Gargantua ~ Poland

Gargantua (2003)

---2004

This album didn't meet my expectations as they were set to believe a Magma, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant combination. Naturally I took that to mean Mekanik meets Red meets Power & The Glory. But it could also mean Uppsala meets Discipline (still don’t hear any Gentle Giant I’m afraid). Modern sounding, very jazzy in the piano, digital-80’s style synths, clean and distorted guitar runs. Their sound sometimes reminds me of the new French group Nil, but in a different genre altogether. Expectations are funny, but now that I have my head around this, I’m enjoying it a lot more. Jazzy Zeuhl with Crimson moves. Something very different than anything else overall.

---3/16/26
 

There's these albums in my collection that I have zero recollection of. Gargantua's debut is one of those. Fortunately I have prior notes like the above. Despite a UMR era listen, I didn't enter the album into this site then. So I'll do that now. What does this third listen reveal?

Well it definitely belongs to the avant prog genre. Charted counterpoint rock music is how I hear and envision it. While we don't hear this sound so much from Poland, we do from neighboring Czech Republic. And I think that's where our signposts are: Uz Jsme Doma, Combo FH, MCH Band, Aku Aku, Dunaj, etc... The Polish vocals are a unique twist. The Zeuhl reference is real in that Univers Zero sort of way. And the guitars can get violent like Present does on occasion.

When the music is over, you begin to realize you've experienced something highly unique. None of the contents are groundbreaking, yet the way it's arranged and presented is just that. Groundbreaking. This is one of those albums I'm really glad to own, but if someone offered me something else like it, I'd probably take a pass. Strange, and perhaps illogical, that mindset is. But that's how I feel. One is enough, I submit.

Ownership: 2003 Ars Mundi (CD). Booklet with lyrics in Polish plus recording details. Acquired in 2004.

2004 (review); 6/20/17; 3/16/26 (update)

Gargantua went on to release one more album which I've yet to hear.

3/16/26 (new entry)

Michal Urbaniak ~ Poland

Live At Lile Eule, Bremen (1972)

After the last two sessions with early Michal Urbaniak, which proved to be pretty rough, I didn't have high hopes for a full 2 CD set of live material from the same era. All the pieces are taken from those two albums, and then extended. I'm not sure I'm up for all of this, but I'll at least let it play for a bit and see if some of this gels in a manner I can appreciate.

They waste no time getting into the noisy action with 'Winter Piece' from the debut, complete with Ursula's scat and a drum solo. Next up is a 28 minute centerpiece circling around 'Valium' from Paratyphus B. This will be telling.

Yea, no surprise, but this goes way beyond my interest level in jazz, rock, or music in general. Truly avant garde, one has to admire the creative spirit here. Would prove to be a tough task to emulate what Urbaniak and the gang are doing here. I can't imagine a "Michal Urbaniak Group" cover band.

I'll toss this in a box, and either sell it one day later, or trade it locally to anyone who is interested in it. I know that his later albums are far more to my tastes, and I'll update this post when I get to them.

3/9/26 (review)
 

Inactin (1973)

Back into the Sound Pieces set. Paratyphus B proved to be too "out" for my tastes, let's see how Inactin does.

Yes, a bit better. A little more focused, though its clear Urbaniak had no intention of going mainstream here. The German influences are more to the fore, and there's clearly some of that Krautrock experimentation going on. Mixed with free jazz. Every once in a while they catch a groove and you begin to think this might be more towards jazz rock. Then it shifts gear into atmospheric jazz, and a lot of noodling. Ursula sounds even more wacked out here. Not easy listening for certain.

Next up will be the live show. 

See Paratyphus B for ownership details. This title came from a VG record, curious why they didn't find a better one to use for their CD. Not so rare in Germany.

2/23/26 (review)

Paratyphus B (1971)

I'm largely ignorant of Michal Urbaniak's extensive canon of work, though I've been aware of him since I started crate digging in the middle 1980s. Some like-minded friends were into him, though I never pursued in earnest. I recall very little about his music that was played for me back then.

As I listen to Paratyphus B, I can understand why I probably didn't pursue. You really have to be in the mood for stuff like this. Released only in Germany on the Spiegelei label, you can hear the avant garde jazz of the era almost immediately. Urbaniak provides a very adventurous type of electric violin, miles away from the likes of Jean-Luc Ponty. On the final track he plays the saxophone in similar fashion. Future wife Urszula Dudziak is very much into scat singing, and she is at once energetic and atmospheric, occasionally at the same time. Electric piano also gets a workout. The three piece rhythm section rounds things out. 

This title is a bit rough for my ears. The melodic jazz parts work really well in this setting, but it gets very noisy in places that I don't find pleasant or comforting. Not sure how this CD set will turn out. Depends on where I land with the other recordings. I don't mind owning music like this, as it provides a stark contrast, just not too much of it please. More to come.

Former ownership: 2023 Made in Germany (3xCD). Part of Sound Pieces. Tri-fold digipak with historical liner notes inside the digipak. Obviously mastered from vinyl (or a noisy tape). Acquired in 2026.

