Dąbrowski/Buhl/Dziubek - Spada Liść Niby Nic (Tribute To Toshi Tsuchitori) (2020)

Dąbrowski/Buhl/Dziubek

Radek Dziubek - electronics, field recordings
Piotr Dąbrowski - drums, percussion, voice, field recordings
Jacek Buhl - drums, percussion

Spada Liść Niby Nic (Tribute To Toshi Tsuchitori)

MZM-12

By Jędrzej Janicki

Spotkało się ich trzech. Piotr Dąbrowski, Jacek Buhl i Radek Dziubek. Dwóch pierwszych okiełznało dźwięki perkusyjne, a trzeci dodał do tego elementy elektroniczne. Przede wszystkim stworzyli oni jednak przestrzeń nieoczywistą, dla której każde pojedyncze nawet uderzenie jest tak istotne. W taki właśnie sposób skonstruowana jest płyta "Spada Liść, Niby Nic" zarejestrowana pod koniec 2019 roku w bydgoskim klubie Mózg.

Wydawnictwo jest zagadką, natomiast panowie wskazali nam dwa tropy, którymi podążać możemy, by ich muzyczny zamysł spróbować zrozumieć. Jak sami wskazują, zarejestrowany przez nich materiał stanowić ma hołd złożony Toshiemu Tsuchitoriemu, japońskiemu perkusiście eksplorującemu najodleglejsze dźwiękowe zakamarki. Również sam tytuł albumu nie jest przypadkowy. Spada liść i rzeczywiście pozornie nic się nie dzieje… Jakaś zmiana jednak zachodzi, być może dla nas niezauważalna. Co więcej, taki spadający liść również minimalny dźwięk generuje. Jakkolwiek nie naprężylibyśmy swoich władz odbiorczych, to i tak go jednak nie usłyszymy. I właśnie z tym Dąbrowski/Buhl/Dziubek zdają się polemizować. 

"Słuchajcie, a znajdziecie" - w taki kuszący sposób zdaje się do nas szeptać każda z kompozycji z płyty. Tylko w stanie pełnego skupienia jesteśmy w stanie „złapać flow” poszczególnych utworów. To trochę jak przyspieszony kurs estetycznej uważności, w której pojedynczy dźwięk wpływa na całość, a całość na pojedynczy dźwięk. Przestrzeń, w którą trio nas przenosi bez wątpienia jest dźwiękowa, lecz być może nie jest nawet muzyczna. Na pewno jednak jest na tyle realna, że jesteśmy w stanie jej doświadczyć. Muzyka z opisywanej płyty ma jednak charakter narracyjny - poszczególne struktury wzajemnie się przeplatają i dla swojego wybrzmienia potrzebują aktywności odbiorcy. Koniec końców, to właśnie na nim spoczywa ciężar tego, co w nich usłyszy. Muzycy stawiają przed nami nie lada wyzwanie, "tyle od nas" - zdają się mówić, "teraz wasza kolej". To właśnie odbiorca kształtuje ostateczny wydźwięk całej płyty.

"Spada Liść, Niby Nic" to o wiele więcej niż eksperyment formalny. To "dźwiękowy pejzaż", którego oddziaływanie daleko wykracza poza zwyczajowe postrzeganie muzyki. Temu zespołowi na pewno nie można odmówić inwencji i artystycznej odwagi. A ponoć właśnie do takich osób świat należy. No, nie wiem czy cały świat, lecz ten album to naprawdę wyjątkowo intrygująca pozycja polskiej sceny muzyki eksperymentalnej. 

Innercity Ensemble - IV (2019)

Innercity Ensemble

Jakub Ziołek - guitars, synth, piano, voice, beat programming
Artur Maćkowiak - guitars, synth
Wojciech Jachna - trumpet, electric organ
Rafał Iwański - darabukka, gongs, granite blocks, percussion
Radek Dziubek - electronics, bells, percussion

Rafał Kołacki - congas, bells, rattles, sampling pad, drums
Tomasz Popowski - drums, percussion, synth, beat programming
Jaśmina Polak - voice, electronics

IV

INSTANT CLASSIC 080

By Piotr Wojdat

Na potrzeby recenzji najnowszej płyty kolektywu Innercity Ensemble przygotowałem sobie listę skojarzeń, które wywołuje u mnie muzyka zespołu. Prawdopodobnie uległem w ten sposób zwyczajom panującym w rzeczywistości wirtualnej, a szczególnie w mediach społecznościowych, gdzie wszystko trzeba otagować wzdłuż i wszerz, a nawet w poprzek. Z tej chmury tagów, czy jak kto woli, skojarzeń muzycznych, wyszło mi, że Innercity Ensemble jest jednym z tych zespołów, które mogą się pochwalić naprawdę szeroką rozpiętością inspiracji. Na każdym z dotychczasowych wydawnictw kładli nacisk na inną formę ekspresji, a jednocześnie zachowywali swój charakterystyczny styl i brzmienie.

