REPUBLIKA - "MASAKRA" (1998)

"Masakra" was a strong comeback for Republika, after some disappointing albums.

My favourite tracks are “Gramy dalej”, with its dreamy keyboards, the title track, with its electro-industrial beats, and “Odchodząc”, a romantic single with acoustic guitars.
I also like downtempo numbers such as “Raz na milion lat” and “Przeczekajmy noc”. 

Even though it "only" reached no. 18 on the Polish charts at the time, "Masakra" has then become a classic. Today it is considered the band's third best album, after their Eighties milestones.

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GRZEGORZ Z CIECHOWA - "OJDADANA" (1996)

The most bizarre album in Grzegorz Ciechowski's career. An exciting, funny mix of samples, processed sounds, new age atmospheres, alternative dance beats, recorder solos, funk guitars, and old melodies taken from the Polish folk tradition. 
You are not going to find anything similar, that's for sure.

(Unexpectedly, this album did quite well in the charts, reaching no. 5 in Poland).

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OBYWATEL G.C. - "OBYWATEL G.C." (1986)

If you are a frequent Soviet Sam reader, it shouldn't be necessary to introduce you the genius of Grzegorz Ciechowski. With and without Republika, he was probably the best thing happened to the Polish music scene of the Eighties.

This is his first solo album, an anthology of songs he composed while still in Republika (some of which were played during the band's last concerts). If you liked "Tak! Tak!", or Republika's last singles ("Tak długo czekam", "Sam na linie", "Moja krew"), you will like this album too, as it displays the same arrangements and approach. A dark, bombastic mix of muscular rock and electronic sounds.

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OBYWATEL G.C. - "TAK! TAK!" (1988)

Obywatel G.C. (transl. Citizen G.C.) is a fascinating nickname used for the first time in 1986 by singer & composer Grzegorz Ciechowski, while Republika was on hyatus. After a great eponymous album (which you will eventually find on Soviet Sam), he released this classic title. 

"Tak! Tak!" sold over 300.000 copies in 1988 alone, while "Nie pytaj o Polskę" and "Tak tak to ja" both reached the top of the Trójka chart, occupying it for four and seven weeks respectively. The first in particular would become one of the most popular and revered Polish songs ever.
It is an effective masterpiece: the soft electronic beat, the melancholic piano riff, the atmospheric keyboard background, the peculiar structure (it is a sort of bolero, with instruments added while the song goes on), the touching saxophone solo in the middle, the wall of voices which leads the chorus, the epic fade-out ending. One of the most incredible songs you will ever hear, plain and simple.

The rest of the album is also very good. Helped by keyboardist & producer Rafał Paczkowski, Ciechowski creates a new wave almanac, where aggressive guitars, electronic breaks, and sampled jokes are mixed with a symphonic attitude in the name of a romantic pop titanism.

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REPUBLIKA - "82 -> 85"

"Kombinat", "Sexy Doll", "Telefony", and "Biała flaga" are Republika's four most famous songs (they all reached the top of the Trójka chart), but they can't be found in any of their studio albums, because they were released as singles before "Nowe Sytuacje".
In 1993 Sonic Records released this precious compilation. It collects all Republika's non-album tracks from the 1982-85 era (including my personal favourite "Moja Krew", a majestic electronic blues with ferocious anti-establishment lyrics). 

It is one of the most important releases in Republika's catlogue: it is considered by some to be superior even to their first two studio albums. Don't miss it!

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REPUBLIKA - "NIEUSTANNE TANGO" (1984)

Republika are back on Soviet Sam. This is their second album. If on one side it keeps their formula (Ciechowski's vocal attitude, which mixes cabaret with punk determination), on the other it shows some significant alterations (the sound of the piano becomes dominant, guitars are more atmospheric, and the flute that characterized "Nowe Sytuacje" disappears). 
The songwriting is maybe not as strong as in their debut, but this is still a great album and a required listening for those who love Polish rock music.

Unfortunately, "Nieustanne tango" was released on a limited edition of 45.000 copies only, and the band entered an irreversible crisis soon after its release, due to contrasts between Ciechowski and the other members.

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REPUBLIKA - "NOWE SYTUACJE" (1983)

Republika was one of the classic bands of Nowa Fala. Founded in 1981 and guided by the genius of singer and piano player Grzegorz Ciechowski, the quartet released two albums and a bunch of singles before disbanding in 1986.
A second, less interesting phase of their career begun in 1991 and lasted until 2001, when Ciechowski tragically died of aneurysm.

Recorded in a difficult context (the band felt responsible because it was anticipated by two successful singles), this debut album contains all the elements that made Republika an important project: powerful and metaphorical anti-regime lyrics, Ciechowski's passionate vocal style, and reckless musical structures (their post-punk background is twisted by unexpected odd meters, wild flute solos, frantic guitars, and art-rock piano patterns). "Nowe sytuacje" was an instant classic, selling 360.000 copies in 1983 alone.

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