Otwinowski / Sikorski / Witkowski - Spalona Ziemia [Gusstaff Records Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the ever active Polish label Gusstaff Records on May 19th, 2k23 is "Spalona Ziemia", the latest, roughly 44 minutes spanning, collaborative album released by the artistic triumvirate of Marek Otwinowski, Michal Sikorski and Marcin Witkowski. Based in Wroclaw the trio presents a sonic approach that fuses a variety of probably Jazz associated #irl instruments with various preparation techniques and a set of experimental electronic devices to create their version of 'scorched earth' - at least this is what the albums title translates to - which chooses violence in Improv from the get-go with "Tank II" bringing forth a heavy and muscular take on stop-and-go Industrial x Metal eruptions which find their continuation in the straighter, FreeJazz-infused "Tank I" subsequently whilst the "Soundbox" gravitates to experimental electro-acoustics and sound collage techniques, "△ Mo" combines nocturnal brooding atmospheres with tentative FreeJazz x JazzImprov followed by the more DarkJazz-leaning "△ Ms" and its droning, ever so overwhelming bassline pulses. Additionally, and further down the line, "Tank IX" harks back to a straight up bulldozer of an audio assault with its in your face low-pitch Industrial Metal meets saxophone torture before "Etnograf" rounds things off on a nervous, spine-tingling, yet tentative and increasingly romantic Improv tip once more just to name a few. Heavy.