BUY CD reviews
| | MO£R DRAMMAZ - ''tu!'' (reminder) (2006) (reminder/reedition/remaster)
mik.musik.!. 2006
mik.klasik series
cat.#45/2006
released 22.11.06
release accompanying to XV Ars Cameralis Silesiae Superioris Festival.
CD. 1000 copies given away in silesian region for free with november issue of "Ultramaryna" magazine.
444 copies in refreshed cover, hand-numbered. digipack. limited edition. available from selected shops.
available also as digital download.
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"tu!" means "here!"
Asia says:
Since 2000 the past has enlarged. For me by one fifth of life. And by one sixth for my brother Wojtek. A lot. But what we wanted to say in "here!" is beyond time. It is a story of feelings. It is universal, about everything, everyone, though it comes from a very unique place on Earth. Simple apotheosis of the present moment "here!" and "now!".
When I was a little girl and was sitting in a bath, I had this overwhelming and physically filling thought: where do I come from? Who am I? Why am I me, Asia? Is this at all real? This state created uneasiness in me. Not entirely positive. But also curiosity and desire to go back to the past, to the beginning of the story in which I take a part.
"here!" is not an answer to these questions as much as it is an exploring expedition. A touch of what is still left for us – diaries of my grandfather, Janek Anio³, memoirs of my grandmother Hanka and great-grandmother Klara, a thought about father and mother and children. It is a warm hug of aunt Lica Waligóra, who has weak legs and cannot go out of the house on Bykowinia. Who is a stopped time, only a bit emaciated, thin, calm, waning. Asking: is there anything I could give you?
Wojt3k says:
We have been invited to represent silesian culture during EXPO2000 world exhibition in Hannover. So we decided to make something special for such great occasion. It was clear.
And we chose silesian subject, of course. For many years we have been exploring world outside us, dreaming about distant travels, and finally there was time to dig closer, in our surroundings, inside ourselves, family life. We wanted to search for our own, primar identity.
On Silesia sound is a very important being. This land of connected nature and industry in very special, heavy way, with complicated history and remarkable way of thinking of its people, is producing soundscape impossible to meet anywhere else.
We have been recoded a lot of emptiness and silence, and after some treating this phenomenas started to show hidden hyperactive life inside of them.
How to describe silesian atmosphere? First of all it doesn't belong to the cleanest in the world. For almost century it was the biggest industrial area of Poland. Now it is not black-snowing any more, but sounds produced here are coal-heavy and dusted still.
In Silesia nature is closely connected with technology. This is the very particular, sometimes strange mix of the ancient with contemporary, naturekind with humankind. Emotion with feeling. Very grey with very green.
We tried to approach these states with music for this Expo shows, and later for this album.
But, not only sounds or music in itself. Also words are important here. We invited to this project the oldest member of our family, our 83 years old aunt Lica (almost 90 now). We asked her to tell us stories from her long life, which entirely is spent here, on this land. To make a bridge between past and present, to give some advices for the future. Her stories, tales, songs and jokes were awesome and amazing. Some of them we have heard for the first time, some we knew well, but in different versions. It was jawdropping, hearttouching and very funny as well. And this is very essential - everything was told in the disappearing sweet silesian slang, language of the old people, unfortunately forgotten among the youngsters. In our meeting with aunt Lica our mother was taking a part, sometimes adding some clues. Because, by the way, this record is very feminine. In my opinion, Silesia is a woman, even if its polish name is masculine.
When we connected music and speeches we got kind of document, reportage, word-play, or even a plot, very much emotional and beautiful. And what we found very nice - it was understood not only here or in Poland in general, but also abroad, even if the language difference is completely obvious. This fact tells, that if you dig well your own identity, sooner or later you touch the pure humanity, with problems and experiences common for each of us.
"tu!" album became one of the biggest successes of Mo³r Drammaz and entire mik.musik.!. In the times of its premiere it get not so many reviews, but some time later it was discussed a lot, with serious articles about and so on.
No wonder - there is nothing similar created here, no other record like this. If we can find some analogies or similarities, maybe some movie works could be close. Silesia had kind of luck to be described and famed by great directors and filmmakers, and very, very few musicians.
Original release on cd-r, in special cardboard packaging, with handmade traditional wall stencil painting, was sold out quickly. We are very glad, that after some years it could be reissued, again in beautiful eyecatching graphic thesign. And again Ars Cameralis is helping us to make this thing material.
We are still here. This is also important. Life is important. Remind yourself and them about you and themselves.
Asia & Wojt3k, somewhere in Silesia, october/november 2006
www.cameralis.art.pl
www.ultramaryna.pl
original issue check here
Asia's words translated by Marta Lercel-Turel | |