Podobnie jest i tym razem. Przy okazji panowie chyba już na dobre zadomowili się ze swoimi projektami (Kapital, Alameda i właśnie Innercity Ensemble) w krakowskiej wytwórni Instant Classic. Na "IV" wciąż podążają wytyczoną przez siebie drogą, a z listy skojarzeń, o której wspomniałem we wstępie, wyszło mi, że Innercity tym razem najchętniej sięgają po inspiracje progresywną elektroniką i tzw. szkołą berlińską spod znaku Klausa Schulze’a, Tangerine Dream czy Manuela Göttschinga.

"IV" jest najbardziej elektronicznym spośród dotychczasowych albumów zespołu, co przejawia się w tym, że często na pierwszy plan wysuwane są syntezatory oraz ambientowe pasaże. W muzyce jest też dużo swobody, ciekawych motywów melodycznych i wokali Kuby Ziołka. W "The Great Kuyavian Meadows" gościnnie śpiewa też Jaśmina Polak. Pojawiające się na płycie wokalizy sprawiają, że jest to chyba najbardziej przystępne wydawnictwo supergrupy. Z drugiej strony twierdzenie, że jest ono piosenkowe, byłoby jednak dużą przesadą.

Słuchacze jazzu zwrócą rzecz jasna uwagę na czyste i klarowne brzmienie trąbki Wojciecha Jachny, a zwolennicy przetworzonych i uwspółcześnionych afrykańskich rytmów też nie powinni narzekać. Zdecydowanie mniej tu jednak gitarowej psychodelii i jazzowej improwizacji. Nie wpływa to jednak znacząco na odbiór muzyki. Innercity Ensemble mogą pochwalić się kolejnym udanym albumem, ale moim ulubionym w ich dorobku wciąż pozostaje "II". 

Innercity Ensemble – III (2016)

Innercity Ensemble

Wojciech Jachna – trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, effects
Jakub Ziołek – baritone & electric guitars, electronics, mini clarinet, poetry
Artur Maćkowiak – electric guitar, synthesizer, effects
Radek Dziubek – electronics, percussion, bells, melodica
Rafał Iwański – granite blocks, darabukkas, gongs, bells, rattles, zummara
Rafał Kołacki – congas, mridangam, bells, rattles, darabukka, flute, horn, pipes
Tomek Popowski – drums, percussion, bells

III

INSTANT CLASSIC 047

By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by Polish Improvised Music group Innercity Ensemble, which consists of trumpeter Wojciech Jachna, guitarists Jakub Ziołek and Artur Maćkowiak, drummer Tomasz Popowski, percussionists Rafał Iwański, Rafał Kołacki and Radek Dziubek, who is in charge of electronics. In fact all the members play a plethora of different, mostly percussive, instruments on this album, which is characterized by this powerful percussive sound. Together they perform seven original compositions, which are not credited on the album's packaging and therefore are assumed to be co-composed/improvised by all seven members of the band.

For improvised music this album is remarkably well organized, with clear melodic themes and steady, although polyrhythmic intense percussive background. The music is beyond simple classification, as it mixes many diverse genres, like Jazz, Ethno, Jungle, Ambient and many other flavors, but the important thing is of course that the result sounds beautifully coherent and highly fascinating. The music creates a trance-like atmosphere, which absorbs the listener completely, taking him away from reality into an imaginary world of its own.

Jachna plays most of the solo parts and his heartwrenching performances are the absolute centerpiece of this album. In the course of just a few years Jachna established his position as one of the most creative Polish trumpeters on a scene exploding with talent and fiercely competitive. Music connoisseurs with a developed imagination could envisage this music as "Miles Davis in a jungle".