2/9/26 (review)

Also once owned: Body English

2/9/26 (new entry)

Fren ~ Poland

Where Do You Want Ghosts to Reside (2020)

I had a few people recommend this title to me last year, more than usual, so I figured I'd add a new contemporary group to my buying list. The trouble was that every time I went to purchase the CD, it would have just sold out. Finally was able to secure one, and let's see what we have here. 

Right from the opening mellotron notes, it's clear this is going to be in the retro prog space, which is how it was described to me as well. What's strange about that is retro prog - as the term has become understood - is primarily a western European phenomena, based on their own country's 1970s progressive rock past. Especially England, Italy, and the Scandinavian countries. And the occasional Yank I suppose. But Eastern Europe's progressive rock scene of the 70s grew up differently. It had no choice, being forced to separate due to Communism. I enjoy both immensely, and it's nice to see a band from Poland make a try. When I think of Poland, bands such as Collage and Riverside come to mind, each being champions of neo prog and modern prog respectively.

Now having said all of the above, Fren aren't Wobbler, Astra, or Anglagard either. There is a distinctive post rock element to their sound - and the lengthy meaningless title of Where Do You Want Ghosts to Reside kind of gives that away. Big sweeping symphonic sound - somewhat modern sounding - as if Pink Floyd circa Animals wanted a try at emulating Jordsjo. I've always struggled with those lethargic fat beats that the genre seems to call for. So yea, Fren are a retro prog post rock band. Read that last sentence again. What a world we live in. Genre's aside, I was a bit fearful that the rhythm section wasn't going to participate, and essentially a computer could have taken over. But my fears were assuaged by the time of 'Gorąca Linia' and especially the jazzy 12 minute 'Pleonasm', quite possibly the highlight of the album. There's a slight resemblance here to fellow countrymen Gargantua. The entire band is quite accomplished, and I truly enjoy their (mostly) analog mid 70s sound. In the end, I'm rating this all instrumental album as "great", with the caveat that I'll need some convincing to move on with the band's next effort. Every year that goes by, the collection space is getting tighter. Standards are very high for newer albums. I know it's not fair that Night Ranger gets a nostalgia pass and the accomplished Fren has to fight to get in. But that's the way it is.

Ownership: 2020 private (CD). Die-cut digipak, with insert that changes its design. Also really appreciate the murky yellow and black original artwork. Acquired in 2021.

5/16/21 (review / new entry); 11/11/23

2018 Journal #7: Michel Madore, Bayete, Cesar Ascarrunz, AnVision

Michel Madore - La Chambre Nuptiale. 1978 Canada

Instrumental electronic album. A bit static on the whole. Never been reissued.

Bayete - Worlds Around the Sun. 1972 USA

Bayete, Todd Cochran by any other name, is a highly praised jazz release, but I don't hear anything overly special myself. It's... jazz. Good but nothing more.

Cesar Ascarrunz - Cesar 830. 1975 Bolivia

Has a couple of great songs, along the lines of Santana ('See Saw Affair' and 'Gotta Get Away'), but mostly this is fairly typical of the region. I had such high hopes for this title originally.

Anvision - Astralphase. 2012 Poland

Despite purporting the album to be more progressive rock oriented, along the lines of Eloy, this album proved to be somewhat generic prog metal. It's good though.

Alters - MILD. 2007 Poland

Alters are somewhat typical of modern progressive bands who do not blend their influences together as a cohesive whole, but rather attack each segment on their own. Or what I call "genre hopping". So there's no "brand identity" as it were. Just various parts and pieces pasted together. You'll hear everything from the usual prog suspects (Yes, KC, Genesis), to Miles Davis, Stockhausen, Polish stalwarts (SBB, Nieman), complex French prog, mid 70's Pink Floyd, etc... There are of course, as with any album like this, some really great parts to enjoy and savor. But once they've moved on, you won't hear anything like it again. It's an Around the World tour in... 52 minutes.

CD: 2007 Lynx

Last listen: August 7, 2017

Lizard - W Galerii Czasu. 1997 Poland

Lizard's debut is an unusual effort coming from the late 90s. Most of Poland's progressive rock scene were following along in the footsteps of Collage, and performing UK styled neo-prog. And there is definitely some of that sound present here, but there's also a bit of heaviness (not metal), perhaps paving the way for future stars like Riverside. But most interesting to me is the look back to the Iron Curtain years, and there's a distinct melodic songwriting as you might find on a late 70's SBB album, or even from the Czech group Modry Efekt. Odd combination, but it works. I bought this CD upon release, and enjoyed it immediately. Strange that I never pursued anything else by the band (though it didn't help that some of their initial follow up albums were "official bootlegs", which is rarely a good thing). Time for some research. The band is still around, and releasing albums, but they appear to have fallen off of everyone's radar. No idea if the quality is the same though.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Ars Mundi. Fine new album layout with original art and lyrics

1997; 2013; 6/19/16 (new entry)

Cytrus - Kurza Twarz. 1980-1985 Poland (archival)

If you ever wondered what it would sound like if mid 1970s Kansas mixed with early 1980s Solaris - and who wouldn't wonder about that? - then you now have your answer. With perhaps some additional guitar rave-ups similar to late 70s Fermata. It's obscure prog blender night! Seriously though, this archival release from Poland's Cytrus is absolute dynamite. Recorded from various radio studio sessions over a period from 1980 to 1985, the band goes on to prove they are an instrumental tour de force. At least for the first 11 tracks presented here (1980-82, 84). The final 4 tracks (1983; 85) apply vocals to a bit more conventional songwriting, though they never stray too far away from a creative break... or three. Cytrus' wunderkind is Marian Narkowicz, the inventive gentleman who provides both the violin and the flute.

