https://youtu.be/fAWVYTOCs84

On July 27th Ersatz Recordings (a sub-label of Instant Classic) will release “Obertasy” – an instrumental album from Opla. Opla is a duo of Piotr Bukowski (Xenony, Duży Jack, Javva) and Hubert Zemler (Wacław Zimpel’s LAM, Zebry a Mit, Istina).

“It may appear that Polish traditional music is currently experiencing some kind of a revival,” Zemler says. “There are music festivals focused on folk that are really interesting, there are a few publications touching on past and current folk arts and our old masters are finally getting some wider appreciation,” he adds.

Bukowski and Zemler got into Polish folk music quite late and maybe that’s what drove them towards taking an experimental approach to their “Obertasy” project. What they did could be summed up as an alternative version of history where sampling devices and computers never reached Poland and urban-based performers carry on the tradition of playing oberki (a lively Polish kind of composition). It’s just that expression and emotional load here precede any attempt of staying true to the original form.

“It’s basically a comeback to our roots: a somehow distorted guitar and drums and these instruments’ raw energy,” Bukowski explains. “We’re far from what you can call revivalists, we’re constantly looking for new ways and Opla could be perceived as an attempt to find our own identity,” he adds.

Piotr Bukowski
Musician, composer, recording engineer, guitarist. He’s a member of music collectives Lado ABC and Milieu L’Acephale. In 2001-2007 he took part in Plain.music initiative that gathered improvisers from across the globe. He was a member of the post-rock band Stwory and currently he’s focused on his bands Xenony and Javva. Together with Kamil Gubała, Kuba Ziołek and the writer Andrzej Stasiuk Bukowski also works .......
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