But of course the rest of the band also contributes beautiful sound vistas and percussive backgrounds, which are rich in textures and intricate details. Although there is a certain element of repetition, the mantra-like parts are never long enough to become boring and are always ornamented by a multitude if minimalistic musical gems. Overall this is a beautiful and fascinating piece music, which explores and probes uncharted territory, as music always should. This is definitely something ambitious music livers should enjoy immensely and as such is wholeheartedly recommended!

Innercity Ensemble – II (2014)

Innercity Ensemble - II (2014)

Radek Dziubek - electronics, bells, pads, tom toms
Rafał Iwański - gongs, cymbals, bells, rattles, granite blocks, darabukka, pipes
Wojtek Jachna - trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, effects
Rafał Kołacki - gongs, bells, rattles, darabukka, flute, horn, pipes
Artur Maćkowiak - electric guitar, synthesizer, effects
Tomek Popowski - drums, percussion, bells, darabukka
Kuba Ziołek - electric guitar, bass guitar, voice, samples, effects
Witold Bargiel - gongs, percussion

By Richard Allen

Innercity Ensemble‘s "II" is a study in black and white, but in these improvisations the colors are not always what one might expect. Each entry comes across as a riff on a theme. The contrast yields to synthesis, much in the same way as a yin-yang symbol swirls opposing forces until they seem complimentary. White is all colors together in light. White symbolizes purity, faith, redemption, transformation. The white dove, the white horse, the stars and the moon: all as white as a bride’s dress. But white can also connote blindness (white-out conditions), surrender (the white flag) and death (the pale rider).

Innercity Ensemble’s lovely video for “White 1″ (seen below) grows out of light and develops into a meditation on color. Light and shade shift and mutate, focus and blur, like a stained glass forest. A bird cries among the trees; ritual chimes are struck. A lonely saxophone attempts to cut the fog; faces appear in the leaves. Ironically, the viewer begins to appreciate the black of outline: rose, stem, vein. The music exists in controlled chaos, waiting to burst forth. At the end, the instruments are drowned in a low drone, only to re-emerge from ripples on the subsequent track.

The White disc is the more active of the two discs, with wild percussion and unbridled horns. “White 2″ is alive with synth squall and Morricone guitar, while “White 3″ jumps head-first into melody and crunch. Each of the performers is given space to explore, the result of mutual respect between the participants. Innercity Ensemble is in fact billed as an “improvisational Polish supergroup”, and includes members of Stara Rzeka, HATI, Contemporary Jazz Quintet and Dwutysięczny. We would expect no less than total devotion. But to call this music jazz would be to short-change it; II is just as much post-rock or freeform rock improvisation, in its best moments creating a wall of sound akin to the extended live sets of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. As the songs grow longer, so do the ethnic and trancelike elements; “White 4″ sounds more like a Turkish bazaar than a Polish nightclub.

The choice to begin with white is noteworthy because it represents creation from chaos, the stars in the night sky, the ink on the page. As the band turns to black on the transition piece “White 5″, the sound grows measured and introspective. At first, this results in an energy dip, but after a few minutes the contrast seems wise. Traditionally, black has been associated with darkness, death and depression, as well as with evil and sin. But it is also the color of repentance (priests’ robes) germination (the dark night of the soul) and the afterlife (Anubis). In clothing, black is slimming; in painting, black is strong. For an extensive study of the color black in art, we recommend John Harvey’s excellent 2013 study, The Story of Black. 

The black disc takes up where the white disc left off: quiet, pensive, moody. A single strike of a bell sounds like a call to prayer. The early black tracks sound like night, mysterious and inviting, alluring yet not dangerous. Wordless chants inhabit the back end of “Black 1″ like the introits of a choir. As the disc continues, it grows progressively more percussive, transforming the venue from smoky back room to crowded dance floor. This brings up one of the most intriguing associations of black as it pertains to darkness and inhibition; while people do dance in the light, they are more accustomed to doing so in the dark. And while one might pin associations of drunkenness and depravity on such proceedings, none of those are present here: instead, this is the revelry of friendship, the promise of romance, and the healthy imbibing that allows one to be one’s self. This impression is modeled first by the musicians, whose individual natures are celebrated throughout the recording. By the end, there is no more black and white, but nor is there grey; instead, there is (watch the hyphens) black-and-white, a single entity that protects individuality while cherishing the whole.

