Ślina - 36'28" (2019)

Ślina

Matylda Gerber - alto, tenor & baritone saxophones
Filip Zakrzewski - guitar, synth
Mikołaj Nowicki - double bass, electronics
Stanisław Olek - drums

36'28"



KILOGRAM 038

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Improvised Music quartet Ślina, which comprises of saxophonist Matylda Gerber, guitarist Filip Zakrzewski, bassist Mikołaj Nowicki and drummer Stanisław Olek. The album presents just one extensive improvised piece lasting about thirty six minutes, which was recorded in a cabin in the woods, assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members.

The music is a continuous, meditative, trans-like piece, which starts in a very quiet, intimate level and very slowly increases in intensity, tempo and volume, reaching an emotional climax after about half and hour and then again get less intense until reaching silence.

Electric guitar and energetic drums during the powerful mid section turn this music away from the Jazz oriented initial quiet section, reaching Rock intensity at its apex. This music is stylistically and spiritually quite similar to the experimentations created during the late 1960s by Psychedelic Rock ensembles, which showed parallel impact of Indian and other Far Eastern influences.

The music is undoubtedly very original - at least in today's standards - and offers a fascinating listening experience. For listeners able to embrace the trans-like submission to the sounds the complete effect of the music becomes even more intensive.

Overall this is a very unusual and powerful piece of music that stands in a category of its own on the Polish scene, especially in view of the fact that this music is mostly acoustic as opposed to electronic music excursions of this kind. This album is definitely worth investigating and adding to the music library by open-minded connoisseurs, who are open to discovery of new sonic territories. Well done, and a very impressive debut effort!