Aug 19, 2007 3
Made in Poland (part 2)
[image: members of Atman]
Atman (often Theatre of Sound Atman) was founded in 1975 in Cracow (PL) by Marek Styczynski and Jacek Zadora, from 1982 it was basiclly a trio: Styczynski, Marek Leszczynski & Piotr Kolecki but many musicians, dancers were invited to perform together with group. Atman was not only a band but a kind of alternative movement with their own label – FLY Music, workshops and festival Music in Landscape. Their sound is defined by using traditional, sometimes exotic, instruments, many flutes, different small percussions, violin, mandolin, cimbalom, didgeridoo, acoustic guitars and vocals also. Apart from obvious “ethnic” attitude Atman also didn’t forget about spontaneity of improvisation.
This compostion is from “Tradition” album, but I have it from “Ovoo” cd released by Naturtonmusik. This one is great because it contains three earlier albums: “Soundreams”, “Personal forest” and abovementioned.
Atman – The talking meadow (story) (Tradition, FLY Music, 1996)
Atman split up in 1998, Piotr Kolecki and Marek Leszczynski founded Pathman with Michal Nowak (on clarinet) and Dominik Czwartek (on drums). After some time Wojt3k Kucharczyk (electronics, editing) joined the group. Traditional instruments still play important role in this music but electronic manipulations are equally important. (some info in English: here )
Pathman – Glin (…poza…, Mik.musik!, 2002)
Third member of Atman, Marek Styczynski, started Projekt Karpaty Magiczne (Magic Carpathians Project) with vocalist Anna Nacher. Same story here, but, from album to album, electronic sounds became even more important than instruments, resulting in some psychedelic-noise-ambient with ethnic feeling.
Karpaty Magiczne – Thalassa (Denega, Galeria Stary Dom, 2001)
Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa (Warsaw Village Band) is a sextet, existing from 1997. They have nice website in English, so for further information see there. I’ll only say that band use old polish melodies, saved by ethnologists, but they play it in their own arrangements, with a lot of energey and power.
Kapela ze wsi Warszawa – Maydow (Wiosna ludu, Orange World, 2002)
Last one in folk section – Sarakina, now quartet, inspired by Balkans’ folklore, adding something like a “jazz touch” – but not making it softer, easier in any way. This piece was recorded in trio: accordion, clarinet, double bass. Also website in English.
Sarakina – Makedonsko (Sarakina – Grekow.Mlejnek.Mlejnek, 2001)
A lot could be told about Mordy but instead I’ll suggest reading history written by the band. I chose first track from their best (imo) album “Antrology” (= anthology + anthropology). This music is mixture of many things, styles, maybe the closest comparisons will be Salvatore and Him (not this one, but this).
Mordy – 3 vibrafonistow (Antrology, Tone Industria, 2004)
Scianka second record “Dni Wiatru” (Days of wind) was important for polish music, many journalists (but also “normal” people) think highly of it and put it on their top-lists. It was even better because group fullfilled expectations that listeners have after their debut. There they were playing post-punk/guitar-noise with some experiments. On second album they drifted into area of psychedelia/avantgarde, they were still using guitars but also concrete sounds, samples and post-production. They chose to create atmosphere, long, slowly changing compositions or rather dense soundscapes.
Scianka – Dni wiatru (Dni wiatru, Sissy, 2001)
Last but not least, most guitar-oriented music in this post. Starzy Singers, rock/post-punk outfit from Warsaw, their songs are sometimes noisy but always highly enjoyable, there should be some radio station playing stuff like that.
Starzy Singers – Piekna Acha Bela (Takie jest c’est la vie, Lado ABC, 2005)
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