Hi everyone, I just wanted to say hello to the community and I’m really glad I was directed here by @erikah. I like your idea of writing inspired by music. My life is so inspired by music that I have devoted my work life to it. I hope you will enjoy my writing about music, inspired not only by music, but also by life among music creators.
At the start, I’d like to share a few words about my passion for music, which is mainly connected with vinyl records. I’ve also created a community around this here called Hive Vinyl Freaks :D.
What I’d love to do here is introduce you to Polish music, and I hope you’ll enjoy it when I start sharing it. I truly believe we have a lot of fascinating artists in Poland, many of whom create music in Polish — which probably means they’ll never break through internationally. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe by sharing their work here, you’ll notice them and start listening, even if the language is unfamiliar.
I believe there are many talented people in my country who record beautiful songs with deep, poetic lyrics — young and gifted artists worth discovering. My hope is that you’ll broaden your musical tastes to include at least a few Polish musicians.
I’d especially like to talk about niche artists — the kind you won’t find on mainstream radio, and whom you’d probably never come across otherwise. Since I’ve been working in the Polish music industry for over 15 years, I’ve met many extraordinary musicians creating non-commercial yet beautiful music, and I’d love to share some of them with you.
So — let me start by introducing the band mona polaski, a group from the city of Łódź.
I’ve known this band for many years, especially Karol Stolarek and Wit Zarębski, who form the core of the group (previously in Bruno Schulz). Alongside them are Michał Gibki (ex-Ted Nemeth) on guitar and Szymon Kasprolewicz (Nowomowa) on drums.
Their music, in my opinion, will resonate with people who love new wave, shoegaze, Joy Division, The Cure, but also with those who appreciate a slightly more experimental sound.
Karol Stolarek — the lyricist, co-composer, and keyboard player — writes in Polish, and I consider his lyrics to be on the highest level of Polish literature and poetry that can be sung. Translating them feels almost pointless, as they are deeply metaphorical and often very abstract. They really carry meaning only in Polish.
On the other hand, that might actually be an advantage — even for Polish listeners, the lyrics are difficult to interpret. So feel free to just enjoy the music without worrying about understanding every word. Even I sometimes have to think carefully about what Karol truly wanted to express.
I had the pleasure of releasing mona polaski’s first album, "Folklore". The title might suggest something traditional, but the music is actually the opposite of folklore — it’s very modern. Still, I believe you can sense an undercurrent of folklore in it, something deeply rooted and strongly connected to the land.
It’s also an album that feels thoroughly Łódź - the city. For those who don’t know, Łódź is one of the most culturally rich cities in Poland. It hosts one of the best Polish showcase festivals, Great September. It’s also home to one of the most famous film schools in the world — the Łódź Film School, whose graduates include Roman Polanski.
Historically, Łódź was a city of manufacturers, a place of 19th-century factories, multiethnic communities, enormous fortunes, and great collapses. Knowing this context can give you a completely different way of interpreting mona polaski’s music. They are a band that truly belongs to this city and carries its spirit within their sound.
Two years ago, the band released their second album titled "Orginał". It came out on vinyl, and I also had a hand in that, since Mmona polaski managed to find a label thanks to me. If I’m not mistaken, it was released by 33Records from Poznań — an extraordinary and dynamic label that isn’t afraid to invest in independent bands.
The record was beautifully released on vinyl, and I proudly have it in my collection, along with the test pressing. I really encourage you to listen to this music and also watch their music videos, because the guys always polish their art to perfection.
This is music for everyone who values art in every detail. Karol and the rest of the band work not only on the music and lyrics, but also on the visual side of the project — album covers, video clips, visuals. Their work ethic is incredibly high, and they truly put their whole hearts into it.
They’re not that young anymore — probably around 40 — but that only adds depth and maturity to what they do. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out this band. I hope you enjoyed my little introduction and that it inspired you to explore Mmona polaski’s music.
And finally, I have a surprise for you. Here is an exclusive video recorded during a completely underground (literally and figuratively) concert-experiment. Never published before! Karol, Wit and Michał invited me and a few other people to it. It was 20 October 2022, the day before the start of the (month-late) Great September Festival. Completely unexpectedly, I invited people from 33Records to this event. This led to the subsequent collaboration between mona polaski and label. I have had several musical ‘marriages’ in my career. But I will tell you about them some other time. Enjoy!
Thank you for your attention!