1
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 1
2
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 2
3
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 3
4
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 4
5
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 5
6
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 6
It would appear that Polish jazz is a well-known subject through and through. Dozens of outstanding albums, biographies of the masters,
hundreds of journal articles. As it turns out, it is still possible to find music that has been waiting for years to be discovered. On the 80th
birthday of Tomasz Stañko, Astigmatic Records presents the first part of Wooden Music, a conceptual project created by the maestro
and his legendary quintet, which has been stored in the archives of Radio Bremen for 50 years.
Tomasz Stañko was an exceptional Polish jazz trumpeter. He passed away in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of numerous releases,
soundtracks, concert recordings and wild stories involving him. Before rising to the top, he honed his craft alongside Krzysztof Komeda
and Andrzej Trzaskowski. In the mid-1960s, he appeared on Astigmatic and Polish Jazz Vol. 4 – the albums that were a creative
manifesto for Polish jazz of those years. However, all this time he was constantly thinking about starting his own band.
In 1968 he completed the line-up – Janusz Stefañski on drums, Bronis³aw Suchanek on double bass, Janusz Muniak on tenor
saxophone and Zbigniew Seifert on alto saxophone, which he soon replaced with the violin. Stañko classified the quintet's output into
three periods. The first, composed, is associated with Music for K, Stañko's publishing debut as a leader, which became a permanent
entry in the canon of Polish jazz records. The second period is wooden music – it's the free jazz period, the least known in the quintet's
history despite the fact that it spanned more than three years. The third and final period is linked to the release of the band's final album,
the cult Purple Sun. However, the entire period between Music for K and Purple Sun is shrouded in mystery, as the band was mainly in
Western Europe at the time. In the early 1970s, all the musicians take one-year visas. In between tours they live in Germany: first in a
hippie commune in Wurtzburg, then in Darmstadt. They play in clubs on a day by day basis. The quintet is said to be distinguished from
other bands by their ability to completely "burn" in the fire of improvisation. They lead their lives as a single organism, touring without
wives or girlfriends. The compositions are blurred, the fascination with free music prevails. Short pieces and motives are the starting point
for further performance. The ensemble does not plan, they just play. On 28 May 1972 they play at the Iserlohn jazz festival. JG Records
would release this performance as Jazzmessage from Poland. The very music recorded there represents what the quintet called Wooden
Music.
The foundation of wooden music is the sound of the double bass and the violin, but it soon becomes apparent that all instruments except
for Tomasz Stañko's trumpet are wooden. A string orchestra is born, over which the metal trumpet can weave all sorts of hues
accompanied by the saxophone. What fascinates the quintet in wooden music is the melody, rhythm and timbre - where these are usually
just an element, they fill the entire piece in their case. Bronis³aw Suchanek, the last living member of the quintet, recalls:
"Wooden music is all about total improvisation. We used to arrive at a gig, start playing without really knowing where we were heading.
The only thing that guided us was the common and mental compatibility, understanding, friendship and respect along this musical journey.
Music was the first most important element to attribute to – it was free jazz in its purest form. If there are any moments that seem
orchestrated it is because we played together for several years, evening after evening, going from club to club. We knew each other
better than our parents knew us, we had total trust in each other – that's what made this music exist in the way it did."
A1 - Piece 1
A2 - Piece 2
A3 - Piece 3
A4 - Piece 4
B1 - Piece 5
B2 - Piece 6
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
hundreds of journal articles. As it turns out, it is still possible to find music that has been waiting for years to be discovered. On the 80th
birthday of Tomasz Stañko, Astigmatic Records presents the first part of Wooden Music, a conceptual project created by the maestro
and his legendary quintet, which has been stored in the archives of Radio Bremen for 50 years.
Tomasz Stañko was an exceptional Polish jazz trumpeter. He passed away in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of numerous releases,
soundtracks, concert recordings and wild stories involving him. Before rising to the top, he honed his craft alongside Krzysztof Komeda
and Andrzej Trzaskowski. In the mid-1960s, he appeared on Astigmatic and Polish Jazz Vol. 4 – the albums that were a creative
manifesto for Polish jazz of those years. However, all this time he was constantly thinking about starting his own band.
In 1968 he completed the line-up – Janusz Stefañski on drums, Bronis³aw Suchanek on double bass, Janusz Muniak on tenor
saxophone and Zbigniew Seifert on alto saxophone, which he soon replaced with the violin. Stañko classified the quintet's output into
three periods. The first, composed, is associated with Music for K, Stañko's publishing debut as a leader, which became a permanent
entry in the canon of Polish jazz records. The second period is wooden music – it's the free jazz period, the least known in the quintet's
history despite the fact that it spanned more than three years. The third and final period is linked to the release of the band's final album,
the cult Purple Sun. However, the entire period between Music for K and Purple Sun is shrouded in mystery, as the band was mainly in
Western Europe at the time. In the early 1970s, all the musicians take one-year visas. In between tours they live in Germany: first in a
hippie commune in Wurtzburg, then in Darmstadt. They play in clubs on a day by day basis. The quintet is said to be distinguished from
other bands by their ability to completely "burn" in the fire of improvisation. They lead their lives as a single organism, touring without
wives or girlfriends. The compositions are blurred, the fascination with free music prevails. Short pieces and motives are the starting point
for further performance. The ensemble does not plan, they just play. On 28 May 1972 they play at the Iserlohn jazz festival. JG Records
would release this performance as Jazzmessage from Poland. The very music recorded there represents what the quintet called Wooden
Music.
The foundation of wooden music is the sound of the double bass and the violin, but it soon becomes apparent that all instruments except
for Tomasz Stañko's trumpet are wooden. A string orchestra is born, over which the metal trumpet can weave all sorts of hues
accompanied by the saxophone. What fascinates the quintet in wooden music is the melody, rhythm and timbre - where these are usually
just an element, they fill the entire piece in their case. Bronis³aw Suchanek, the last living member of the quintet, recalls:
"Wooden music is all about total improvisation. We used to arrive at a gig, start playing without really knowing where we were heading.
The only thing that guided us was the common and mental compatibility, understanding, friendship and respect along this musical journey.
Music was the first most important element to attribute to – it was free jazz in its purest form. If there are any moments that seem
orchestrated it is because we played together for several years, evening after evening, going from club to club. We knew each other
better than our parents knew us, we had total trust in each other – that's what made this music exist in the way it did."
A1 - Piece 1
A2 - Piece 2
A3 - Piece 3
A4 - Piece 4
B1 - Piece 5
B2 - Piece 6
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
More records from Tomasz Stañko Quintet
1
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - Calme
2
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - 6 & 8 I
3
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - 6 & 8 II
4
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - Flute's Ballad
The discovery of Tomasz Stañko's archive recordings from 50 years ago at Radio Bremen demonstrated the dynamic development of
this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album
turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the
outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden
Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.
It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stañko, as its leader, recorded Music for K,
one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so
the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stañko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote
down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronis³aw Suchanek, the quintet's bass player:
We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a
different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to
be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere
existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes
compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stañko wrote at the time.
Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with
compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band
plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden
Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed
pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an
iconic piece in Tomasz Stañko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When
the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step
off the stage. They are invincible. Tomasz Stañko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time.
The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to
a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish
jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took
many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking
links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra
wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a
musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the
case of the second installment of wooden music.
Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a
small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound
on the album even more.
A1 - Calme
A2 - 6 & 8 I
B1 - 6 & 8 II
B2 - Flute's Ballad
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album
turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the
outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden
Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.
It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stañko, as its leader, recorded Music for K,
one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so
the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stañko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote
down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronis³aw Suchanek, the quintet's bass player:
We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a
different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to
be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere
existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes
compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stañko wrote at the time.
Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with
compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band
plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden
Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed
pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an
iconic piece in Tomasz Stañko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When
the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step
off the stage. They are invincible. Tomasz Stañko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time.
The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to
a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish
jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took
many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking
links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra
wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a
musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the
case of the second installment of wooden music.
Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a
small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound
on the album even more.
A1 - Calme
A2 - 6 & 8 I
B1 - 6 & 8 II
B2 - Flute's Ballad
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
More records from Astigmatic Records
1
Bloto - Lysiczka
2
Bloto - Kozak
3
Bloto - Shiitake
4
Bloto - Boczniak
5
Bloto - Prawdziwek
6
Bloto - Podostroma
7
Bloto - Muchomor
8
Bloto - Szatan
9
Bloto - Zaslonak
Bloto’s bold 2020 debut brought forth three albums in just twelve months. This prolific creative burst, followed by an ongoing tour and involvement in other projects, meant fans had to wait over three years for the next release. During this time, new ideas took shape, and the vision for their fourth LP crystallized. The wait for Bloto's new album is nearly over. As always, autumn signals the arrival of Grzybnia (Mycelium).
The idea for the album had been simmering within the band since the release of Kwasy i zasady and finally took shape in early 2023 at Warsaw's Studio Pasterka, under Piotr Zabrodzki's guidance. It was the group's most fruitful session, resulting in two singles, Szlam / Scieki and Bakteria, as well as material for an EP to be released next year.
