"Dew Point," An Impressive DVD from Mikrokolektyw

There are DVDs that feature a literal view of artists in performance; there are DVDs that give you the music tracks and bring only art-visual video onto your screen; and there are those that do both. The new DVD from Polish duo Mikrokolektyw, Dew Point (Delmark DVD 1597) does both. And it does both in a very pleasing way.

There are two versions of the program. One shows the duo on stage playing a live set. Behind them are visual stills and montage video of (what seems to be) a trip on Chicago's El train from the beginning of the line to the heart of downtown. The second program features the music with just the montage video as image, full-screen.

Mikrokolektyw is Kuba Suchar on some very hip drums and Artur Majewski on a plaintive. soulful, post-Milesian trumpet. Both also activate electronics, some of which seem to be MIDI-controlled accompaniment to what is going on live; other devices alter the signals of the live music in various ways.

I've reviewed their last CD on these pages (see the Index). (I Liked it.) The DVD showcases well their rather unique combination of space rock, avant soundscaping and free improvising. It's seemingly a group destined to get increasingly favorable attention as people become accustomed to the way they go about things. They have embarked on an important foray into improvisation and live electronics. May they continue exploring for many more years.

The music, the imagery and the great sound combine to give you a full evening's worth of ART with all caps. Kudos to Mikrokolektyw and kudos to DVD director Raymond Salvatore Harmon.

Propulsive Electric-Acoustic Jazz From Mikrokolektyw

When the sound of the unexpected is expected, yet what you get remains unexpected, it is a reason to sit up in your chair and take notice. Such was the case with the Polish duo Mikrokolektyw and their Delmark (591) CD Revisit when I first listened. Kuba Suchar is on the drums; Artur Majewski plays the trumpet; they both activate electronic parts, seemingly Moog derived.

What's cool and interesting about this music is the well conceived fullness they develop throughout. There are trumpet motifs that form thematic pivot points for the numbers and Artur plays within and without these motives in the course of his improvisations. Kuba plays some advanced and thought-out drum parts that have propulsion but also show a non-standard approach to the set. No unmediated backbeating on this! He's extraordinarily inventive in his pattern making and it contributes in no small part to why this is unusual music. The electronics are well conceived and in all cases add integrally to the music.

Mikrokolektyw play music of high adventure. Revisit takes the latter emanations from someone like Tomasz Stanko and builds a new edifice on top. Highly stimulating, highly absorbing sounds well worth hearing.