Dwutysięczny - Jedwabnik (2013 ) ***1/2

Dwutysięczny

Jerzy Mazzoll
Błażej Król
Radek Dziubek
Wojciech Kucharczyk

Jedwabnik (2013)





By Jakub Adamek

The Polish label Sangoplasmo Records have already made a name for themselves and achieved a semi-legendary status in the cassette underground for releasing cassettes from both newcomers and experienced players, challenging the listeners to take up new sonic adventures. And Dwutysięczny (that’s how we Polish folk say the date "2000") project collects some of the finest names in the experimental underground, becoming a "supergroup" of sorts. First, there’s Jerzy Mazzoll, one of the founders of the legendary Polish avant-garde jazz group Miłość (Polish for "Love"), who spearheaded the movement later known as "yass". Another member is Błażej Król, first playing in Polish indie rock band Kawałek Kulki, later going more experimental with his project UL/KR. There’s also Radek Dziubek, one of the members of the stellar psychedelic group Innercity Ensemble. Last, but not least there’s Wojciech Kucharczyk in the group, a jack of all trades who has dabbled in probably every possible form of art known to man, including music, of course. Each and every member of the group has made a name for themselves over years with different musical visions and ideas. But how do they sound together?

The opening chord of lenghtily titled opener "W miarę jak wędrujesz podnóżem góry, tajemnica się pogłębia" (“As you walk along the foot of the mountain, the mystery deepens”) is delicate, almost fragile, yet it feels incredibly powerful, like the Genesis itself. The air trembles with mystery and anticipation before the bassy drone kicks in which seems not to solve the mystery, but further deepen it (akin to the title). In fact, the whole album plays like a jazz record hidden deep beneath under layers upon layers of embalming drone and heavy ambience, where the instrumental improvisations are obscured by heavy atmosphere enhanced with unsettling and strange titles, like "Ten, który kroi jeziora" ("The one who carves the lakes") or "Śmierć pierworodnego" ("Death of the first-born"). There’s an occasional beat added to the all-enveloping drones, as if to give some blurry sense of direction, like the glitchy Fennesz-like beat in "Złamany, lecz niezłomny" or the nearly ambient tehchno beat in the closing "Sadachbia", which cuts the metallic drone into small pieces.

Despite being a one-time musical project (unfortunately), Jedwabnik is a hugely rewarding and mysterious listen, difficult and adventurous. It jumps into some dark moods before showing the light to the listener. It’s also the proof that the Polish musical underground is bulging with ideas and sometimes what is needed is just a spark to ignite the action at the forefront of experimental music.

Innercity Ensemble - Katahdin (2012)

Innercity Ensemble

personnel:

Radek Dziubek - laptop, pady
Rafał Iwański - gongs, percussion
Wojtek Jachna - trumpet, flugelhorn
Rafał Kołacki - gongs, percussion
Artur Maćkowiak - guitar, synthesizer
Tomek Popowski - drums, percussion
Kuba Ziołek - guitar, sampler, voice

guests:
Tomek Pawlicki - flute on Ołowiane słońce
Antek Majewski - cello on Niedzieli Życia III

Katahdin (2012)

By Dirk Blasejezak

“This album was recorded in three days during an improvisational meeting in Mózg, Bydgoszcz. The idea was to capture unique sound of seven different personalities merging into one stream of free-flowing peaceful and sincere musical experience. The results of this meeting turned out very fruitful and the listening opportunity that we give to you should be as opening as creating those sounds was for us.”

“Opening” probably is the key word here! This is definitely a hard one for the Jazz Police. Katahdin goes beyond some of the borders of jazz music. Anybody who thinks that it has to swing to be jazz should better keep his hands off this record. Free jazz fans on the other hand will also have problems with this album. The Innercity Ensemble walks here on rarely explored terrain; somewhere on the intersections between some of the most important musical movements of the 20th century. 

Starting into the album my first association was: Is this new music? Are those some jazz musicians playing improvisations on Terry Riley? Because the first thing that hits the ears are patterns - percussive patterns. And it takes a while until you realise that those patterns are here to stay. One half of the band is involved in percussion and it takes the rest of the band some time to get heard. When finally on the second track the horn comes through more clearly to help the listener out every jazz fan should get a grip on this album.