The seemingly chemical title of Kwasy i zasady (Acids and Bases) referred to interpersonal relationships, describing traits that prevent harmony and reflecting the polarization of modern societies. The metaphor of Grzybnia (Mycelium) goes further, emphasizing cooperation as a skill that yields diverse results, both good and bad. Above all, it underscores the power of collective action.
In a fragmented, unstable world, mycelium offers a powerful model. It thrives in degraded, lifeless environments created by humans. Cooperation benefits all parties involved, where each contributes something and receives something in return. Mycelium forms a symbiotic relationship with certain tree species through mycorrhiza, where roots and mycelium exchange life-sustaining substances, benefiting both. This cooperation is key to survival and growth.
Like a mushroom that dies, yet whose mycelium endures, Bloto’s music is an organic and evolving force. The band operates much like mycelium itself, drawing on cultural products and transforming them into new forms. The collaboration of Latarnik, Cancer G, Wuja HZG, and OlafSaxx produces surprising combinations, resulting in music that blurs the lines between genres like jazz, house, techno, and improvisation.
A1 - Lysiczka
A2 - Kozak
A3 - Shiitake
A4 - Boczniak
A5 - Prawdziwek
B1 - Podostroma
B2 - Muchomor
B3 - Szatan
B4 - Zaslonak
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
The idea for the album had been simmering within the band since the release of Kwasy i zasady and finally took shape in early 2023 at Warsaw's Studio Pasterka, under Piotr Zabrodzki's guidance. It was the group's most fruitful session, resulting in two singles, Szlam / Scieki and Bakteria, as well as material for an EP to be released next year.
The seemingly chemical title of Kwasy i zasady (Acids and Bases) referred to interpersonal relationships, describing traits that prevent harmony and reflecting the polarization of modern societies. The metaphor of Grzybnia (Mycelium) goes further, emphasizing cooperation as a skill that yields diverse results, both good and bad. Above all, it underscores the power of collective action.
In a fragmented, unstable world, mycelium offers a powerful model. It thrives in degraded, lifeless environments created by humans. Cooperation benefits all parties involved, where each contributes something and receives something in return. Mycelium forms a symbiotic relationship with certain tree species through mycorrhiza, where roots and mycelium exchange life-sustaining substances, benefiting both. This cooperation is key to survival and growth.
Like a mushroom that dies, yet whose mycelium endures, Bloto’s music is an organic and evolving force. The band operates much like mycelium itself, drawing on cultural products and transforming them into new forms. The collaboration of Latarnik, Cancer G, Wuja HZG, and OlafSaxx produces surprising combinations, resulting in music that blurs the lines between genres like jazz, house, techno, and improvisation.
A1 - Lysiczka
A2 - Kozak
A3 - Shiitake
A4 - Boczniak
A5 - Prawdziwek
B1 - Podostroma
B2 - Muchomor
B3 - Szatan
B4 - Zaslonak
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Bloto - Bakteria
2
Bloto - Bloto - Bakteria (DaM-FunK Re-Freak)
The Bloto quartet had made a comeback six months ago with their first singles in over two years dropping “Szlam” and “Scieki”. These tracks were pressed on a 7-inch vinyl by Astigmatic Records, but this only whetted the appetites of the band’s mud-loving fans, as the singles sold out instantly. And so, the band's musical onslaught continues. Ahead of their upcoming LP “Grzybnia” set to release in autumn 2024, Bloto is putting out another bacteria-laden 7-inch to conclude this brief series of singles. This time, the release features a remix by none other than the modern funk maestro DaM-FunK, hailing from sunny Pasadena, California.
Wading through the sludge of sewage, one can encounter colonies of bacteria. They are well-known for their dark side – causing serious diseases. Nevertheless, they are with us all the time. They exist in humans and all other living organisms – fungi, plants, and animals. They can be found in soil and water. They are even present in radioactive areas, proving that they are truly hard to eliminate. Such is the music of Bloto. Like a post-apocalyptic bacterium, it’s capable of surviving in the harshest conditions.
Sinister, biting, and primitive – just like colonies of microorganisms. This is Bloto's latest single. Drawing heavily from classic acid house, it can truly infect the mind, inviting you to join a rave in Bloto on the eastern flank of Europe. Quartet’s “Bakteria” is a direct continuation of their first 7-inch release. However, this time, during their collective improvisation at Studio Pasterka, the band has entirely forsaken acoustic instruments in favor of a full array of synthesizers accompanied by drums.
Certainly, the dichotomous nature of these organisms presents a paradox. While capable of causing harm, without bacteria, life as we know it would cease to exist, and human civilization would not have reached its current state. Bacteria fulfill numerous essential roles. They serve as decomposers, crucial in maintaining biogeochemical cycles, and contribute to processes such as fermentation and decay. As symbiotic organisms living within other organisms, they are vital for functions like digestion. Their versatility extends to diverse applications, from biological wastewater treatment to the production of various food products.
Such are the properties of the beneficial probiotic titled “Bakteria Re-Freak” by DaM-FunK (renowned for his classic albums released on Stones Throw, like “Toeachizown” and “7 Days of Funk” with Snoop Dogg). It offers a 180-degree transformation of the dark atmosphere of the original version. The track evolves towards G-Funk, brimming with sunny synths and a drum machine. It portrays a vision of a biopharmaceutical bacterium lazily roaming the streets of warm yet perilous Los Angeles.
The 7-inch will be released on July 19, 2024, by Astigmatic Records. The vinyl single is limited to 700 copies.
A - Bloto - Bakteria
B - Bloto - Bakteria (DaM-FunK Re-Freak)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Wading through the sludge of sewage, one can encounter colonies of bacteria. They are well-known for their dark side – causing serious diseases. Nevertheless, they are with us all the time. They exist in humans and all other living organisms – fungi, plants, and animals. They can be found in soil and water. They are even present in radioactive areas, proving that they are truly hard to eliminate. Such is the music of Bloto. Like a post-apocalyptic bacterium, it’s capable of surviving in the harshest conditions.
Sinister, biting, and primitive – just like colonies of microorganisms. This is Bloto's latest single. Drawing heavily from classic acid house, it can truly infect the mind, inviting you to join a rave in Bloto on the eastern flank of Europe. Quartet’s “Bakteria” is a direct continuation of their first 7-inch release. However, this time, during their collective improvisation at Studio Pasterka, the band has entirely forsaken acoustic instruments in favor of a full array of synthesizers accompanied by drums.
Certainly, the dichotomous nature of these organisms presents a paradox. While capable of causing harm, without bacteria, life as we know it would cease to exist, and human civilization would not have reached its current state. Bacteria fulfill numerous essential roles. They serve as decomposers, crucial in maintaining biogeochemical cycles, and contribute to processes such as fermentation and decay. As symbiotic organisms living within other organisms, they are vital for functions like digestion. Their versatility extends to diverse applications, from biological wastewater treatment to the production of various food products.
Such are the properties of the beneficial probiotic titled “Bakteria Re-Freak” by DaM-FunK (renowned for his classic albums released on Stones Throw, like “Toeachizown” and “7 Days of Funk” with Snoop Dogg). It offers a 180-degree transformation of the dark atmosphere of the original version. The track evolves towards G-Funk, brimming with sunny synths and a drum machine. It portrays a vision of a biopharmaceutical bacterium lazily roaming the streets of warm yet perilous Los Angeles.
The 7-inch will be released on July 19, 2024, by Astigmatic Records. The vinyl single is limited to 700 copies.
A - Bloto - Bakteria
B - Bloto - Bakteria (DaM-FunK Re-Freak)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
EABS - Boratka
2
EABS - Flute's Ballad
3
EABS - My Night, My Day
4
EABS - Flair
5
EABS - Introduction (for Janusz Stefanski)
6
EABS - Purple Sun
2023 was a breakthrough year for EABS in many ways. It was all thanks to the well received, fully self-produced album entitled In Search of a Better Tomorrow, recorded in collaboration with the Pakistani band Jaubi. EABS' forthcoming sixth album is a return to their roots – literally and figuratively. It is an in-depth study on rhythm, which materialised in the form of the album titled Reflections of Purple Sun.
The back to the roots part not only manifests itself in the lack of guest instrumentalists, but also in a renewed focus on the history of Polish jazz. The band's debut album Repetitions... was dedicated to Krzysztof Komeda. This time, the band picked up the entire Purple Sun album, which Tomasz Stanko recorded half a century ago. From the POV of Purple Sun fans, a hard-to-find and somewhat forgotten album, it may seem like a doomed undertaking. However, in order to pay tribute to one of the most iconic figures of Polish jazz, it was worth embarking on this mission and attempting to engage in a non-verbal conversation with the Slavic spirit that Master Tomasz Stanko undoubtedly was.
You can learn more about Reflections of Purple Sun through the comprehensive booklet accompanying the record. The cover art was created by the label's regular collaborator, Animisiewasz, whose design pays tribute to Pia Burri's original Purple Sun concept. Release date is 10 May 2024.
