'Grzybnia' by Błoto

'Grzybnia' marks the latest release from dynamic Polish quartet, Błoto, continuing their long-running association with Astigmatic Records.

It's incredible to consider the Błoto journey so far - with their debut album having been unveiled in 2020, 'Erozje' would inspire a further two full-lengths in comparatively quick succession totaling three albums within a year.  That's an inspired level of prolificity and one that seemingly comes second nature to the the Błoto ensemble.

Often considered an offshoot of the phenomenally diverse EABS collective, Błoto's like-minded and ambitious scope has consistently been reflected within their own projects utterly justifying them as completely free of the respectful but lengthy shadow that EABS and their achievements must have cast over them since their inception.

Comprised of musicians and multi-instrumentalists Latarnik (piano/synthesizers), Wuja HZG (bass), Cancer G (drums) and Książę Saxonii (sax), Błoto's unrivalled soundscapes have previously served as odes to everything from 90s Golden Era hip-hop to the dance and house aesthetic of club culture.  'Grzybnia' however finds the group immersed within a further stage of their musical evolution, this time drawing inspiration from one of the most unlikeliest sources...

Mycelium.  Employed as a metaphor to surmise the global impact that the last few years have presented to us all and the inconceivable amount of challenges that have sought to divide us politically, racially and environmentally; a worldwide pandemic ground everyday life to a screeching halt; the continual threat of full-scale war looms over us... 'Grzybnia' seeks to highlight the notion of how working together can ultimately breed different outcomes.  

While mycelium - the fuzzy mass growing on out of date food - signifies the end of one life, it ultimately signifies the beginning of a new one also.  By its very nature, mycelium is rooted within both harmony and co-operation, a co-dependent relationship that identifies the importance of its own interconnected infrastructure alongside the world and the eco system around it.

It certainly serves as a bold metaphor to regard in line with the harmony of our world around us and even in line with a band as a whole.  The cohesiveness employed for improvised music and how each musician connects with those around them.  Musically, 'Grzybnia' sees the Błoto sound take even greater strides with an almost menacing, tightly-woven sci-fi aesthetic permeating throughout the album's otherworldly nine tracks.