Personal collection
CD: 2006 Metal Mind

The CD comes with full liner notes in Polish, but laid out so one can easily discern the salient facts. Many photos as well. Wonderful sound too.

Klan ~ Poland

Mrowisko (1971)

Klan, like Czechoslovakia's Flamengo, were one of the pioneers of the exploratory progressive movement beginning to emerge in the Eastern Bloc, before the authorities declared this kind of music too subversive for a healthy State. I hear music like this with a bit of sadness, always wondering what could have been for those countries left to suffer behind the Iron Curtain while the rest of Europe was being "turned on". Klan's effort is a mix of psychedelic, radical progressive, horn rock, jazz, orchestral rock, and emotional vocal pop. Fuzz bass, crazy drumming, impassioned vocals, flute, and some killer swirling organ define this amazingly mature work for the time and place. An album that should be held up as a national treasure, recorded at a time of despair and little hope.

The CD adds the 1970 EP known simply as Klan. It's a fine early rock n' roll album with some nice acid guitar sounds, though it does not foreshadow the excellence of Mrowisko.

Ownership: 2008 Metal Mind (2xCD). Tri-fold digipak. Booklet with lyrics and a lengthy history, all in Polish. The second disc is their 1970 EP. Both would have fit on one CD. Also be sure to read the comments where UMR friend Bas offers up even more CD info regarding this landmark album.

1988 (LP reissue acquired); 1997; 9/20/14 (review); 9/29/25

Niemen - Strange is This World. 1972 Poland

Not sure when SBB became the backing band for Niemen. It may have been here or the two Volume (aka Marionetki) albums (see comments from reader Bas as he clears all of this up for us). Niemen obviously was quite prolific during this period. Recently we spoke of Ode to Venus, and that album definitely seems like the SBB 0 (zero) album. Here, Niemen's vocals dominates more of the proceedings along with Helmut Nadolski's "double bass" which sounds like a cello gone mad, and (going off memory here) was also a big part of Niemen Vol. 1. Niemen's voice on Strange is This World goes beyond the blues, to an almost gospel-like croon. It's no doubt going to solicit polarizing opinions, though I definitely appreciate the passion brought forth here. As others have said, and I tend to agree, I would have preferred his native Polish rather than English. Still, SBB gets plenty of time to unleash their rock fury, and Apostolis gets in a few mean fuzz licks here and there. Organ is another dominant instrument presented. This album is a bit more unhinged and experimental than Ode to Venus, so I'd start there - though Strange is this World is well worth investigating on its own merits.

Ownership: CD: 2003 CityStudio Media Production / Green Tree (Germany). Standard jewel case reissue with liner notes from the 70s, one in German and a shorter one in English. 

8/31/12 (new entry)

Niemen - Ode to Venus. 1973 Poland

Ode to Venus is in effect the SBB 0 (zero) album, predating that great band while providing the instrumental tour de force behind legendary Polish singer Niemen. Skrzek's trademark fuzz bass blasts away, contested only by Apostolis' shredding on guitar. Meanwhile Niemen puts in his usual impassioned bluesy vocal performance. His vocals are emotionally charged throughout, and can only be considered an addition to the great music behind him. Perhaps English isn't the best choice here as I'm sure Niemen singing in his native Polish would have been even more powerful, but we'll take what we can get. Generally Eastern European bands during Communist rule had to tone down the rhetoric, and let the music do the talking. But Niemen was given special privilege, and he took full advantage. This is an essential work.

CD: 2003 CityStudio Media Production / Green Tree (Germany)

CMP was a legit label in the early part of the 2000 decade who had licensed most of the Bellaphon catalog as well as many titles from Sony (like this one). But they're old school late 80s / early 90s styled bare bones reissues, with nothing more than lineup info and lyrics. This CD remains the only legit one on the market.

Atman - Personal Forest. 1993 Poland

Atman were perhaps the original freak folk band from Eastern Europe. Personal Forest is about as psychedelic as any album ever released, and yet it's not entirely clear if that's what the band were striving for. In fact, it takes a bit to get going to be honest. It's not unusual to see folks call this a "world music" or, even worse, a "new age" album. It does start off by giving that vibe, but as the album goes deeper into the middle, or forest as it were, the album becomes incredibly intense, and is truly a trance inducing album. Voices, strange homemade and ancient instruments along with tribal drums take the listener to places formerly not discovered. All of Atman's albums are recommended, but none came close to the brilliance of Personal Forest. And that also includes the post-Atman group The Magic Carpathians.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Drunken Fish

Originally released as a cassette under the moniker Theatre of Sound Atman.

1999; 2/15/10 (new entry)