A1 - Boratka
A2 - Flute's Ballad
A3 - My Night, My Day
B1 - Flair
B2 - Introduction (for Janusz Stefanski)
B3 - Purple Sun
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
The back to the roots part not only manifests itself in the lack of guest instrumentalists, but also in a renewed focus on the history of Polish jazz. The band's debut album Repetitions... was dedicated to Krzysztof Komeda. This time, the band picked up the entire Purple Sun album, which Tomasz Stanko recorded half a century ago. From the POV of Purple Sun fans, a hard-to-find and somewhat forgotten album, it may seem like a doomed undertaking. However, in order to pay tribute to one of the most iconic figures of Polish jazz, it was worth embarking on this mission and attempting to engage in a non-verbal conversation with the Slavic spirit that Master Tomasz Stanko undoubtedly was.
You can learn more about Reflections of Purple Sun through the comprehensive booklet accompanying the record. The cover art was created by the label's regular collaborator, Animisiewasz, whose design pays tribute to Pia Burri's original Purple Sun concept. Release date is 10 May 2024.
A1 - Boratka
A2 - Flute's Ballad
A3 - My Night, My Day
B1 - Flair
B2 - Introduction (for Janusz Stefanski)
B3 - Purple Sun
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Uniri - Soar
2
Uniri - Oneiric Voyage
3
Uniri - Oumuamua
4
Uniri - Outer Sea
5
Uniri - Solaris Ocean
6
Uniri - Neptune's Arck
7
Uniri - Cetus
8
Uniri - Celestial Waves
9
Uniri - Astra's Charge
10
Uniri - Earth-Diver
11
Uniri - Asteroidea
Revision of new beats on the horizon
Every 20 years or so, certain musical movements come full circle. Young musicians are inspired by genres dating back two decades, channelling them through their modern sensibility. The legendary J Dilla’s Donuts album was released in 2006 and instantly marked a starting point for the work of musicians worldwide, laying the foundations especially for the beat scene in Los Angeles. A whole young generation of musicians brought up on the new, instrumental and abstract hip-hop has carried jazz into a new era. The four London-based musicians who make up Uniri have gone one step further by abandoning the idea of a jazz band and "bedroom production" in favour of collective composing, creating a new look at the new-beat aesthetics, framing it as a road novel set in an unspecified time and space.
Uniri translates as ‘one unified dream’ and is the key driving motto of the project conceived by Chiminyo (Cykada, Maisha), the band's founder and head honcho. The project materialised in his private studio, where he invited fellow jazz musicians Amane Tsuganami (Jorja Smith, Maisha), Al Macsween (Nubya Garcia, Gary Bartz, Kefaya) and Luke Wynter (Nubyan Twist, Golden Mean) to spontaneously compose together. Hence, despite this being the band's first album, it wouldn't be right to call them rookies. The result of Uniri's collaborative work is the psychedelic, rhythmic album Infinite Reflections, packed with cosmic and warm synths, which neatly balances hip-hop beat and jazz composition. It's safe to say this music is even more appealing when played live, although it's equally suited to the club dancefloor.
UK Jazz has become a permanent fixture in the London landscape, but also across Europe and the US. Today, the musicians who shape the new wave of jazz are drawing on more and more genres, reducing solo improvisation for the benefit of composition and increasingly drawing on influences from the beat scene. Among such formations are the British NOK Cultural Ensemble, the Polish Bloto, the Belgian ECHT!, and the Dutch Comité Hypnotisé. Uniri is part of this emerging yet already international trend, creating an entirely fresh aesthetic that echoes artists such as Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Dorian Concept, Ras G and Nosaj Things oriented around the Californian 'new beats generation' scene.
The title Infinite Reflections alludes to a phenomenon observable on the open sea or during intercontinental flights. Gazing at the horizon blurs the boundary between the ocean and the sky, forming an infinite palette of blue shades. This inspiration sparked an elusive musical narrative, navigating between a sea voyage and an astral journey, destination unknown.
The album will be released by Astigmatic Records, with the album scheduled for release on March 29, 2024.
A1 - Soar
A2 - Oneiric Voyage
A3 - Oumuamua
A4 - Outer Sea
A5 - Solaris Ocean
A6 - Neptune's Arck
B1 - Cetus
B2 - Celestial Waves
B3 - Astra's Charge
B4 - Earth-Diver
B5 - Asteroidea
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Every 20 years or so, certain musical movements come full circle. Young musicians are inspired by genres dating back two decades, channelling them through their modern sensibility. The legendary J Dilla’s Donuts album was released in 2006 and instantly marked a starting point for the work of musicians worldwide, laying the foundations especially for the beat scene in Los Angeles. A whole young generation of musicians brought up on the new, instrumental and abstract hip-hop has carried jazz into a new era. The four London-based musicians who make up Uniri have gone one step further by abandoning the idea of a jazz band and "bedroom production" in favour of collective composing, creating a new look at the new-beat aesthetics, framing it as a road novel set in an unspecified time and space.
Uniri translates as ‘one unified dream’ and is the key driving motto of the project conceived by Chiminyo (Cykada, Maisha), the band's founder and head honcho. The project materialised in his private studio, where he invited fellow jazz musicians Amane Tsuganami (Jorja Smith, Maisha), Al Macsween (Nubya Garcia, Gary Bartz, Kefaya) and Luke Wynter (Nubyan Twist, Golden Mean) to spontaneously compose together. Hence, despite this being the band's first album, it wouldn't be right to call them rookies. The result of Uniri's collaborative work is the psychedelic, rhythmic album Infinite Reflections, packed with cosmic and warm synths, which neatly balances hip-hop beat and jazz composition. It's safe to say this music is even more appealing when played live, although it's equally suited to the club dancefloor.
UK Jazz has become a permanent fixture in the London landscape, but also across Europe and the US. Today, the musicians who shape the new wave of jazz are drawing on more and more genres, reducing solo improvisation for the benefit of composition and increasingly drawing on influences from the beat scene. Among such formations are the British NOK Cultural Ensemble, the Polish Bloto, the Belgian ECHT!, and the Dutch Comité Hypnotisé. Uniri is part of this emerging yet already international trend, creating an entirely fresh aesthetic that echoes artists such as Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Dorian Concept, Ras G and Nosaj Things oriented around the Californian 'new beats generation' scene.
The title Infinite Reflections alludes to a phenomenon observable on the open sea or during intercontinental flights. Gazing at the horizon blurs the boundary between the ocean and the sky, forming an infinite palette of blue shades. This inspiration sparked an elusive musical narrative, navigating between a sea voyage and an astral journey, destination unknown.
The album will be released by Astigmatic Records, with the album scheduled for release on March 29, 2024.
A1 - Soar
A2 - Oneiric Voyage
A3 - Oumuamua
A4 - Outer Sea
A5 - Solaris Ocean
A6 - Neptune's Arck
B1 - Cetus
B2 - Celestial Waves
B3 - Astra's Charge
B4 - Earth-Diver
B5 - Asteroidea
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Bloto - Kaluze
2
Bloto - Mady
3
Bloto - Czarnoziemy
4
Bloto - Bagna
5
Bloto - Czarne ziemie
6
Bloto - Redziny
7
Bloto - Bielice
8
Bloto - Ziemie zdegradowane przez czlowieka
9
Bloto - Glina
10
Bloto - Gleby brunatne
4th Press - 600 copies only
It didn't take long for Bloto to become a thing, shrouded by underground secrecy. First, there was the gig during Spring Break 2019 in Poznan where the Blue Note club was packed to the brim. That event gave momentum to 4 more performances in Warsaw and Wroclaw, with no music released at that time. Then, the first pressing of the vinyl was sold out within 24 hours without any single nor cover revealed.
The word about Bloto has spread, increasingly gaining ground, reaching Japan, where the album will also be available on CD. No one expected such a turn of events. In fact, neither did the band itself; after all, Bloto came to being accidentally, yet naturally, like a puddle after a rainy day.
It all started in the summer of 2018 when EABS was touring and the band had a day off. As they were approaching Tricity, people were getting off and eventually there were only four musicians. An evening off, a well-tuned rhythm section on the road, harmonious as can be, and a great deal of creative potential within the members of Bloto band forming at that very moment stirred up common enthusiasm. The album was created without much deliberation, stemming from the need of the heart and the joy of making music together. As a result, 90 minutes of music was recorded of which about 40 made it to “Erozje”.
The music is deeply rooted in brutal hip-hop grooves, referring to the sound of 90’s New York. Dirty and uncompromising, this music’s strength lies in the drums and bass as its sound refers to classics such as Wu-Tang Clan and Company Flow. Radical in a sense, it also captures the atmosphere of the times in which it is created. The times of the planet on the verge of disaster, distinct social divisions, hate speech, growing nationalism, police brutality, nepotism, and various political deals. All this is happening before our eyes. The soil of the world as we know it is eroding right now.
Tracklist:
A1 - Kaluze
A2 - Mady
A3 - Czarnoziemy
A4 - Bagna
A5 - Czarne ziemie
A6 - Redziny
B1 - Bielice
B2 - Ziemie zdegradowane przez czlowieka
B3 - Glina
B4 - Gleby brunatne
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
It didn't take long for Bloto to become a thing, shrouded by underground secrecy. First, there was the gig during Spring Break 2019 in Poznan where the Blue Note club was packed to the brim. That event gave momentum to 4 more performances in Warsaw and Wroclaw, with no music released at that time. Then, the first pressing of the vinyl was sold out within 24 hours without any single nor cover revealed.
The word about Bloto has spread, increasingly gaining ground, reaching Japan, where the album will also be available on CD. No one expected such a turn of events. In fact, neither did the band itself; after all, Bloto came to being accidentally, yet naturally, like a puddle after a rainy day.
