∆K†I◯N †4 - MIX†∆PE from Mateusz Ezra Altman on Vimeo.

The Polish witchhouse scene is obviously on the rise. Check out this massive mini-mixtape by ∆K†I◯N †4, with tracks taken from his new release ◯ out on 30. November. 

When Benedek Szabó, the mastermind behind the Hungarian project Zombie Girlfriend asked us to be the international platform through which the project’s second LP will be announced, we couldn’t say no. First of all we love Benedek’s musical humour, as manifested in the laid-back surfpop killer Jesus Stole My Zombie Girlfriend released as a part of the seminal Hungarian Lo-fi vol. 2 compilation, or in the way he approaches sound in Music for Porn. And then, we like his music too, and with it the whole scene from which Zombie Girlfriend arose - the plethora of bedroom producers from Hungary, tumblr-core peeps, and the diverse musical projects they create.

13 - Zombie Girlfriend - Jesus Stole My Zombie Girlfriend by parentsout

After Piresian Beach, Zombie Girlfriend is another “Hungarian lo-fi” project that is starting to be successful also beyond Hungary, and not only virtually. With their last shows in Serbian capital Belgrade and Czech Brno, Benedek’s originally one-man project grew into a full-scale live band. Music for Porn is the product, “a collective effort [that] opts for a heavier, more compact sound reflecting upon the fact that since May, Zombie Girlfriend started touring as a live band as well.”. The “songwriting and vocal duties”  have been shared between Benedek and his guitarist Gergely Nagy - as the album’s loose concept is focused on “two men sitting in a bachelor’s den at night getting drunk and recalling all their past affairs and failed attempts at decent relationships”.

Benedek and Gergely, while getting drunk during a male-bonding session.

From straight-out surfrock such as Surf’s Down (originally recorded with Piresian Beach) or She Never Smiles, Music for Porn also contains the motorik instrumental Velvet Underground Intermission with its reverbed-vocal intermission, the stoner-rock influenced Call Any Time with a barely discernible but epic guitar line in the background, or the track Levitate where the athmospheric backing-guitar epicness reaches its highest point on the album and sends shivers down your spine.

The “lo-fi” in Music for Porn can be understood as more of a filter, or aesthetics than as a way of producing. The album was recorded in a studio, with a full band, and the songwriting here is decent and sometime ventures into the domain of more poppy and accessible rock. And that’s where the “lo-fi as a filter” comes in - the fuzzed-out sound, the noisy tape, distorted guitars and vocals, keep the record from sounding too “normal” or too “poppy”. 

Music for Porn is a sign that the “Hungarian lo-fi” has the potential to spawn mature projects and bands. The record is available for streaming and download on the Zombie Girfriend’s bandcamp, or you might as well grab this link and download it straight away.

It has been an age-old assumption that when the times are shit - politically and/or economically, the art thrives (punk or the NY-based no wave and new wave scenes as a case in point). Hungary currently is not in the best state both politically and economically. A thriving bedroom lofi scene has been bubbling underneath in Budapest (read our feature about this with an interview with Ádám Lang who also features in the video), a group of like-minded musicians who don’t care about Moody’s rating and are ready to rise their middle finger to Hungary’s politics. “Hungary could collapse. Mr Matolcsy [Hungary’s Minister of National Economy] could do anything but the Hungarian DIY music scene scene is in full bloom,” is one of the memorable lines from the video.

A short documentary (hopefully just a teaser?:) with some of the proponents of the Hungary’s lofi scene with three bands including Piresian Beach, Halál Judit and A Párt. Young, fearless and with plenty of attitude - just what’s needed in today’s increasingly fucked up world.

Photo by Rita Németh kindly borrowed from the Hungarian Bedroom Noise blog

If we were not from this region, we would also probably throw in together Ela Orleans, a Polish lofi chanteuse informed by post-punk and Maria Minerva, the Eurotrash and dance music inspired Estonian producer with a penchant for retro as in “Eastern European lofi girls making it in West” (as has been recently inadvertently done by one NFOP writer).

