved. Popiel´s involvement with the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz goes back to 1972, when he was active with the legendary ensemble Grupa W SkladzieFind albums by this artist (with Milo KurtisFind albums by this artist, Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist and others) and in 1973 he formed Artra with Gapski, which was re-activated over forty years later, leading to the recording of this album. The music presents two distinct layers: the improvised conversation between Popiel and Gapski, and the overdubbed vocals, which come from the Polish folklore tradition, both musically and stylistically. The amalgam of these two layers creates a new musical landscape, which intends to reflect the City Chronicles ("Kroniki Miejskie" in Polish) of the Warsaw urban space. The overall effect of the music is very powerful and striking, full of emotions and intricate exchanges, enhanced by electronics and sound effects and elevated to a higher level with the vocal parts. The album proves that Avant-Garde Jazz is still alive and kicking in Poland, although mostly hidden from the public eyes. It is quite different from the Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene, which is pretty strong in Poland since the turn of the Millennium, as it moves beyond purely musical concepts into interaction with other Art Forms, philosophy and social awareness, as it always did, since it was initiated by the Hippie generation in the early 1970s. The album offers a generous dose of deep musical experiences, virtuosic performances and bold Artistic statements, which hit the listener right between his ears. Not for everybody, but open-minded listeners should have a field day with this music, which deserves repeated listening sessions. Thank God that music like this is still being made today!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 15/09/2018

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EWA LIEBCHEN ~ ELECTRIC SHEEP BOLT 1050 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Classical Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album by Polish flautist Ewa LiebchenFind albums by this artist and her first solo recording. The album presents six compositions. The first two compositions were written specifically for Liebchen in 2017 by two well known contemporary Polish composers, Slawomir KupczakFind albums by this artist and Artur ZagajewskiFind albums by this artist respectively. The third composition is by the celebrated Austrian composer Bernhard LangFind albums by this artist. The fourth composition is by Ralf HutterFind albums by this artist and Florian SchneiderFind albums by this artist, the founding members of the legendary German group KraftwerkFind albums by this artist, which was arranged by percussionist Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist, who also plays on it and the previous piece. The fifth composition is by the Hungarian composer Laszlo SaryFind albums by this artist and features also the soprano singer Joanna FreszelFind albums by this artist. The sixth and last composition is by Lithuanian composer Rytis MazulisFind albums by this artist. The music is an eclectic orgy of European contemporary Avant-Garde minimalism, which opens a window into a world of mostly completely unknown music, which is sadly privy only to tiny Cultural elite. As the album´s title hints, the music examines the human / machine relationships, this time in the music making context, i.e. machines (mechanical or electronic) performing music in a humanoid form or humans imitating machines while performing music. Of course these themes have been already explored and experimented with during the Industrial Music period in Rock history, which makes the Kraftwerk reference self-explanatory, but while Rock Music almost completely lost interest in this sub-genre by the end of the 20th Century, the contemporary Avant-Garde Classical composers still find Musique Mechanique and related fields fascinating. But of course the essence of this album, beyond the musical directives, is the phenomenal virtuosic performance by Liebchen, who seems to be a true sound conjurer. She makes the magic flute (pun intended) soar gently in the wind, howl and scream, pound like a hammer and caress like a feather, sometimes all of the above at once. With the use of looping and pre-recorded synthesized sounds the delicate flute may sound like a giant factory hall or like a tiny child´s toy. She is obviously living the music with her entire entity and takes no prisoners. As the result the music is fascinating and completely absorbing, regardless of the diverse moods and ambiences, which flow quite naturally from one piece to another. Only when the music is over, the listener is faced by the sheer potency and penetrating sound imagery left behind and now emphasized by the silence. Liebchen is amicably and ably supported by Zemler, who is one of the most prolific, versatile and interesting musicians on the Polish interdisciplinary Avant-Garde scene. Freszel´s vocal acrobatics are also a hair-rising experience adding another layer to this incredible music. The album works wonderfully in every aspect of its multilayered unity: the selection of the pieces, the sequencing, which tells a story in itself, the performances of course and even the elegant artwork, created by the wonderful Witold PopielFind albums by this artist, who is guilty of introducing me to this music and who wisely guessed that I´d probably love this music, when we met a few months ago. Thank you my friend for the gift of music and trust. Overall this is one amazing piece of Artistry of the highest dimension, enslaving in its might and filling one´s life batteries with hope that not everything is lost and creativity, although mostly in deep underground, is still around. For intelligent and emotional music connoisseurs, who are able to open their minds and hearts to a new kind of musical experience, this music is like ambrosia for the mortals. Even people, who are complete strangers to contemporary Avant-Garde / Classical music, are able to enjoy this music in full, should they choose to accept it (again pun intended). Get a copy ASAP, oh come all ye faithful!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 30/10/2018

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EWA LIEBCHEN ~ GOODNIGHT MR. GORECKI BOLT 1705 (Barcode: 5902547017051) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish flautist Ewa LiebchenFind albums by this artist accompanied by pianist Emilia Karolina SitarzFind albums by this artist, soprano singer Barbara Kinga MajewskaFind albums by this artist and percussionist Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, most of the music was composed by the great Polish Classical Composer Henryk GoreckiFind albums by this artist, including three of his pieces focusing on flute, and one piece composed by Zemler. The opening track (“Valentine Piece” from 1996) is a solo flute miniature originally composed as a gift to famous American flautist Carol VincencFind albums by this artist, who commissioned Gorecki’s most famous flute piece (“Concerto-Cantata” from 1992). The second track (“For You, Anne-Lill” from 1986) is a duet for flute and piano composed with the Norwegian flautist Anne-Lill ReeFind albums by this artist in mind, whom Gorecki met a couple of years earlier. This composition started Gorecki’s love affair with the flute, which blossomed in the 1990s. The next three tracks (“Good Night” from 1990) is a tripartite mourning meditation for flute, piano, soprano voice and percussion composed in memory of the British Arts Administrator Michael VynerFind albums by this artist. The last track (“Good Luck” from 2020) was composed by the prolific contemporary Polish percussionist / composer Hubert Zemler, featuring the same instrumentation as “Good Night” and based on its atmosphere and musical direction. Although originally intended as an improvised piece, to be performed at the concert promoting this album, which of course was eventually cancelled due to the pandemic, it was decided to write the music down for the studio recording. The music is of course absolutely marvelous from start to finish, with the delicate flute in the centerpiece of the minimalist atmosphere, with the notes floating delicately like autumn leaves. Deeply melancholic, often heartwrenching and always deeply moving, the music is totally fascinating and its sparingness only amplifies the overall effect. Zemler’s composition fits the rest of the material just perfectly and I can only congratulate Ewa on her decision to include it on this album. The performances are all superb, featuring the virtuosic flute parts by Liebchen impeccably supported by the rest of the team. In such intense playing and almost naked environment every little nuance matters of course and the splendid sound quality lets the listeners hear absolutely everything in perfectly audible form and shape. The album’s cover art features the work of the great Witold PopielFind albums by this artist, which as usual suits perfectly the spirit of this entire project. Overall this is a wonderful album, full of beautiful and deeply moving music, superbly performed by first class musicians, emphasizing the best in contemporary Polish / European music aesthetics and dedication to Art. The unusual concept and the mind-expanding subject matter makes it a true feast to the ears as much as to the mind and soul. Thank you, My Lady, for undertaking this challenging task and providing us with another glance at your amazing abilities as an Artist!

Updated: 30/01/2021Posted: 30/01/2021

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