It all started in the summer of 2018 when EABS was touring and the band had a day off. As they were approaching Tricity, people were getting off and eventually there were only four musicians. An evening off, a well-tuned rhythm section on the road, harmonious as can be, and a great deal of creative potential within the members of Bloto band forming at that very moment stirred up common enthusiasm. The album was created without much deliberation, stemming from the need of the heart and the joy of making music together. As a result, 90 minutes of music was recorded of which about 40 made it to “Erozje”.
The music is deeply rooted in brutal hip-hop grooves, referring to the sound of 90’s New York. Dirty and uncompromising, this music’s strength lies in the drums and bass as its sound refers to classics such as Wu-Tang Clan and Company Flow. Radical in a sense, it also captures the atmosphere of the times in which it is created. The times of the planet on the verge of disaster, distinct social divisions, hate speech, growing nationalism, police brutality, nepotism, and various political deals. All this is happening before our eyes. The soil of the world as we know it is eroding right now.
Tracklist:
A1 - Kaluze
A2 - Mady
A3 - Czarnoziemy
A4 - Bagna
A5 - Czarne ziemie
A6 - Redziny
B1 - Bielice
B2 - Ziemie zdegradowane przez czlowieka
B3 - Glina
B4 - Gleby brunatne
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Bloto - Œcieki
2
Bloto - Szlam
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since B³oto released their last album. Sadly, in Polish rivers it wasn't just water
flowing, but also all sorts of sewage of unknown origin, which destroyed the condition of these once vibrant bodies of water;
it eventually led to a real catastrophe on the Odra River, which, after all, surrounds the entire city of Wroclaw, the band's
birthplace. It is time for a decisive response. B³oto is making a comeback with a seven-inch vinyl and their first singles in
over two years - "Szlam" and "Œcieki".
Climate change had already led to a permanent hydrological drought, which was echoed on Erozje LP. Today, as many as
91.5 percent of Poland's rivers are in very poor condition. It is not only drought that threatens rivers, but also excessive
salinity. This is precisely the kind of disaster that happened on the Odra river. It resulted in 360 tonnes of dead fish and
death of the river along a stretch of almost 500 km, and the reason for that was short-sighted human activity that could
have been avoided. Still, the decision was made to turn the river into a cesspool.
Two years of hiatus is far too long. During this time, reality has not let up for a moment, providing new inspiration. Szlam
(eng. sludge) is the sediment that forms on the river bed and sometimes the river banks. The Polish word derives from
German (Schlamm), which means swamp - or mud. Szlam is therefore a sticky and unsettling remorse that rests somewhere
at the bottom of the human consciousness.
In "Szlam" and "Œcieki" tracks, you will not only hear references to Erozje, but also to Kwasy i Zasady LP. For it is also a
metaphor for everything that pours out of the media, smartphones, and then flows into one's head. The constant bickering,
conflicts and dirty play in political campaigns, scandals to which we are already numb. On top of this, hate speech, lowquality
stupefying influencer content, resulting in an ever-decreasing cultural capital of a society that breeds conformists,
individualistically-minded egoists and mindless consumers. This state of affairs spawns a society of egoists, incapable of
critical reflection, questioning and rebelling against reality.
The sound and genres explored by the band are, as usual, difficult to pigeonhole. These two musical miniatures contain a
lot of anxious and neurotic sounds, as well as synth glitches evoking emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and guilt. The
quartet consisting of Wuja HZG, OlafSaxx, Cancer G and Latarnik managed to distill this mental state by encapsulating it in
shades of breakbeat ("Szlam"), and broadly defined house music ("Œcieki").
A. Szlam
B. Œcieki
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
flowing, but also all sorts of sewage of unknown origin, which destroyed the condition of these once vibrant bodies of water;
it eventually led to a real catastrophe on the Odra River, which, after all, surrounds the entire city of Wroclaw, the band's
birthplace. It is time for a decisive response. B³oto is making a comeback with a seven-inch vinyl and their first singles in
over two years - "Szlam" and "Œcieki".
Climate change had already led to a permanent hydrological drought, which was echoed on Erozje LP. Today, as many as
91.5 percent of Poland's rivers are in very poor condition. It is not only drought that threatens rivers, but also excessive
salinity. This is precisely the kind of disaster that happened on the Odra river. It resulted in 360 tonnes of dead fish and
death of the river along a stretch of almost 500 km, and the reason for that was short-sighted human activity that could
have been avoided. Still, the decision was made to turn the river into a cesspool.
Two years of hiatus is far too long. During this time, reality has not let up for a moment, providing new inspiration. Szlam
(eng. sludge) is the sediment that forms on the river bed and sometimes the river banks. The Polish word derives from
German (Schlamm), which means swamp - or mud. Szlam is therefore a sticky and unsettling remorse that rests somewhere
at the bottom of the human consciousness.
In "Szlam" and "Œcieki" tracks, you will not only hear references to Erozje, but also to Kwasy i Zasady LP. For it is also a
metaphor for everything that pours out of the media, smartphones, and then flows into one's head. The constant bickering,
conflicts and dirty play in political campaigns, scandals to which we are already numb. On top of this, hate speech, lowquality
stupefying influencer content, resulting in an ever-decreasing cultural capital of a society that breeds conformists,
individualistically-minded egoists and mindless consumers. This state of affairs spawns a society of egoists, incapable of
critical reflection, questioning and rebelling against reality.
The sound and genres explored by the band are, as usual, difficult to pigeonhole. These two musical miniatures contain a
lot of anxious and neurotic sounds, as well as synth glitches evoking emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and guilt. The
quartet consisting of Wuja HZG, OlafSaxx, Cancer G and Latarnik managed to distill this mental state by encapsulating it in
shades of breakbeat ("Szlam"), and broadly defined house music ("Œcieki").
A. Szlam
B. Œcieki
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Cykada - Crystalline Peaks
2
Cykada - Fallacy
3
Cykada - So Divided
4
Cykada - 3301
5
Cykada - The Cracks in the Bricks (Prologue)
6
Cykada - The Cracks in the Bricks
7
Cykada - Ashen Faun
8
Cykada - Last Throes of the Temporal Monolith
When Cicadas appear in the area they cause a huge uproar. It’s hard to escape the distinctive noise these critters make, reaching up to 120 decibels. The hypnotic, trance-inducing sound disappears with the insects. A few months after Cykada's explosive debut, the world was hit by turbulence and from Cykada there was silence - fortunately only seemingly, because the next cycle began underground, in the privacy of the studio. It was there that the cicadas matured, waiting for a metamorphosis.
The year 2019 was very successful for Cykada, with a brilliantly received debut album, concerts at numerous festivals in the UK and Europe such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, London Jazz Festival, BAM Festival, La Defense Jazz Festival or Love Supreme Festival, along with constantly composing and preparing material for the second album. As the musicians entered the studio, the coronavirus pandemic was already in full swing across the globe. It was clear then that the world would never be the same. With increasing restrictions Cykada went underground, waiting for changes to surface again. Unfortunately the expected change that was happening seemed only for the worse - Brexit and its socio-economic consequences, worldwide disinformation, accelerating climate catastrophe and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collapse of the old world order is the perfect moment for metamorphosis and with this message Cykada steps out again into broad daylight, matured and carrying a message with their long-awaited second album “Metamorphosis”.
The meaning behind the title is multifaceted. It refers both to changes taking place in our society and changes to our world as nature defends itself from human stupidity and greed. It is also a reference to the personal and musical development of the band members in that difficult period. It all became a foundation to bravely attempt to make new beginnings.
The metamorphosis is also clear in the musical aspect of Cykada. Their debut album was already difficult to shoehorn into specific genres with their sound that balanced jazz, electronics and elements of global music styles. With the second album their eclectic style has evolved into something distinct and innovative, combining folk/jazz song form and improvisation with heavier sounds inspired by sound system culture and rock. The band grew into a septet thanks to multi-instrumentalist Rob Milne, expanding the horn section to 3 instruments and galvanising its sound. But the biggest change that happened compared to the first album is the singing of Cykada leader Jamie Benzies in singles “So Divided” and “The Crack in the Bricks”. Both songs carry an important message, showing us that the changes in the world are already happening and that only we can make it head in the right direction. This unique sonic mix along with the message unleashes a powerful energy that the musicians want to send to and infect every listener.
A1 - Crystalline Peaks
A2 - Fallacy
A3 - So Divided
A4 - 3301
B1 - The Cracks in the Bricks (Prologue)
B2 - The Cracks in the Bricks
B3 - Ashen Faun
B4 - Last Throes of the Temporal Monolith
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
The year 2019 was very successful for Cykada, with a brilliantly received debut album, concerts at numerous festivals in the UK and Europe such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, London Jazz Festival, BAM Festival, La Defense Jazz Festival or Love Supreme Festival, along with constantly composing and preparing material for the second album. As the musicians entered the studio, the coronavirus pandemic was already in full swing across the globe. It was clear then that the world would never be the same. With increasing restrictions Cykada went underground, waiting for changes to surface again. Unfortunately the expected change that was happening seemed only for the worse - Brexit and its socio-economic consequences, worldwide disinformation, accelerating climate catastrophe and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collapse of the old world order is the perfect moment for metamorphosis and with this message Cykada steps out again into broad daylight, matured and carrying a message with their long-awaited second album “Metamorphosis”.