Ela has been inspired by the rich Polish musical heritage (she’s lucky she comes form a country whose music scene actually and arguably thrived during communism) even though, as she says in an interview with NFOP: “I could rarely express any enthusiasm for Polish bands then (and even more so now). Brygada Kryzys was one of the few exceptions. They looked cool, they went to art school, they were beaten up by the police, and most importantly they played and sang as well as my favorite Western bands.”  She has several released under her belt including a split with Dirty Beaches on three labels Night People, Atelier Ciseaux and La Station Radar.

Ela, an artist and musician, released her debut High Moon, Low Sun in 2008 on the Italian label Setola di Maiale and has since travelled the world and music with releases on French labels like La Station Radar or BEKO. 

Below is Ela’s cover of Brygada Kryzys’ song Take My Hand  taken from her new LP Mars is Heaven and below that a video from NEO PI-R LP, her latest release on Clan Destine Records.

ELA ORLEANS “Take My Hand” from la station radar on Vimeo.

Our new collaborateur, the mysterious Andrej K., has penned his first article for us, a review of Concrete Cut’s latest offering.

Polish club scene, although still globally unknown, is a place where lot of interesting things are happening on an underground level. The label Concrete Cut is one example showing that sounds and beats made in Poland can sound ‘global’ - something that Dana Dramowicz, the label’s founder revealed as a goal in a former interview for Easterndaze.

“Our aim is to force Polish producers to think globally, up their game, and to consider themselves competition for international artists. They just have to believe it’s possible - and I think we’ve proven that it totally is. As for BPM - I’m sure that will change, and our sound will expand and evolve.”

Concrete Cut started as a dubstep label, but with the development of the continuum, has expanded their sound to a wider range of genres to include post-dubstep, uk funky, bass and avant-garde club music, strictly covered by Polish artists. Their latest release is The Experience EP by 0311.

0311 is part of the 0311/Black Galaxy project in which the producer was fusing together the sonic atmospheres of techno and deep house, warming up vinyls for Detroit godfather Juan Atkins, crazy innovator Derrick May or Robert Hood. 0311’s debut EP is, at least musically, somewhere else though.

Black Galaxy / 0311 - 2X4X by 0311 area

Hailing from Warsaw, this should be an interesting take on the vibe of this city. Trying to create an atmosphere of ‘late night moments, when the crowd heads home and the slaves of the sound system remain for one last moment of sonic bliss’, his music has moved away from flat beats. Focusing more on the sound of post-dubstep and garage scene, 0311 is still balancing on the edges of these styles and trying to mix some more musical influences into one working piece. As the base is solidly built on the latest soundbanks hailing primarily from London, there is still some space to add elements of dub techno or deep house into the song structure. The Experience is full of typical soulful vocals and airy synths, common tools for most of the top-notch producers these days. More for chill, than for dance, this is a very relaxed release.

0311 - The Experience [sampler] by Concrete Cut

However, sometimes it feels more like London than Warsaw, as the sound is trying to come close to the current standards. Synths in the System are fitting great, however this sound is connected to the London that much, that it’s quite difficult to create a trademark groove of another city this way. Slowly evolving, vocal based It’s Not True resembles some of James Blake’s tracks maybe way too much. The label’s goal is achieved, the sound can be compared to the big names, however the unique vibe of the city is lost in the textures used way too many times in the past and in a different city.

0311 - Warsaw Dream by Concrete Cut

The Experience is a fine debut, showing the production skills of 0311 capable of matching the ‘top-dogs’. Some of the aspects of 0311’s sound are even better, and maybe what we are missing is the addition of something more unique or personal into the tracks. And this special something can make tremendous results in his next release. Be sure to get the free mp3 from The Experience below:

0311 - White Shadows [The Experience EP, Concrete Cut, 2011] by easterndaze ;