This is also when the second association swept over me: The Panthalassa album with remixes of Miles Davis by Bill Laswell, and the (quieter) music from Miles Davis’ electric phase in general. And this kept coming whenever trumpet and drums are more present although this is in no way comparable with the 60ies or 70ies but truely a work of the 21st century. 

And there’s another influence I’m not exactly sure of (maybe that’s only me); and I had to search a while through my not so often enjoyed music until I found what faintly shines through: at some time after listening twice or three times through the whole album I was reminded of some music I hadn’t put on for more than a decade: consumed by Ritchie Hawtin aka Plastikman. For me that was the missing link - if you can imagine something in-between the patterns of the minimalists, the minimal techno and some dark ambient influences you might get a picture of this recording. This is not any kind of fusion, this is rather an amalgam comprising something new. Something very exciting! 

I’m afraid though that this my also be one of the problems of this album: there is no confined audience for this. It gets even harder when gongs and other percussion in combination with voice and samples create a sound that takes you to places far east. (Although I think that I am mislead as Katahdin is a mountain in Maine, USA, but I have to admit that my knowledge of the Indian traditional music is rather restricted.)

Katahdin indeed is “peaceful and sincere” music by some well known Polish musicians that could already be heard in projects like Hati, Contemporary Noise Sextet, Sing Sing Penelope, and many more. A very fruitful get-together it seems when you think of the two other releases in 2012 (i.e. Odrzutowce and the self titled album presented by Milieu L'Acéphale). What’s even more interesting is, that all three were recorded at the Mozg club in Bydgoszcz in August 2011 - it seems they had a very creative time there. But please do not mix these recordings up with the video of Przesilenie (which is often presented for this project) - on this album you find completely different material. And I do hope that there will be many explorative listeners out there - I would definitely recommend this to anybody, not only jazz lovers. In the end the good thing about music crossing borders is that it’s also capable of uniting listeners from different directions. And Katahdin is definitely able to achieve this!

One example from this album (available as a free download):

Polish-Jazz blog provides media patronage for new album by Innercity Ensemble !!!

Innercity Ensemble (band)

Radek Dziubek - laptop, percussion
Rafał Iwański - gongs, percussion
Wojtek Jachna - trumpet, flugelhorn
Rafał Kołacki - gongs, percussion
Artur Maćkowiak - guitar, synthesizer
Tomek Popowski - drums, percussion
Kuba Ziołek - guitar, sampler

Katahdin (Wet Music Records​/​MA3, 2012)

This album was recorded in three days during an improvisational meeting in Mózg, Bydgoszcz. The idea was to capture unique sound of seven different personalities merging into one stream of free-flowing peaceful and sincere musical experience. The results of this meeting turned out very fruitful and the listening opportunity that we give to you should be as opening as creating those sounds was for us.

Album was recorded by Jarek Hejmann in August of 2011 and mixed by Hejmann and Ziołek. Cover art "Towards Katahdin" by Tom Staley.

Tracklist: 1. Moonrise 2. Czarodziejska góra 3. Ołowiane słońce 4. Storm-Stereo 5. Nauka 29 liter 6. Mecanique Celeste 7. Sin Cara Azul 8. Niedziela życia III

Innercity Ensamble annouces LP to be released soon!!!

This record is an effect of a three-day improvisational session in Mozg club in Bydgoszcz in August 2011. It was recorded by: Radek Dziubek, Rafał Iwański, Wojtek Jachna, Rafał Kołacki, Artur Maćkowiak, Tomek Popowski, Kuba Ziołek. The material was recorded by Jarek Hejmann of Madżonga Studio, and mixed by Jarek and Kuba Ziołek. The album is released by Milieu L'Acéphale. At the same time it is a preview of an LP that is to be released in the fall of 2012.

New Project featuring Wojtek Jachna available to listen for FREE!!!!

This record is an effect of a three-day improvisational session in Mozg club in Bydgoszcz in August 2011. It was recorded by: Radek Dziubek, Rafał Iwański, Wojtek Jachna, Rafał Kołacki, Artur Maćkowiak, Tomek Popowski, Kuba Ziołek. The material was recorded by Jarek Hejmann of Madżonga Studio, and mixed by Jarek and Kuba Ziołek. The album is released by Milieu L'Acéphale. At the same time it is a preview of an LP that is to be released in the fall of 2012. Cover photo made by Danuta Kiewłen.

source: http://innercityensemble.bandcamp.com/