The meaning behind the title is multifaceted. It refers both to changes taking place in our society and changes to our world as nature defends itself from human stupidity and greed. It is also a reference to the personal and musical development of the band members in that difficult period. It all became a foundation to bravely attempt to make new beginnings.
The metamorphosis is also clear in the musical aspect of Cykada. Their debut album was already difficult to shoehorn into specific genres with their sound that balanced jazz, electronics and elements of global music styles. With the second album their eclectic style has evolved into something distinct and innovative, combining folk/jazz song form and improvisation with heavier sounds inspired by sound system culture and rock. The band grew into a septet thanks to multi-instrumentalist Rob Milne, expanding the horn section to 3 instruments and galvanising its sound. But the biggest change that happened compared to the first album is the singing of Cykada leader Jamie Benzies in singles “So Divided” and “The Crack in the Bricks”. Both songs carry an important message, showing us that the changes in the world are already happening and that only we can make it head in the right direction. This unique sonic mix along with the message unleashes a powerful energy that the musicians want to send to and infect every listener.
A1 - Crystalline Peaks
A2 - Fallacy
A3 - So Divided
A4 - 3301
B1 - The Cracks in the Bricks (Prologue)
B2 - The Cracks in the Bricks
B3 - Ashen Faun
B4 - Last Throes of the Temporal Monolith
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - Calme
2
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - 6 & 8 I
3
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - 6 & 8 II
4
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - Flute's Ballad
The discovery of Tomasz Stañko's archive recordings from 50 years ago at Radio Bremen demonstrated the dynamic development of
this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album
turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the
outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden
Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.
It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stañko, as its leader, recorded Music for K,
one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so
the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stañko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote
down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronis³aw Suchanek, the quintet's bass player:
We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a
different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to
be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere
existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes
compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stañko wrote at the time.
Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with
compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band
plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden
Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed
pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an
iconic piece in Tomasz Stañko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When
the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step
off the stage. They are invincible. Tomasz Stañko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time.
The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to
a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish
jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took
many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking
links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra
wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a
musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the
case of the second installment of wooden music.
Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a
small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound
on the album even more.
A1 - Calme
A2 - 6 & 8 I
B1 - 6 & 8 II
B2 - Flute's Ballad
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album
turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the
outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden
Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.
It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stañko, as its leader, recorded Music for K,
one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so
the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stañko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote
down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronis³aw Suchanek, the quintet's bass player:
We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a
different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to
be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere
existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes
compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stañko wrote at the time.
Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with
compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band
plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden
Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed
pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an
iconic piece in Tomasz Stañko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When
the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step
off the stage. They are invincible. Tomasz Stañko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time.
The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to
a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish
jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took
many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking
links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra
wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a
musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the
case of the second installment of wooden music.
Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a
small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound
on the album even more.
A1 - Calme
A2 - 6 & 8 I
B1 - 6 & 8 II
B2 - Flute's Ballad
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
1
EABS - The Darkness
2
EABS - Woodland Spirits
3
EABS - The Noon Witch
4
EABS - Sleza (The Fog)
5
EABS - Sleza
6
EABS - Sun Worship (The Rite)
7
EABS - Sun Worship
After the very well received, both by the audience and critics, debut album Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda), focusing on the lesser-known works of the legendary Polish composer, the Wroclaw-based EABS decided to further expand this lead and released two more vinyl records, "live" and "on tape", which crowned the "Komeda triptych". The astounding reception of the band's debut whet listeners' appetite for completely new recordings. It took 2 years for the new album to materialise, this time, however, it is filled with 100% original material.
This time the EABS band did not directly address the legacy of the Polish school of broadly understood popular music masters. At the same time, the musicians kept in mind that such legacy is, in a sense, the capital of the past which adds up to identity and builds the future. Therefore, in their further musical quest, the band stayed observant of the signs and inspirations from their predecessors from the jazz and big beat era, who paved the way through their willingness to experiment and pursue a unique sound. Thanks to these concepts, the ensemble decided to listen even more intently to their inner voices. This has enabled EABS to avoid the obsession of imitating the Western sound, which conquers the increasingly generic domestic music industry.
The conceptual direction and the first sketches of compositions were already prepared shortly after the summer of 2017. However, the fast-paced life on tour and the desire to expand the line-up with a soprano saxophone and flute eventually played by Tenderlonious did not allow for quick studio manoeuvres. Especially that the London guest artist needed to arrive for the sessions in Wroclaw. Thankfully, time has only worked in favour of this material. The band was already incredibly harmonious while implementing all the assumptions during the recordings. The compositions have matured and evolved even more.
The idea for “The Darkness”, the composition opening the Slavic Spirits LP, was born out of collective improvisation performed before a Komeda-inspired medley of “Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult” played in concert. It came as a surprise to us that this new album, devoted to broadly understood Slavism, turned out to have its roots in the combination of compositions about a witch and hunger. Both were present in Central Europe, not only in the Early Middle Ages. During the tour, while travelling together, we talked a lot about Poland’s difficult history. We noticed a number of dreadful episodes and unresolved traumas that have been haunting us until this very day – Marek Pedziwiatr recollects.
Inspired by deliberations of many musicians, but also historians, journalists, writers, and even psychotherapists, new compositions began to appear rapidly, pouring out of the band’s spirit and imagination. The material is also an attempt to radically break out of the status quo of national mythology which currently steers the collective imagination of the Polish society. The musicians turned to Slavic mythology and Polish demonology, while pondering upon the contemporary spiritual condition of Poles. The enigmatic “Slavic melancholy” remains the main inspiration for the following album, as the band tried to extract it from their own DNA. Slavic Spirits is an an endeavour to get in touch with the world of a long- and brutally lost culture which, due to lack of sources, will never be thoroughly explored. A piece called “The Darkness” is a metaphor of this obscurity and the blank page in the history of our ancestors. What follows is a trip to the woods and fields where we face two demons ruling those realms, namely “Woodland Spirit” and “The Noon Witch”. In the end, we climb a marshy and foggy holy mountain (“Sleza”) to eventually practice ritual “Sun Worship”.
A1 - Ciemnosc = The Darkness
A2 - Leszy = Woodland Spirits
A3 - Poludnica = The Noon Witch
B1 - Sleza (Mgla) = Sleza (The Fog)
B2 - Sleza = Sleza
B3 - Przywitanie Slonca (Rytual) = Sun Worship (The Rite)
B4 - Przywitanie Slonca = Sun Worship
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
This time the EABS band did not directly address the legacy of the Polish school of broadly understood popular music masters. At the same time, the musicians kept in mind that such legacy is, in a sense, the capital of the past which adds up to identity and builds the future. Therefore, in their further musical quest, the band stayed observant of the signs and inspirations from their predecessors from the jazz and big beat era, who paved the way through their willingness to experiment and pursue a unique sound. Thanks to these concepts, the ensemble decided to listen even more intently to their inner voices. This has enabled EABS to avoid the obsession of imitating the Western sound, which conquers the increasingly generic domestic music industry.
The conceptual direction and the first sketches of compositions were already prepared shortly after the summer of 2017. However, the fast-paced life on tour and the desire to expand the line-up with a soprano saxophone and flute eventually played by Tenderlonious did not allow for quick studio manoeuvres. Especially that the London guest artist needed to arrive for the sessions in Wroclaw. Thankfully, time has only worked in favour of this material. The band was already incredibly harmonious while implementing all the assumptions during the recordings. The compositions have matured and evolved even more.
The idea for “The Darkness”, the composition opening the Slavic Spirits LP, was born out of collective improvisation performed before a Komeda-inspired medley of “Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult” played in concert. It came as a surprise to us that this new album, devoted to broadly understood Slavism, turned out to have its roots in the combination of compositions about a witch and hunger. Both were present in Central Europe, not only in the Early Middle Ages. During the tour, while travelling together, we talked a lot about Poland’s difficult history. We noticed a number of dreadful episodes and unresolved traumas that have been haunting us until this very day – Marek Pedziwiatr recollects.
Inspired by deliberations of many musicians, but also historians, journalists, writers, and even psychotherapists, new compositions began to appear rapidly, pouring out of the band’s spirit and imagination. The material is also an attempt to radically break out of the status quo of national mythology which currently steers the collective imagination of the Polish society. The musicians turned to Slavic mythology and Polish demonology, while pondering upon the contemporary spiritual condition of Poles. The enigmatic “Slavic melancholy” remains the main inspiration for the following album, as the band tried to extract it from their own DNA. Slavic Spirits is an an endeavour to get in touch with the world of a long- and brutally lost culture which, due to lack of sources, will never be thoroughly explored. A piece called “The Darkness” is a metaphor of this obscurity and the blank page in the history of our ancestors. What follows is a trip to the woods and fields where we face two demons ruling those realms, namely “Woodland Spirit” and “The Noon Witch”. In the end, we climb a marshy and foggy holy mountain (“Sleza”) to eventually practice ritual “Sun Worship”.
