SOKOŁOWSKI / STASIEWICZ / LESZOSKI: Manna by Antenna Non Grata

 

Antenna Non Grata curates an interesting album which is an effort that has been made by three different artists - Kuba Sokolowski, Pawel Stasiewicz and Pawel Leszoski. The effect of those sessions, they made together is this album that consists of four tracks - each in  a different mode that represents different approach to tonalities and compositional approaches.

How to describe this set of four pieces?

There is definitely a strong emphasis on distinct way of creating atmosphere and using specific means to do it. 

Besides droning  and soft ambience - there is a definitely a strong presence of the inside piano and how it is treated by Kuba and Pawel Stasiewicz while Pawel Leszoski is adding his more digital sonosphere.

The whole result is not only a creation of eloquent minds but also something else is included - track 3 - NN. The layers and the droning in it are creating some sort of fulcrum which is not a mere experiment but also something that taps on to a certain mood - a sonic poetry that leaves behind intellectual musings and adds some emotional note to it. In a way it could be a part of an album that is from a different genre as in krautrock or psychodelic. Which can mean how universal and versatile both the individual artists' craft is and how interesting spaces can they create.

It is a solid album which is both  not overdone and taps to many elements that can get people who normally don't experience music in this aspect.

Kuba Sokołowski - pianist, composer and lecturer at the Fryderyk Chopin University in Warsaw. Scholarship holder of the School Of Improvisational Music. Since 2018, he has been associated with the Bôlt Records label, for which he has recorded solo compositions by Szabolcs Eszteny with the set of ‘Musicians Created’, ‘Musicians’ by H.M. Górecki, Bogusław Schaeffer's ‘Compositions’ with Piotr Zabrodzki, the JAGD project with Emil Miszek, Hubert Zemler, Miłosz Pękala and Jurek Rogiewicz curated by Barbara Kinga Majewska, or his own project ‘Errata’ with Paweł Stasiewicz. As one of many Polish artists, he recorded part of the Radical Songbook project, creating a reworking of folk songs by Jan Gaca.

Paweł Stasiewicz - poet, visual artist, creator of musical projects. In 2020, in duo with Kuba Sokolowski, he released his debut album ‘Errata’ for Bôlt Records. For his book ‘Oprawa skórzana’ (Papierwdole publishing house), he was nominated in the best debut category for the Wrocław Poetry Award ‘Silesius’ and the W. Kazanecki Literary Award in Białystok. Winner of the ‘Golden Poetry Measure’ in Kutno. At the beginning of July 2024, the Convivo publishing house published his next book entitled. ‘Drugie pół’. As a visual artist, he has won, among others, the Szpilman Award 2014 (Berlin), and for the film ‘No signal’ he received the Minute Trophy Award (Brazil).

Paweł Leszoski - composer, lyricist, vocalist, musician from the neofolk genre. Music producer and sound designer. Creator of soundscapes and interdisciplinary music projects, such as the ‘Forest of Voices’ sound installation as part of the Cross-Culture Festival created using field recording. Nominated for the Fryderyk Awards. Winner of the Mateusz Trójka Award. He has performed at many festivals, including Męskie Playing.

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