Wojtek Fedkowicz Noise Trio - Post Digital Dreamers (2013)

Wojtek Fedkowicz Noise Trio

Dominik Wania - keyboards, electronics
Jacek Fedkowicz - bass, electronics
Wojtek Fedkowicz - drums, electronics

Post Digital Dreamers 

Text by Dirk Blasejezak

To understand “Post-Digital Dreamers” one has probably to know the history of Wojtek Fedkowicz’ Noise Trio. It all started as a proof-of-concept project to show the influences of Drum & Bass on playing styles on the drums which lead to a longer collaboration in this band. This is important as there are lots of influences to hear on this album - and not only on the drums.

The trio manages to make a groove of most uneven bars like 11/8. I really like that, but I had in some breaks to stick with Saul Williams’ advise: “If you must count to keep the beat then count.” [from “Coded language”.] Those difficult bars are one of the ideas behind D&B and Wojtek and Jacek Fedkowicz (who are responsible for drums and basses) transport this perfectly on the album.

Dominik Wania on the keys is probably best known of the three from his works with Piotr Baron, Jacek Kochan, and Maciej Obara to mention just a few. What’s interesting here is, that there aren’t too many melodies he can use as a framework for his play - another drum & bass influence - so he is not that omnipresent he would be as the only lead instrument in a normal piano trio. This doesn’t mean that he (or the others) are not playing well - you just have to keep in mind what the band was about in the first place.

There is of course more to this record and from the line-up one can see, that all three are extensively using electronics. There’s no problem with that - quite the contrary - they’re just great. But I have to admit that I didn’t like this record very much in the first place, despite the technical perfection - or maybe because of it. I for one like it a bit less clean but that’s just preferential. Still that almost made me miss "Polskie Drogi 2.0", a wonderful composition and my favorite song on this album that’s unfortunately almost at the end of the record (you find a live recording of this song below). If you just like me have some problems with the crispy or digital sound I suggest you start with that video to get an impression of the playfulness of the band.