VOO VOO - "DOBRY WIECZÓR" (2014)

Wojciech Waglewski is one of the most important musicians from the Polish underground scene. He founded Voo Voo in the mid Eighties and he's still leading them.

He's a prolific artist for sure: this is his twenty-fourth album with Voo Voo, not counting his various other projects (Osjan, Małe Wu Wu, Waglewski Fisz Emade) and his solo career.

Released in the fall of 2014, "Dobry wieczór" ("Good evening") is one of the best Polish albums of the new century, an art rock adventure through jazz, folk, and traditional music. 

One song in particular, "Gdybym", was voted the best song of 2014 by the listeners of Radio Trójka. It easily became Voo Voo's signature song, and deservedly so: the first part is an atmospheric jazz ballad sung by Waglewski, the second one is an Azerbaijani traditional prayer wonderfully performed by guest singers Alim and Fargana Qasimov in their typical mugham style.

The album would be worth its price for this song alone, but the rest is brilliant too.

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NIKOLA VRANJKOVIĆ - "VERONAUTIKA" (2017)

After having spent more than twenty years playing guitar in Block Out, one of the most important art rock bands from Serbia, Nikola Vranjković released this double album as a solo artist. 

It took him around fifteen years to ammass all these songs, some of which he had already played live on different occasions. 

In the end, "Veronautika" resulted in an anthology of fifteen epic songs, with many of them surpassing the 7-minute mark.

It's easy to get lost in this multi-layered sound, created by mixing gothic atmospheres, echoed guitars, wall-of-sound arrangements, and slow, martial rhythms. 

Thanks to some majestic arrangements and Vranjković's suggestive baritone voice, "Veronautika" is as immersive as music can get.

File under: alternative rock, gothic rock, art rock, post-rock.

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STRING CONNECTION - "WORKOHOLIC" (1982)

Poland has one of the best jazz scenes of the world, maybe the best one excepting the United States.
This is one of my favourite Polish jazz fusion albums, with strong funk rhythms and some beautiful sax and violin melodies.

Every member of String Connection is an important name in the local scene.

Krzesimir Dębski - keyboards, violin

Zbigniew Lewandowski - drums

Andrzej Olejniczak - saxophones
Janusz Skowron - keyboards, trombone

Krzysztof Ścierański - bass guitar

guest players
Mirosław Michalik - guitar (first two tracks)
Zdzisław Śróda - trombone (first track)

DOWNLOAD (kbps: 320)

BREAKOUT - "BLUES" (1971)

Tadeusz Napela was one of the most important bluesmen to ever originate from Poland and one of the best electric guitarists of his generation.
First he founded Blackout, with Stan Borys on vocals, who were active from 1965 to 1968. After Borys left the band, he became the lead singer and changed the name of the project to Breakout.
This is the second album by Breakout, and probably their most celebrated one. It's one of those rare perfect albums in which you wouldn't change one note: blues rock at its very best, with some hints of jazz here and there.

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YONDERBOI - "SHALLOW AND PROFOUND" (2000)

László Fogarasi Jr., better known as Yonderboi, is one of the most important electronic musicians from central Europe. 

In this debut album, Fogarasi is backed by some great jazz and rock musicians, such as keyboardist Balázs Zságer and guitar player Andor Kovács. Most tracks are instrumental, but there are also proper songs, performed by female vocalist Edina Kutzora.

"Shallow And Profound" was voted by now defunct magazine Wan2 as the greatest Hungarian album ever. I don't know if it is the greatest, but it surely ranks among the best ones. 
Particularly recommended if you are into downtempo, trip hop, modern electronic jazz, lounge music, and nocturnal atmospheres.

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PRAŽSKÝ VÝBĚR - "PRAŽSKÝ VÝBĚR" [aka "STRAKA V HRSTI"] (rec. 1982, rel. 1988)

Pražský Výběr (aka Prague Selection) were a Czech rock band founded by singer and keyboard player Michael Kocáb during the late Seventies.
At first, they played mainly instrumental jazz-rock, as did most Czech rock bands of that era, but as the Eighties began they became aware of British post-punk, and incorporated it in their style.
The result was a strange kind of progressive post-punk, full of virtuoso guitar and synthesizer solos. In fact, Pražský Výběr were way ahead of British post-punk in terms of technical ability, and that made their music something exciting and peculiar.

This is their second album. It was recorded in 1982, but released only in 1988, as the authorities did not like their frantic and flippant style. Nonetheless, young Czech people adored them, and their concerts in underground clubs regularly sold out.
"Pražákům je hej" is still a rock anthem as of today, but the whole album is awesome. You will rarely hear anything like this. 

DOWNLOAD (kbps: 320)