Collaboration has greatly enhanced the growth of and quality of material blazing forth from the independent experimental music scene in Poland. The music produced by an enclave of experienced and thoughtful musicians through their solo projects or more established groups has expanded wonderfully via new creative partnerships drawn from different backgrounds and fields of expertise. A notable example is that of Kapital, whose second album, Chaos To Chaos, is due for release through Instant Classic in early March.
Kapital brings together two of Poland’s most exciting figures in contemporary experimental music: Kuba Zio?ek and Rafa? Iwa?ski. Kuba is well known for his amazing solo work with Stara Rzeka, as well as the Alameda incarnations Ed Wood and T’ien Lai (amongst others). His expressions of drone, noise and powerful psychedelic soundscapes laced with beautiful acoustic guitar are a consuming experience of musical ecstasy. Rafa? has traversed a fascinating musical path, from discovering punk in the late 80s through to industrial music and krautrock as the fall of communism took place in his country. This expanded into a fascination with traditional ethnic and acoustic sounds, culminating in an academic path as an ethnologist. His intent to merge the traditional with modern electronics and create deep meditative spaces through sound has manifested in the brilliant work of HATI, X-Navi:Et, and curation of the CoCArt Music Festival. Both were involved in the formation of the rightly critically acclaimed Innercity Ensemble, whose most recent work made many a list of the top albums of 2014. As would be expected, the collaboration of these two musicians of different musical backgrounds has provided engrossing work quite distinctive from their other productions.
Critics are trained to break down the influences of musicians and attempt a transformation of this into some kind of easily digestible nugget of definition for readers. The music of Kapital (and, indeed, all of the projects these two musicians are involved with) comes from such a thoughtful and complex place that it magnifies how trite and inadequate such an attempt can be. The thought processes and inspiration behind the music are detailed and deep, drawing as much, if not more, inspiration from literature than the road markers laid down by previous artists. The sound of Kapital crosses many boundaries and, at its core, aims to keep the listener in a meditative moment. It feels inappropriate to describe the sound in terms of other reference points and much better to relinquish such habits and give yourself up to the goal of being lost in the moment.
The sonic palette has expanded on Kapital’s second album. Last year’s debut, No New Age, built up massive droning edifices that engulfed the horizon completely. Chaos To Chaos feels more spacious and detailed, including a wider range of acoustic sources amidst the electronics and effects. As noise goes, it is more delicate than its predecessor, delivering a superb progression and exploration rather than simply renovation of established creation. Hypnotic and tranquil loops course through the psychedelic ambience, enhancing the meditative essence of the record.
2015 will be a busy time for both of these musicians, with a number of performances and other releases planned. With X-Navi:Et’s Dead City Voice / Remix Project already out in January and proving a fascinating and essential experience, Kapital’s Chaos To Chaos will shine amongst the welcome proliferation of creativity, brimming with the cerebral and the spiritual, that Kuba and Rafa? will give to the world in the year ahead.
Chaos to Chaos is out March 2 through Instant Classic.
The Black Captain DJs at the newly launched Electric Funeral Club with Jess Kill and Anger Management’s Scott Williams this Wednesday the 25th at The Velvet Lounge.