A1 - Ciemnosc = The Darkness
A2 - Leszy = Woodland Spirits
A3 - Poludnica = The Noon Witch
B1 - Sleza (Mgla) = Sleza (The Fog)
B2 - Sleza = Sleza
B3 - Przywitanie Slonca (Rytual) = Sun Worship (The Rite)
B4 - Przywitanie Slonca = Sun Worship
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
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Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
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Info:
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Enji’s vocals are less centre-stage than on her solo endeavors, piercing through reverb plates and guitar pedals while Simon inked his signature set of wooden and metal percussions with chains of tape echoes and analog delay.
Listening to ‘Nant’ as a snapshot of Poeji’s artistry at a certain time and place can instill a sense of gratitude within the listener that something so fleeting can be captured.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
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Info:
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Solemn slowness has become a signature trait of the Munich-based duo and it makes listening to their new record a healing retreat from the frantic chatter of the present.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Special remarks: 180g
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A1) Hatsuhinode 06:55 min
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A3) Ostinato 03:56 min
A4) Hibari 04:59 min
B1) Maya 06:55 min
B2) Shizuku 04:40 min
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Info:
Pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr are back on Squama with 'Nozomi', the follow-up to their 2022 debut 'MMMMH'.
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Solemn slowness has become a signature trait of the Munich-based duo and it makes listening to their new record a healing retreat from the frantic chatter of the present.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
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Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Territories: Worldwide no restrictions
Format Notes: Part of Music De Wolfe Reissue Campaign, 2023 first time reissue, 140g vinyl
Track List:
A1 Hot Heels 2:50
A2 It's Gospel 2:49
A3 Steam Heat 2:59
A4 Fly Away 2:45
A5 His Name Was 2:35
A6 Swing Over 2:18
A7 Touch Of Warmth 2:40
B1 Voice Force Nine 2:13
B2 Very Fine Fellow 1:58
B3 Shades-Tones 3:27
B4 I'm Feather 2:09
B5 Drifting 2:24
B6 Take Off 1:58
B7 Fly Paradise 2:18
Release Notes:
Vocal Shades And Tones is a miraculous leftfield library classic from the genius mind of celebrated UK composer/singer/vocal arranger Barbara Moore. It's a heavenly groove-based blend of jazz, Latin, soft-psych, folk-funk and gospel soul. Recorded for the legendary Music De Wolfe in 1972, it's an audacious start-to-finish listen, as dizzying as it is dazzling. It's a perfect snapshot of a musical era, supported by Moore's glorious vocal arrangements. Widely regarded among collectors, DJs, and lounge/easy-listening acolytes as an absolute essential it is viewed as the holy grail by many production music heads, rarely appearing for sale and disappearing in a flash when it does. Indeed, originals now go for over £300 and it's easy to see why. Just one of the reasons why this fresh Be With reissue, part of a wider De Wolfe reissue campaign, is so utterly crucial.
Racing out the gate, the driving "Hot Heels" is a bright, sophisticated scat groove which sounds Brazilian, richly produced as if coming by the hand of Arthur Verocai. Yes, *that* good. It's followed by "It's Gospel" which is, er, a wonderfully slow and deeply soulful gospel treasure. The appropriately monikered "Steam Heat" is a darker, breathy gem, one for salacious crates and one of the record's most infamous tracks. "Fly Away" is pastoral West Coast soft rock, very much in conversation with John Cameron and Keith Mansfield's epochal KPM recording, Voices In Harmony. "His Name Was" is a stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks Beach Boys accapella church-organ stunner, whilst "Swing Over" is another carefree, richly produced sun-dappled smasher. The gentle Bossa and sunshine soul of the aptly-titled "Touch Of Warmth" closes out a virtually perfect A-Side.
The B-Side opens with the easy grace and dramatic build of "Voice Force Nine". The jaunty "Very Fine Fellow" may be the only track to slightly grate so we advise heading to the slower, moody "Shades-Tones", eminently more compelling with sparkling, hypnotic piano throughout, underpinning the gorgeous wordless vocals. Just beautiful. It was sampled by Redman for his Method Man-featuring "Do What Ya Feel" on the great Muddy Waters. We're back in Brazilian territory with the cool, uptempo "I'm Feather" before swooning to the warm, relaxed "Drifting", another total highlight which was famously sampled by Koushik on his legendary remix of Madvillain's "America's Most Blunted (Doom's Verse)". The penultimate track, "Take Off" is a bright, organ lounge groove before this remarkable set is rounded out by the beaty "Fly Paradise". It's so so good, it sounds like Rotary Connection fronted by The Mamas & the Papas. As noted in a recent Guardian article on Moore's life, "there is a plushness and electricity in the tight vocal harmonies that spring out, sung with the precision of cathedral choristers decades before Auto-Tune." Amen.
In the 1960s, Barbara Moore was a member of Top of the Pops’ resident vocal-harmony group, The Ladybirds and sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield’s TV show. Her own outfit, the Barbara Moore Singers, were regulars on TOTP, singing with Jimi Hendrix when he performed "Hey Joe" live in Lime Grove Studios. An important detail for Moore was the shepherd’s pie she bought Hendrix when she found him alone, looking emaciated, near the BBC canteen. By 1970, she was working as a session singer for De Wolfe and, by 1972, was composing her own tracks for De Wolfe and working within their tight creative strictures. Each short track had to evoke an obvious mood and theme, with no significant key or tempo changes. Her response, this very album, managed to stay between the lines while cohering as an overarching artistic masterpiece.
The audio for Vocal Shades And Tones has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Format Notes: Part of Music De Wolfe Reissue Campaign, 2023 first time reissue, 140g vinyl
Track List:
A1 Hot Heels 2:50
A2 It's Gospel 2:49
A3 Steam Heat 2:59
A4 Fly Away 2:45
A5 His Name Was 2:35
A6 Swing Over 2:18
A7 Touch Of Warmth 2:40
B1 Voice Force Nine 2:13
B2 Very Fine Fellow 1:58
B3 Shades-Tones 3:27
B4 I'm Feather 2:09
B5 Drifting 2:24
B6 Take Off 1:58
B7 Fly Paradise 2:18
Release Notes:
Vocal Shades And Tones is a miraculous leftfield library classic from the genius mind of celebrated UK composer/singer/vocal arranger Barbara Moore. It's a heavenly groove-based blend of jazz, Latin, soft-psych, folk-funk and gospel soul. Recorded for the legendary Music De Wolfe in 1972, it's an audacious start-to-finish listen, as dizzying as it is dazzling. It's a perfect snapshot of a musical era, supported by Moore's glorious vocal arrangements. Widely regarded among collectors, DJs, and lounge/easy-listening acolytes as an absolute essential it is viewed as the holy grail by many production music heads, rarely appearing for sale and disappearing in a flash when it does. Indeed, originals now go for over £300 and it's easy to see why. Just one of the reasons why this fresh Be With reissue, part of a wider De Wolfe reissue campaign, is so utterly crucial.
Racing out the gate, the driving "Hot Heels" is a bright, sophisticated scat groove which sounds Brazilian, richly produced as if coming by the hand of Arthur Verocai. Yes, *that* good. It's followed by "It's Gospel" which is, er, a wonderfully slow and deeply soulful gospel treasure. The appropriately monikered "Steam Heat" is a darker, breathy gem, one for salacious crates and one of the record's most infamous tracks. "Fly Away" is pastoral West Coast soft rock, very much in conversation with John Cameron and Keith Mansfield's epochal KPM recording, Voices In Harmony. "His Name Was" is a stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks Beach Boys accapella church-organ stunner, whilst "Swing Over" is another carefree, richly produced sun-dappled smasher. The gentle Bossa and sunshine soul of the aptly-titled "Touch Of Warmth" closes out a virtually perfect A-Side.
The B-Side opens with the easy grace and dramatic build of "Voice Force Nine". The jaunty "Very Fine Fellow" may be the only track to slightly grate so we advise heading to the slower, moody "Shades-Tones", eminently more compelling with sparkling, hypnotic piano throughout, underpinning the gorgeous wordless vocals. Just beautiful. It was sampled by Redman for his Method Man-featuring "Do What Ya Feel" on the great Muddy Waters. We're back in Brazilian territory with the cool, uptempo "I'm Feather" before swooning to the warm, relaxed "Drifting", another total highlight which was famously sampled by Koushik on his legendary remix of Madvillain's "America's Most Blunted (Doom's Verse)". The penultimate track, "Take Off" is a bright, organ lounge groove before this remarkable set is rounded out by the beaty "Fly Paradise". It's so so good, it sounds like Rotary Connection fronted by The Mamas & the Papas. As noted in a recent Guardian article on Moore's life, "there is a plushness and electricity in the tight vocal harmonies that spring out, sung with the precision of cathedral choristers decades before Auto-Tune." Amen.
In the 1960s, Barbara Moore was a member of Top of the Pops’ resident vocal-harmony group, The Ladybirds and sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield’s TV show. Her own outfit, the Barbara Moore Singers, were regulars on TOTP, singing with Jimi Hendrix when he performed "Hey Joe" live in Lime Grove Studios. An important detail for Moore was the shepherd’s pie she bought Hendrix when she found him alone, looking emaciated, near the BBC canteen. By 1970, she was working as a session singer for De Wolfe and, by 1972, was composing her own tracks for De Wolfe and working within their tight creative strictures. Each short track had to evoke an obvious mood and theme, with no significant key or tempo changes. Her response, this very album, managed to stay between the lines while cohering as an overarching artistic masterpiece.
