Starkiewicz/Licak/Wójciński/Mora Matus

Taking its title and inspiration from Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem’s 1961 novel, Solaris’ six live-recorded tracks are a non-specific homage, with Lem’s transformative concepts about extraterrestrial intelligence  and machines’ futuristic roles reflecting electronic jazz fusion advances. Composed by guitarist Michal Starkiewicz, associated with the Beat Freaks, the clashing and complementary themes depend not only on the guitarist’s chiming and frailing string techniques, but also on the interpretative input from fellow Poles tenor saxophonist Tomasz Licak, who has played with Tomasz Dąbrowski and bassist Ksawery Wojcinski, part of one Charles Gayle trio. Adding resourceful percussion accents is Chilean Luis Mora Matus.

Often stressing whole band or dual timbral amplification, significant sonic real estate for individual improvisations, remains. Most common is broken chord evolution mating Starkiewicz’s mid-range finger-style tune exploration or shaking superfast string vibrations with Licak’s reed squeaks or obtuse slurs, as the two -pong licks between them. The more evident multi-string guitar echoes, taut string shimmies and dial-twisting buzzes become, the freer the saxophonist is to propel honks, split-tone screams and repeated tongue stops to make his points.

Wojcinski’s unvarying thumps protect narrative linearity in many cases, while his feature on the moderate “Awoken” allows him to reverberate multi-string plucks and power thumps as guitar strums and reed flutters create obbligatos beside him. Matus gets similar space on “Syrtis Maior”. His prestissimo back beat smashes, drum top tapping and cymbal splashes create a double time interlude in a track characterized by emotional reed swells that provide the contrapuntal coloring for extemporized guitar frails.

Textural contours allow heavy Punk and Hard Rock textures to provide sonic glue to hold together basic motion as individual musicians’ angled contours are produced. As emphasis is on distinctive sounds more than anything else, quartet still honors Lem’s ideas in an uncommon manner.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Invincible 2. Un_ex_planation 3. Syrtis Maior 4. Awoken 5. Tarantoga’s Invention 6. Steel Ropes March In

Personnel: Tomasz Licak (tenor saxophone); Michał Starkiewicz (guitar); Ksawery Wójciński (bass) and Luis Mora Matus (drums)