T'ien Lai - RHTHM (2015)

T'ien Lai is a polish duo comprised of Kuba Ziolek (Stara Rzeka, Alameda 5, etc.) and Łukasz Jędrzejczak (also part of the Milieu l'Acéphale collective). RHTHM is their second album (for a review of their first one read HERE). A krautrock mixtures of samples, drones, tribal rhythms, electronic beats, saxophones, a lot of vintage synths, loops, effects, etc. The result is really strong and trippy, full of surprises and wonders. The trip takes you to new-age / psychedelic territories to darker stuff, more noise based and slightly disturbing. It's a very rich and complex album and there would be a lot more to say. But just discover this unique piece of awesome music by yourself, you won't regret.

The Bandcamp page.

Stara Rzeka - Zamknęły się oczy ziemi (2015)

Stara Rzeka is a solo project of Kuba Ziołek of the polish collective Milieu L'Acéphale. Zamknęły się oczy ziemi is the second album and is intended to be the last one (which is a pity but I'm sure Kuba Ziołek will continue to bring us good music in other contexts). The album was done with the help of musicians from the Innercity ensemble (also part of Milieu L'Acéphale). Some songs were written before the first album but this one does not just sound like the other half of the first, for example there's not metal vocals any more. But the basis stays the same :  folk, drones, noise and krautrock played by acoustic and electric guitars, synth, electronic noises and beats, a bit of drumming, and only clean vocals this time. Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders and Moondog are cited as influences. The result is fascinating and moving music, mostly quiet and trippy but with also some moments fitting the usual song structure (riffs, singing, etc.). This is a great album, with a unique atmosphere, and I'm impatient to listen to  Kuba Ziołek next project (solo or with a band).

The Bandcamp page

Alameda 5 - Duch tornada (2015)

Alameda 5 is one of the band with people composing the Milieu L'Acéphale collective (from Poland, other bands are Stara Rezka, Tien'lai, Kapital, Innercity ensemble, etc.). This album, Duch tornada, was released this year by Milieu L'Acéphale and Instant classic. It shares members with Alameda 3 but i's two distinct band making different music. What to expect from Duch tornada? Vintage synth, percussions, some sax, samples, noise, guitars, clean vocals. Krautrock (exept it's not really rock, like most Krautrock anyway...) comes to mind, but also dark ambient, new age synth, free jazz / contemporary  / concrete music, and King crimson. Science-fiction is a source of inspiration for this music and you could guess by listening to it. This is weird, most often quiet and subtly dark, and very trippy. This is really immersive and fascinating stuff. If you're up to a journey into strange ambient territories this will be perfect. I really like it.

Their Bandcamp page

T'ien Lai - Da'at (2013)

Ready for some polish analog electro / psych / kraut / noise? In any case you should try this album, yes it's weird but also excellent, very trippy. T'ien Lai is Łukasz Jędrzejczak and Kuba Ziołek are also part of other bands from the Milieu L'Acéphale collective. On this recording they used : radio sets, guitar effects, voices, synthesizers, guitar loops, amplifiers. The music is noise / drones with synth' trippy melodies with an oriental touch, plus sounds from radio, guitars etc. and a bit of incantation like vocals at times or vocies from radio. Overall it's quiet / meditative but there's also a mysterious feel of danger. I think there's a big krautrock influence but Sunn))) or Bong comes to mind as well. Psychedelia comes in many forms indeed. This album is called Da'at and was released in 2013 by Monotypes records and Milieu L'Acéphale. This is a very recommended trip!

The Bandcamp page.