The audio for Vocal Shades And Tones has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
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Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr - A4) Tolv
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Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr - A5) Sora
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Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr - A6) Kogia
7
Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr - B1) Ayet
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Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr - B2) Penguin
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Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr - B3) La
LP
Special remarks:
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Tracklist:
A1) Trudelutt 05:03 min
A2) Oli's Balloon 02:22 min
A3) All Good Things Are Four 05:04 min
A4) Tolv 03:13 min
A5) Sora 03:45 min
A6) Kogia 05:39 min
B1) Ayet 08:49 min
B2) Penguin 04:29 min
B3) La 04:23 min
Info:
Pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr's music flows in gentle waves, moving with ease between every theme they imagine. Their music is largely improvised, embracing chance and following sound down winding paths. Their debut collaborative album, MMMMH, highlights this loose process through its relaxed pace, surprising turns, and drifting style. The album presents small vignettes that each encapsulate their free-flowing motion and tranquil melodies, drawing from simple ideas to create a fully bloomed, radiant sound.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Special remarks:
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Tracklist:
A1) Trudelutt 05:03 min
A2) Oli's Balloon 02:22 min
A3) All Good Things Are Four 05:04 min
A4) Tolv 03:13 min
A5) Sora 03:45 min
A6) Kogia 05:39 min
B1) Ayet 08:49 min
B2) Penguin 04:29 min
B3) La 04:23 min
Info:
Pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr's music flows in gentle waves, moving with ease between every theme they imagine. Their music is largely improvised, embracing chance and following sound down winding paths. Their debut collaborative album, MMMMH, highlights this loose process through its relaxed pace, surprising turns, and drifting style. The album presents small vignettes that each encapsulate their free-flowing motion and tranquil melodies, drawing from simple ideas to create a fully bloomed, radiant sound.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
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HARD-CARDBOARD SLEEVE + OBI 180g VINYL
Impossible-to-find gem from 1969 finally reissued in a deluxe edition.
ULTRA RARE South African Jazz from District Six with legendary musicians Clifford Moses, Richard Schilder, Basil Moses and Basil Coetzee.
True Jazz today is becoming a rare art whose existence depends not only on the Jazz-musician but also on the medium by means of which it is propagated. This album is the combined effort of musician and Trutone Record Company to add their contribution to the interest of the arts. The theme for this album is set in "District Six", the community which brought forth "The Four Sounds".
Basil Moses is perhaps most widely known, in the context of South African jazz history, as having recorded prolifically – including performing on seven or eight of Abdullah Ibrahim’s 1970s recordings. He also features on Sathima Bea Benjamin’s African Songbird (The Sun, GL 1839).
Guitarist Cliffie Moses, three years older than brother Basil, was also a professional musician and the two, along with Richard Schilder and Billy Bowers (aka Billie Dollie), formed the Four Sounds in the early 1960s. The group with Basil ‘Manenburg’ Coetzee and Roy Nolly recorded their debut album, Jazz from District Six, in 1969 for Trutone (TBLC 1).
In 1970 Basil, Cliffie, Roy Petersen and Monty Weber were all hired to tour the country as the core of Percy Sledge’s backing band for a seventeen-week sell-out tour of South and southern Africa. Percy Sledge described it as the “greatest tour of [his] career”.
Notes by Siemon Allen at Flatinternational”
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Impossible-to-find gem from 1969 finally reissued in a deluxe edition.
ULTRA RARE South African Jazz from District Six with legendary musicians Clifford Moses, Richard Schilder, Basil Moses and Basil Coetzee.
True Jazz today is becoming a rare art whose existence depends not only on the Jazz-musician but also on the medium by means of which it is propagated. This album is the combined effort of musician and Trutone Record Company to add their contribution to the interest of the arts. The theme for this album is set in "District Six", the community which brought forth "The Four Sounds".
Basil Moses is perhaps most widely known, in the context of South African jazz history, as having recorded prolifically – including performing on seven or eight of Abdullah Ibrahim’s 1970s recordings. He also features on Sathima Bea Benjamin’s African Songbird (The Sun, GL 1839).
Guitarist Cliffie Moses, three years older than brother Basil, was also a professional musician and the two, along with Richard Schilder and Billy Bowers (aka Billie Dollie), formed the Four Sounds in the early 1960s. The group with Basil ‘Manenburg’ Coetzee and Roy Nolly recorded their debut album, Jazz from District Six, in 1969 for Trutone (TBLC 1).
In 1970 Basil, Cliffie, Roy Petersen and Monty Weber were all hired to tour the country as the core of Percy Sledge’s backing band for a seventeen-week sell-out tour of South and southern Africa. Percy Sledge described it as the “greatest tour of [his] career”.
Notes by Siemon Allen at Flatinternational”
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1
Yasuaki Shimizu - Suiren
2
Yasuaki Shimizu - Kakashi
3
Yasuaki Shimizu - Kono Yo Ni Yomeri #1
4
Yasuaki Shimizu - Kono Yo Ni Yomeri #1
5
Yasuaki Shimizu - Kono Yo Ni Yomeri #2
6
Yasuaki Shimizu - Yune Dewa
7
Yasuaki Shimizu - Umi No Ue Kara
8
Yasuaki Shimizu - Utsukushiki Tennen
Repress!
A wonderful, rare record wrapped in a mysterious yet playful ambiance. Or maybe it's just the impression that the Japanese language often gives me. ''Suiren'' is an odd jazz-fusion-wave tune that sounds like its boiling, waiting to burst but somehow manages to stay in control. Like the nervous tick of a leg fidgeting under the table of a restaurant on a first date. Re-issued again, with new liner notes.
Yasuaki Shimizu is a Japanese composer, producer and saxophone player born in 1954. He worked with Ryuchi Sakimoto on certain arrangements, with the South Korean artist Nam June Paik on art+sound installation pieces and even DJ Towa Tei (of Deee-Lite fame). ''Suiren'' was released in 1981 and is the opening title on the sought-after ''Kakashi'' album and is my personal favorite on this overall brilliant record. It weaves behind new wave, jazz, fusion, ambient and experimental music.
Repetitive and hypnotizing, punctuated by exclamation marks on most first mesures, the muted triangle percussion hits me straight in the heart. About 90 seconds into the song, the saxophone makes its appearance and the song goes from ''this is cute'' to ''oh, this is some serious shit!''. Shimizu's saxophone frees the song from the rest of the elements which are more calculated and repetitive.
A joyful, mysterious slow-moving train ride led by the artist's mellow voice that rocks us with this calming but funky lullaby. Every phrase is punctuated by the xylophone there to energize the piece, albeit very subtely.
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Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
A wonderful, rare record wrapped in a mysterious yet playful ambiance. Or maybe it's just the impression that the Japanese language often gives me. ''Suiren'' is an odd jazz-fusion-wave tune that sounds like its boiling, waiting to burst but somehow manages to stay in control. Like the nervous tick of a leg fidgeting under the table of a restaurant on a first date. Re-issued again, with new liner notes.
Yasuaki Shimizu is a Japanese composer, producer and saxophone player born in 1954. He worked with Ryuchi Sakimoto on certain arrangements, with the South Korean artist Nam June Paik on art+sound installation pieces and even DJ Towa Tei (of Deee-Lite fame). ''Suiren'' was released in 1981 and is the opening title on the sought-after ''Kakashi'' album and is my personal favorite on this overall brilliant record. It weaves behind new wave, jazz, fusion, ambient and experimental music.
Repetitive and hypnotizing, punctuated by exclamation marks on most first mesures, the muted triangle percussion hits me straight in the heart. About 90 seconds into the song, the saxophone makes its appearance and the song goes from ''this is cute'' to ''oh, this is some serious shit!''. Shimizu's saxophone frees the song from the rest of the elements which are more calculated and repetitive.
A joyful, mysterious slow-moving train ride led by the artist's mellow voice that rocks us with this calming but funky lullaby. Every phrase is punctuated by the xylophone there to energize the piece, albeit very subtely.
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Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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* Listen: https://open.spotify.com/track/5oS60iZAtHVmHc9QUs2ciW?si=8f220915bef44eda
* The legendary music publisher KPM, famous for its iconic music library catalogue, commissioned a group of session musicians in 2018 to write and record an authentic tribute to the early 70’s Latin Soul Boogaloo blending heavy funk/soul with the infectious latin rhythms (cha cha, mambo, rumba and bossa nova)
* Although not originally intended for commercial release, this vinyl LP is a limited pressing of just 500 copies and features 15 new songs inspired by pioneers such as Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Machito.
* Ray Lopez and his band recorded the session in the traditional way for this style using vintage microphones direct to analogue tape to get that classic authentic tone
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
* The legendary music publisher KPM, famous for its iconic music library catalogue, commissioned a group of session musicians in 2018 to write and record an authentic tribute to the early 70’s Latin Soul Boogaloo blending heavy funk/soul with the infectious latin rhythms (cha cha, mambo, rumba and bossa nova)
* Although not originally intended for commercial release, this vinyl LP is a limited pressing of just 500 copies and features 15 new songs inspired by pioneers such as Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Machito.
