“It's an album which makes a good combination sequencer/percussions in a Progressive Berlin School loaded of great synth solos”
1 U progu wielkiej tajemnicy 9:04
2 Sen mistrza Mikołaja 8:49
3 W objęciach Uranii 5:18
4 Puls odległego świata 04:18
5 Głos Pana 12:50
(DDL 40:22) (V.F.)
(Progressive Berlin School, Cosmic EM)
A new album by Przemysław Rudź is always an important event for EM's aficionados, especially when it's tied to a concept. The concept here revolves around correspondence between the priest Alexander Skultet and the physicist-astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century. A free translation of ZE SKULTETEM I KOPERNIKIEM PRZEZ XVI WIEK would be; In the 16th century with Sculteti and Copernic. And the music from the album will also be used as part of the historical-astronomical-Art Factory exhibition in the town of Tczew until 2023. Using his very great musical knowledge wisely, the Polish musician-philosopher-astronomer offers an EM that sticks to the spirit of the album and of its titles, swaying between a progressive Berlin School and cosmic spaces such as developed by the French musician Jean-Michel Jarre whose influences largely dominate the music of this album.
It's without vaporous atmospheres that U progu wielkiej tajemnicy (At the Threshold of a Great Secret) begins this musical exhibition from Przemysław Rudź. The rhythm is static and bubbles of hopping bass sequences with some variances in the colors. They jump with an elastic outline, creating a base which becomes even more arrhythmic when other sequences and arpeggios are grafted onto it. Keyboard riffs complete this chaotic structure which accommodates some really good synth solos. Those who live from comparisons, the atmospheres are much like Tangerine Dream of the Logos years, while the synth and the sequencer are guided with a master's hand by musician excellent in his synth solos. And there are many in the first part of this title. Their sophisticated forms captivate our hearing and direct At the Threshold of a Great Secret towards an Electronic phase as tasty as unexpected where the link of Jean-Michel Jarre's influences on Mister P's music cannot be denied. If this portion of rhythm is very JM Jarre techno, the synth takes on this tone so cold making me think of Synergy in Audion and even in Metropolitan Suite. It starts very well! Sen mistrza Mikołaja (Dream of Master Mikołaj) exploits an opening filled with hot winds, blowing its breezes as if the sky would like to get rid of its ethereal gases. Chords tremble in the chants of the azure winds which drag its particles and dust in an ambient-cosmic setting. Organic tones give life to our interest while slowly this rhythmic blossoming embraces a vision of electronic progressive rock with synth solos that make me think of Emerson-Lake & Palmer's Tarkus. I like the percussion in this title, as well as the organic elements that line its tonal fauna.
We arrive at the very cosmic W objęciach Uranii (In the Arms of Urania) which is a title of cosmic atmospheres which spreads the influences of Oxygen and Equinox from you know who. A fluid but discreet rhythm extends its harmonic streaks which go against the heavy resonant chords, extending the dust of riffs in this title which flirt with the paradoxes of its meaning. People hate comparisons, but when my ears smell the introduction of Puls odległego świata (The Pulse of a Distant World) I can't help but think of Oxygen 7. As for the rest, it's an ambient-cosmic title with tinkles which decorate a scrolling panorama like a skeleton with dislocated joints. Let's say it responds fairly well to the vision of its title. From the height of its 13 minutes, Głos Pana (Lord's Voice) extends its authority as soon as the vocoder effects speak in our ears on the back of an evasive strobe line. And this rhythm is born with power quite early. Embracing a progressive Berlin School style with bongo-style percussions that beat and retreat to always come back. The sequencer invites its keys to reinforce this circular rhythm line with a delicious shift in the strikes. Well formed, the rhythm swirls under the groans of a vocoder with a threatening timbre while being submerged by innumerable solos with sharp loops. These solos abound within 40 minutes of ZE SKULTETEM I KOPERNIKIEM PRZEZ XVI WIEK, taking on different shades in order to fully explain the vision of Przemysław Rudź on each of the titles. It's a particularly good ambient Berlin School, but which has its rhythmic effect, which evolves in the tumult of the vocoder to explode in a big progressive electronic rock.
Available only in download format, ZE SKULTETEM I KOPERNIKIEM PRZEZ XVI WIEK is a colorful EM album. As much in the rhythms as the ambiences which envelop them! It's an album which makes a good combination between the sequencer and the percussions in a context more progressive electronic rock than cosmic or pure Berlin School. Although these last two essences are also present. Przemysław Rudź weaves incredible synth solos which radiate EM in this phase of creativity which brought it to the skies between the years 75 and 85. A very good album to recommend on the Bandcamp site of Przemysław Rudź.
Sylvain Lupari (13/05/20) *****
Disponible au Przemysław Rudź Bandcamp