Label: Polskie Nagrania Muza – SX 1262 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Blue Label Country: Poland Released: 1976 Genre: Electronic, Jazz, Rock Style: Leftfield, Abstract, Avantgarde, Contemporary Jazz, Fusion, Jazz-Rock, Experimental
Impossible to categorise Polish left-field electronic / fusion gem from beat musician Czesław Niemen with his seemingly slept on '76(!) LP Katharsis. Given the year, location and political situation of this one, it's staggering just how out there this is, blending feathered, minimal drum-machine programming with bluesy guitar and some confident synthesiser action yet it all holds together really nicely even to this day and is super listenable. The occasional Polish vocals add extra intrigue (for me at least) as it's rare to hear them in this avant-garde / experimental context, with other Polish avant-garde around this time being mostly instrumental (I.E Ossian - more on those guys soon) and exploring the more spiritual / free-jazz blueprint as opposed to messin with electronics. A mind-bogglingly successful fusion of multiple styles that's a real grower, and still nice price! (Vinyl & Sleeve VG+).
