Zimpel / Ziołek

Two of Poland’s most acclaimed experimental musicians team up for a promising collaboration.

You might already know both of them from our end-of-year lists. Kuba Ziołek as “one of the most productive musicians of Polish underground”, with internationally acclaimed projects like Stara Rzeka or Innercity Ensemble. And clarnetist Wacław Zimpel as a jazzman turned ethno experimentator turned minimalist composer.

If you do know them already, then the components of their 6-minute joint work “Wrens” will sound somehow familiar, yet still intriguing, since the mixture of minimalist arrangement (hello, Steve Reich!) and Ziołek’s distant vocals adds new tones to the already broad palette of each musician.

While the final clarinet part is what will probably make you play this song again, it’s worth spending each listen to focus on a different layer of the intricate arrangement behind this miniature: spiraling acoustic guitar, hammond organs, drum programming. And with some luck, you might even hear a female voice in the distance.

If you like what you hear, look out for the full debut album by Zimpel / Ziołek at the end of June via Poland’s invaluable label Instant Classic.

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Photo: Aleksander Makowski

Wacław Zimpel on BandcampFacebook. Stara Rzeka on FacebookBandcamp.

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