BRYGADA KRYZYS - "BRYGADA KRYZYS" (1982)

In 1981 Piotr Mrowiński left Kryzys, being replaced by singer/guitar player Tomasz Lipiński. After this new entry the band drastically changed its direction, so founding member and composer Robert Brylewski changed the name of the project to Brygada Kryzys. 
As Kryzys, the band was not much more than a Mark Stewart's Pop Group clone. On the contrary, after the mutation they produced one of the most original albums of the Nowa Fala movement. Strong dub basslines, walls of echoed saxophone, an impressive range of guitar work (liquid delayed lines, proto-noise assaults, intricate solos), and moreover, fast rhythms that definitely moved the band away from the systematic use of stop&go rhythms of bands such as the Pop Group (the only song with a typical reggae rhythm is "Ganja", which is the least interesting one). 
The first side of the record is sung in Polish, the second one in English, and they're both brilliant.

Even though the album was able to sell 200.000 copies in a year, the band disbanded soon after. Its members have been dominating the scene in the decades to come, joining or founding bands such as Tilt, Kult, Armia, Izrael, and many more. In 1992 Lipiński and Brylewski reunited Brygada Kryzys for a second studio album (I'll post it in the future).

P.S. I always recommend to buy original albums, but I have to warn you that some CD editions of this album contain remixed versions and not the original ones, so please pay attention.

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AYA RL - "AYA RL" (1985)

Formed in 1983 by keyboardist Igor Czerniawski and singer Paweł Kukiz, Aya RL was one of the most important bands of Polish post-punk.
This is their debut album, a kinda bipolar work: it contains some epic pop tracks such as "Nie zostawię" and "Księżycowy krok" (with expanded guitar sounds and atmospheric keyboards), but also that terrifying elegy to city life titled "Ulice miasta" ("Here on my street, no one surprises anybody. Christ doesn't live here any more, and Satan has gone and left us to it. Here on my street, cold plays through the tenements, cold like cancer in living cells").
Aya RL released another album in 1989, but Kukiz left the band soon after, ending their adventure. In 1994 Czerniawski tried to use again the band's name and released three nonessential electronic albums.

P.S. The last three tracks were not part of the original album, but I included them because of their relevance: "Jazz" was their first single, "Oczy" was the b-side to "Księżycowy krok", and "Skóra" was their biggest hit, topping the Trójka chart for four weeks. It remains one of the most popular Polish rock songs of the 80s. The album was able to sell 90.000 copies in its first year of release, maybe a little under the expectations.

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LADY PANK - "LADY PANK" (1983)

Six songs out of the ten contained in Lady Pank's debut album reached the top of the Trójka chart. By the end of 1984 the album had sold 420.000 copies, and its singles a further 300.000.

Lady Pank is one the most successful bands ever in their homeland. Their first works are characterized by an angular post-punk sound, with smart pop refrains and occasional reggae structures. Anyway, they were also able to write dreamy ballads such as "Wciąż bardziej obcy", my favourite song here. 

As time goes by, especially in the 90s, their sound changed into a flat rock formula, more suitable to fill arenas during their pharaonic tours. Nonetheless, their earlier stuff is still surrounded by a magic flavour, and "Lady Pank" remains an important key to understand Poland's Nowa Fala movement. It is quite simply one of the best albums released in that country.

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BORGHESIA - "NO HOPE NO FEAR" (1987)

Let's start this blog with a Slovenian cult band formed in 1982. 
Aldo Ivančić (drums) and Dario Seraval (vocals) played Electronic Body Music in the style of bands such as D.A.F., Front 242, and Nitzer Ebb, with industrial influences here and there.
This EP was released in 1987 and is one of their most celebrated works.
The sound of Slovene language is softer than German, but the music is still harsh, with sharp beats and cavernous synth sequences. 
Their career lasted 13 years, but I honestly don't know what happened after their break-up.

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