Jacek Staniszewski ‎– Zawstydzajacy Dar CD

Jacek Staniszewski ‎– Zawstydzajacy Dar CD

"Jacek Staniszewski is a veteran of the Polish artist scene who also records as a sound artist and DJ's at techno clubs in Warsaw. He was also a member of Neurobot and Facial Index, if that means anything to you. Zawstydzajacy Dar is his latest release, released on Lumberton Trading Company the Anglo-Polish label, run by Richard Johnson and it's a challenging and intense listen comprised of processed sound and turntabilism manipulations.

'Pengr' is awash with computerised glitches. It is quite literally tone waves, where looped tones are layered upon looped tones. Scratching and rushing to the surface. Like the early looped noise experiments of Boyd Rice / NON, you seek meaning in the seemingly random patterns of electronic generated tones. Whether you find discernible patterns is really up to the listener. Skittering electronics add another layer before it settles into unsettling looped sequences, pierced by shudders, shifts and sound cracks. It's an intense ride, for sure.

Jacek Staniszewski also indulges in turntablism and some of that appears mixed into the sound manipulations of 'Toglos'. Opening tonal bleeps and shifting drones are riddled with the crackle of distortion as the sounds become more processed and spatial. Getting progressively louder with tone rattles, returning to stylus crackle and low shift drones, echoing with soft indistinct melodies. On the latter half of the track the processed throbs and shudders, almost become galactic; as it veers between passages of spliced and cut-up space signals cast against crackling distorted textures to alien hum. And yet within its 23 minute duration it constantly folds in on itself and repeats passages in new contexts which ends up sounding quite aimless.

The first real rhythms of Zawstydzajacy Dar surface on 'Boigbee', albeit in the form of a hammering throb over sustained drone, clicks and hollow taps. A looped voice repeats continuously, as the throb almost transforms into a clock tick, the sustained drone alternating keys sinking into abrupt silence and reappearing. There's more rhythms on the channel shifting electronics of 'Zefx'. Its sole drum beat surrounded by processed rhythms and electronics. It's all quite chaotic, especially when the processed rhythms begin to stutter and explode like fire crackers amidst the laptop generated sound effects.

Zawstydzajacy Dar closes on the cut-up blasts of computerised noise of 'Shquip 04', slipping out on low-end frequency reverberations. With a running time just shy of a minute duration, you know it has been a challenging listen when the noisiest and shortest track offers the most sense of familiarity and cohesion.

Zawstydzajacy Dar features exclusive artwork from Polish artist Aleksandra Waliszewska but the image of a cat doesn't really convey the music - and neither does the insert text from Krystof Gutfranski. The whole album is challenging combining generated sounds with turntable manipulations. Some of it features electronics that are intense and busy but they're overlong showing little signs of sound progression in its composition. Other tracks are more simple with rhythms that come over like Pan Sonic lite. An editor or outside producer may have reined in its more wayward tendencies. Zawstydzajacy Dar is released on Lumberton Trading Company a much under-appreciated label who count Thighpaulsandra, Sion Orgon, Michael Gira, Human Greed, Theme in their catalog and countless others I have loved. I've got a lot of time for the people behind the label and I applaud Lumberton Trading Company for putting out new music. Zawstydzajacy Dar is "out there" and challenging and sometimes that's enough but honestly, I can't think I'll return to this often, you might think otherwise though." - Compulsion Online