From woodland to rainforest: take a nourishing sonic journey from Poland to Zanzibar

Who: Łukasz Poleszak, a film and theatre music producer, is a household name on the Polish music scene, with more than 20 albums released so far under his pseudonym, Wudec.

What: Premiered on 28 October, Korzenie (meaning “roots”) is the first album Poleszak has released under his own name. It features 14 electronic tracks, produced over six years during the artist’s travels around Polish towns and countryside as well as abroad, visiting London, Dover, Barcelona, and Zanzibar. The album’s distinctive sound comes from a mixture of field recording, cassette tapes, analogue synthesisers, and small musical instruments, such as Tibetan bowls or zaphir bells, found and recorded on his travels.

What they say: Thanks to the meditative hours spent recording nature, Korzenie was as much an inward journey for Poleszak, as a globe-trotting adventure. “I felt that I was living in the moment, really hearing the surroundings.”

Why you need to listen: With a “Prologue” and “Epilogue” comprising bird song, the rustling of leaves, and zaphir bells, Korzenie takes surprising turns, moving from heavy, industrial sounds to religious song, from forest samples to dance beats.

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