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Robert Piotrowicz, "Stara Szkoła Ze Złota"
Piotrowicz's newest release is a relatively concise 12" single that hearkens back to his early days in a multitude of ways. The title itself translates as "Old School Made of Gold" in English, and the two songs included were originally recorded in 2010 and 2011 (but remixed this year). But even more indicative of its throwback nature is the fact that these two pieces were completely composed on modular synthesizers in a more immediate method of composition, rather than the varying techniques he has used in recent years. The final product is a single that is reminiscent to some of the earliest work I have heard from him, yet feels entirely fresh and contemporary within his discography.
"Calamitas" begins with Piotrowicz adjusting his knobs and connecting his patch cables to effectively mimic the sound of a vintage organ:a thick and heavy tone that waivers between melodicism and dissonance.He maintains a spacious, open feel to the piece while keeping the synth passages complex and dynamic, swelling in volume and retreating to quiet.The piece hits saturation points of pure sustained tone, after which he scales everything back to build up again. Before its abrupt conclusion, the pitches are switched to more polarized high and low frequencies to end on a slightly coarser and more forceful note.
The other side, "Ice Walk," leads off with a pulsing, sequenced sound rather than the sustained, expanding tones of "Calamitas."On the whole it is a more dissonant, menacing sound in comparison, shifting into massive expanses of sound with buzzing drones mixed with lurching pulses.An ugly concrete expanse stretches out, with an overall vibe in league with early Throbbing Gristle and SPK.Even still, Piotrowicz has composed a song that slowly slips out of its structure, becoming more and more erratic in its closing moments as it collapses in a sputtering fit of decay.
Robert Piotrowicz has expanded his stylistic repertoire in recent releases to include more academic, electro-acoustic arrangements, and even recently stepping into the world of opera.For those reasons, Stara Szkoła Ze Złota has more than a bit of nostalgic feel for his earliest (though I hesitate to say simpler) works.There is a focus and purity to the sound of these two songs that make them sound so new and immediate today though, and still fits in perfectly with his ever expanding catalog.
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WZBC's 30th Anniversary Bash
It's no wonder that one of the world's most internationally renowned college radio stations is based in one of the world's most internationally renowned area for its colleges. Based in Boston, WZBC celebrated 30 years of groundbreaking radio last year (beat that, Resonance!). This week is the irregular pledge week and to support them, a video document of the 30th Anniversary Bash has been assembled from footage taken by students and DJs, edited by Jon Whitney and current WZBC Operations Director Amar Ashar. Performers at the bash included Keith Fullerton Whitman, Quasi, Lightning Bolt, Out Hud, Due Process, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Tunnel of Love, Landing, Bardo Pond, Christopher Willits, No Neck Blues Band, Hella, and Nautical Almanac (many appear in this mini-documentary). Watch the video, then tune in afterwards at www.wzbc.org (or tune in if you're local) and hear for yourself! Support innovative non-commercial radio. Thanks!13 Minutes, Quicktime Streaming Video
