P3 and 3P by Próchno

 

Próchno, an ensemble based in Poland started off as a mail project since they haven't lived close by to have a set of regular rehearsals. It helped them to establish their own individual approach towards composing and playing.

P3 and 3P are twin records released by invaluable Gusstaff Records run by Janusz Mucha in a few versions - one of which is a transparent and 180gmm heavy vinyl 12'' and 7''.

There is a one year gap between the two releases. 

How to categorize two records and a band that is quite elusive and rather difficult to put into a category.

I will attempt to put it into a category of a storytelling narrative.

A line up of  Marcel Gawinecki - bass, synth, vocal

Bartosz Leśniewski - guitar, synth, vocal

Artur Sofiński - drums 

is a bit far away from a power rock trio.

Instead it is grounded in more improvisational and derived from a free form that could well be related to krautrock or some form of psychodelia or even dub ensembles that dabble with post-rock.

Saying all that - Próchno is an experimental band, it is both raw and has an edgy, neurotic atmosphere.

There is some sense of dramatism that makes me think of some urban noir story with tense atmosphere and some drowning sense of existential loss - some tracks have a lot of it - namely Spluwa from P3 - an adequately named bit.

3P has some pretty tough post-industrial bits that are neither easy or smooth listening. Listen to the first track - Zmierzch where Wojciech Jachna adds up his trumpet.

Idiomatic in its own way and idiosyncratic in a sense that has the toughness of underground guitar oriented quality which can be put between heavy and distorted edginess of hard core post-industrial improvisation with repetitive references to both krautrock and dub with an electronic sprinkling on the top of that cake - is rather too tasty compound not to be rejected.

And most funny aspect of it - Marcel who plays bass, synth and sings works at his own studio   Cierpienie (Pain/Suffering)  in Smarzykowo which is a rural location in the north of Poland.

Dig it!

P3

3P