Wegrzyn - Volksmusik

[Click on image for Official Wegryzn website]

Country - Poland

Composer - Lukasz Wegrzyn

Released - March 2014

 

- Tracklist -

1. The Orchid

2. Weather Report

3. Eleven Summers

 

- Review -

A new release from one of my favourite ambient labels, Etalabel, Volksmusik is the debut of Lukasz Wegrzyn. From a quick glance, it may seem like a small attempt at only three songs, but all pieces are above ten minutes (Eleven Summers being over twenty minutes in length) so it is still a fair sized album. The time on each piece is more than enough to send the listener onto a journey into Wegrzyn's world.

 

When listening through the album, it isn't all soft touch, at the end of 'The Orchard' harsh static finishes the piece off, and at the end of 'Weather Report' too, albeit a little deeper and less piercing. these songs don't flow into each other, and this completely offsets the mellow introductions to the songs (the piano within 'The Orchard' is just beautiful). My take in this is that each song represents a story, not just the entire album. Every one song represents an event, and when put together with others on an album, represents a life. the softer sections hold happier memories, and the harsher sections hold sadder, distressing memories. Life has ups and downs, compositional wise, this album has too.

 

This album is the story of a life, and Wegrzyn has decided to share it through music. He has only used piano for this music, and experimenting with the sounds on the piano has led to some interesting concepts. it's full of layers and as a result has a thick atmosphere. Lukasz is a wonderful, talented composer, and if Volksmusik is a taste of what to come, my ears eagerly await.