* Ray Lopez and his band recorded the session in the traditional way for this style using vintage microphones direct to analogue tape to get that classic authentic tone
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Label:We Release Jazz
Cat-No:WRJ010LTD
Release-Date:16.07.2021
Genre:Jazz / Nu Jazz
Configuration:LP Excl
Label:We Release Jazz
Cat-No:WRJ010LTD
Release-Date:16.07.2021
Genre:Jazz / Nu Jazz
Configuration:LP Excl
1
Hiroshi Suzuki - A1. Shrimp Dance
2
Hiroshi Suzuki - A2. Kuro To Shiro
3
Hiroshi Suzuki - B1. Walk Tall
4
Hiroshi Suzuki - B2. Cat
5
Hiroshi Suzuki - B3. Romance
No sales to Japan!
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance
Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.
Points of interests
- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.
- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.
- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk
Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance
Info
We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.
Points of interests
- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.
- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.
- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
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Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1
Sven Wunder - Sundown
2
Sven Wunder - Pop-Jazz Structures
3
Sven Wunder - Take A Break
4
Sven Wunder - Stars Align
5
Sven Wunder - Lunar Distance
6
Sven Wunder - Jazz At Night
7
Sven Wunder - Snowdrops
8
Sven Wunder - Stellar Plates
9
Sven Wunder - Asterism Waltz
10
Sven Wunder - Late Again
When the sun hovers near the horizon, the rays of white sunlight are scattered out of the beam by small particles and molecules in the atmosphere that sprinkle the sky with brilliant hues indicating that the day starts to fade. As night begins to fall, tree-tops redden and begin to glow. Darkness closes in and falls like a blanket covering the sky. It is late again and all is in shadow below. It is when stars align and dreams come true.
Sven Wunder thrives at nightfall and welcomes the horizon of beginnings on Late Again, a collection of nocturnal jazz pieces that depict shooting stars and scattered beams from the setting sun, with an emphasis on gentle compositions for piano and orchestral pop-jazz arrangements for flute, brass, and strings.
A1 - Sundown
A2 - Pop-Jazz Structures
A3 - Take A Break
A4 - Stars Align
A5 - Lunar Distance
B1 - Jazz At Night
B2 - Snowdrops
B3 - Stellar Plates
B4 - Asterism Waltz
B5 - Late Again
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Sven Wunder thrives at nightfall and welcomes the horizon of beginnings on Late Again, a collection of nocturnal jazz pieces that depict shooting stars and scattered beams from the setting sun, with an emphasis on gentle compositions for piano and orchestral pop-jazz arrangements for flute, brass, and strings.
A1 - Sundown
A2 - Pop-Jazz Structures
A3 - Take A Break
A4 - Stars Align
A5 - Lunar Distance
B1 - Jazz At Night
B2 - Snowdrops
B3 - Stellar Plates
B4 - Asterism Waltz
B5 - Late Again
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Label:Left Ear Records
Cat-No:LER1036
Release-Date:20.09.2024
Genre:Indie Rock/Alternative
Configuration:LP
Label:Left Ear Records
Cat-No:LER1036
Release-Date:20.09.2024
Genre:Indie Rock/Alternative
Configuration:LP
1
Leong Lau - The Atlas Revolution
2
Leong Lau - Ghost Drums
3
Leong Lau - Rhythm Pounding
4
Leong Lau - Dragon Man
5
Leong Lau - Soul Baby
6
Leong Lau - Deep In The Jungle
7
Leong Lau - Love Poem
** Includes fold out colour poster (40cm * 20cm), replicating the insert included in the original '76 release **
Only a decade ago Leong Lau remained a well-hidden Malaysian-Australian treasure, known only to small circles of Australian record collectors. In 2013 we met Leong in person at the Brisbane state library, where after a long and somewhat transcendental ‘conversation’, received his blessings to re-release his music.
In 2014, we reissued his sophomore album ‘That Rongeng Sound’ and later in 2021, his sole single ‘late Night Flyer. In 2024, we are going back to finish the triangle of Leong releases, with a repress of his debut 1976 album ‘Dragon Man’. A raw and electrifying album that continues to stand the test of time.
Dragon Man might best be described musically as psyc/rock, however the significant use of soul/funk and jazz melodies adds a unique musical depth that makes it hard to categorise. However, what truly sets Leong apart is his distinct vocal style, delivering half sung/half spoken lyrics in a stereotypical Aussie accent that comes across more like a sermon than what might be conceived as ‘traditional’ songs.
Moreover, in a time where the Australian music industry and its performers’ musical styles were dictated by major labels, Leong began to break down those barriers by self-releasing his music. This rewarded Leong creative control, where he was able to dictate the musical and cultural themes, with songs like ‘Dragon Man’ and ‘Deep In The Jungle’ that both pay homage to his unique Chinese/Malay heritage. That said, Dragon Man is both a significant musical and cultural statement that’s just as poignant today as it was then.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Only a decade ago Leong Lau remained a well-hidden Malaysian-Australian treasure, known only to small circles of Australian record collectors. In 2013 we met Leong in person at the Brisbane state library, where after a long and somewhat transcendental ‘conversation’, received his blessings to re-release his music.
In 2014, we reissued his sophomore album ‘That Rongeng Sound’ and later in 2021, his sole single ‘late Night Flyer. In 2024, we are going back to finish the triangle of Leong releases, with a repress of his debut 1976 album ‘Dragon Man’. A raw and electrifying album that continues to stand the test of time.
Dragon Man might best be described musically as psyc/rock, however the significant use of soul/funk and jazz melodies adds a unique musical depth that makes it hard to categorise. However, what truly sets Leong apart is his distinct vocal style, delivering half sung/half spoken lyrics in a stereotypical Aussie accent that comes across more like a sermon than what might be conceived as ‘traditional’ songs.
Moreover, in a time where the Australian music industry and its performers’ musical styles were dictated by major labels, Leong began to break down those barriers by self-releasing his music. This rewarded Leong creative control, where he was able to dictate the musical and cultural themes, with songs like ‘Dragon Man’ and ‘Deep In The Jungle’ that both pay homage to his unique Chinese/Malay heritage. That said, Dragon Man is both a significant musical and cultural statement that’s just as poignant today as it was then.
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
LP,180, 2018 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART
Piano Viberations' "small group jazz featuring piano and vibes with rhythm" makes for a gorgeous Francis Coppieters showcase, surely one of Belgium's best-kept musical secrets. Released in 1975, and arguably the most low-key of the KPM and Themes records we're re-issuing, this is easily our current favourite.
"The Open Highway" is the appropriately-named opener, and immediately demonstrates Coppieters' dexterous interplay between piano and vibes in assured, joyous fashion. The shuffling bossa of "Sales Notes" is a jaw-dropper, well-mined by samplers with impeccable taste. The mellow head-nod drum-break that is "Funky Chimes" brilliantly demonstrates Coppieters' quiet majestic side with its slow-motion funk rhythm with beautifully reflective notes throughout.
The upbeat and joyful "Cross Talk" closes out side A. Vibes and piano are definitely at the heart of the arrangement here. The quick cut movement of "Piano In Transit" is another gem, driven principally by piano but those vibes along for more than just the ride. On a more gentle, elegiac note, "To Shearing With Love" is a warm, slow, romantic piece in the style of George Shearing. It's plaintive and sublime.
Piano Viberations is one of those rare library records the original description of which makes as much sense now as it did when it was first released. Piano and vibes with rhythm indeed.
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for Piano Viberations comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity.
TRACKLISTING
The Open Highway
Funky Chimes
Bright Blue Note
To Shearing With Love
Cross Talk
Waltz On The Off Beat
Blues In The Basement
Piano In Transit
Sales Talk
Kings Road Chelsea
Samba De Negra
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore
Piano Viberations' "small group jazz featuring piano and vibes with rhythm" makes for a gorgeous Francis Coppieters showcase, surely one of Belgium's best-kept musical secrets. Released in 1975, and arguably the most low-key of the KPM and Themes records we're re-issuing, this is easily our current favourite.
"The Open Highway" is the appropriately-named opener, and immediately demonstrates Coppieters' dexterous interplay between piano and vibes in assured, joyous fashion. The shuffling bossa of "Sales Notes" is a jaw-dropper, well-mined by samplers with impeccable taste. The mellow head-nod drum-break that is "Funky Chimes" brilliantly demonstrates Coppieters' quiet majestic side with its slow-motion funk rhythm with beautifully reflective notes throughout.
The upbeat and joyful "Cross Talk" closes out side A. Vibes and piano are definitely at the heart of the arrangement here. The quick cut movement of "Piano In Transit" is another gem, driven principally by piano but those vibes along for more than just the ride. On a more gentle, elegiac note, "To Shearing With Love" is a warm, slow, romantic piece in the style of George Shearing. It's plaintive and sublime.
Piano Viberations is one of those rare library records the original description of which makes as much sense now as it did when it was first released. Piano and vibes with rhythm indeed.
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for Piano Viberations comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity.
TRACKLISTING
The Open Highway
Funky Chimes
Bright Blue Note
To Shearing With Love
Cross Talk
Waltz On The Off Beat
Blues In The Basement
Piano In Transit
Sales Talk
Kings Road Chelsea
Samba De Negra
Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore