Cosmographer
For my money, our good buddy Krzysztof Sobiecki has said it all below. This is ADDICTIVE music, just as fucking amazing as the album cover.
Dawid Bartkowski
Best Naphta's work. Fav track? Probably "Crystal Lizard" - sounds beetwen early Theo Parrish with balearic feeling and Sun Ra spirit.
Favorite track: Crystal Lizard.
𝕋𝕨𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕕𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕝
A genre-defying album that switches musical lanes at pace but so does so effortlessly. On paper all these styles together really shouldn’t work as well as they do but Naphta is a supreme talent. I'd also recommend checking out his first album (one of 2016’s hidden gems)!
Favorite track: Crystal Lizard.
After a well received debut album, ‘7th Expedition’ (Transatlantyk), numerous vinyl EP’s including Studio Barnhus, OMENA, Father And Son Records and Tapes, and several live acts, which have taken him to South Korea and Japan; Musician, DJ and Producer Naphta, a graduate of RBMA in 2011, returns with a new LP, “Naphta & The Shamans”.
Naphta’s use of creative sampling is his foundation. Whilst recording his first LP, Naphta was gifted with samples sent by musicians from around the world. However, with the new album the creative process changed. The artist stepped away from sampling and turned to instruments, an electric and bass guitar, percussion, keys and drum machines. Despite his departure from sampling, influences from African, Jazz and Electronic music can still be heard, but these are secondary to the prominent presence of Psychedelic Rock. ‘Sending tracks around the Globe is interesting and leads to cool effects but this time I wanted to place emphasis on my interpersonal interactions with the musicians I collaborated with.’ - Naphta says.
The result of this new approach is an exciting 10 track LP, where Purple Dubstep is mixed with Jazz, Psychedelic Rock is blended with UK Funky and Shamanic Dub is fused with Ambient. The LPs story is bound together by the first and last tracks, ‘Dim Daybreak’ and ‘Pale Dusk’ both featuring the vocals of Jaq Merner, lead vocalist of Kroki.
‘I’m escaping from making music with the use of vocals, specifically lyrics, which can change at any time. However, in this case, Jaq sang abstract phrases, which helped to create and emphasise a sense of escapism, the key theme of the album.’
Naphta says
A variety of genres are drawn upon to create the story of this album. ‘Explorer’s Judgement’ takes influence from Disco, Dubstep shapes ‘Stalking Knights’, Indie Rock is channelled in ‘Frozen Paths’ and Dub is featured in ‘Firelink Strine’. Here, Naphta cherry picks the elements from each genre which best fit his vision. ‘Recreating the past or paying homages isn't my main priority. Throughout my life, I have found that I've been accompanied by a variety of different music, and for this reason I strive to show diversity in my compositions.’ Naphta says.
‘Naphta & Shamans’ is a thrilling album with an exciting, yet unexpected style, shape-shifting in sound. You may hear Shamanic percussion or the rhythmic sounds of the drum machines, but nevertheless you can still hear it's the same artist who recorded ‘7th Expedition’. ‘In contrast to my debut album, I didn't create a narrative to accompany the music. I decided to allow the music to tell the story through sound, and that's why the order of the tracks is so important. I want the listener to be able to follow a story, identify a main character and discover their fate. In some sense I have taken influence from the narration technique of Hidetaki Miyazaki, creator of the game series ‘Dark Souls’, which had a massive impact on me. The album is constructed with cyclic listening, everyone can discover something different and change the narrative - Naphta says.
This album is the result of a collective effort. The ample list of contributors credited on the album reflect the many jam sessions held during its creation. Marcin Mrówka (Bluszcz) assisted with the development of compositions and production. Electric guitarist, Vojto Monteur and base guitarist ,Paweł Stachowiak both from EABS can be heard on some of the tracks. Also, Bartosz Kruczyński (Ptaki, Earth Trax) makes a guest appearance, just to name a few. The cover by Zbiok Czajkowski reflects an ambitious narrative. ‘I wanted something that would connect with psychedelia and also give a nod to Kitsch. Something along the lines of an Iron Maiden cover, specifically ‘World of Warhammer 40K, fantasy’. A cover which could suggest the story of the album, but not necessarily.’
credits
released May 25, 2018
Written, produced and mixed by Pawel ‘Naphta’ Klimczak (5 co-written by Marcin Mrówka)
supported by 13 fans who also own “Naphta and The Shamans”
Ditch the Western cliches of musical sorrow. At no moment in this astonishing "search for Slavic melancholy" do EABS consent to gently weep. Instead, they roar forward, ablaze with unruly life. Most tracks center freewheeling sax over dense ensemble arrangements, intricate & at times challenging, but thrilling throughout. Some may miss the overt club & hip-hop elements of the Komeda tribute, but I think this is their best yet.
Recommended to absolutely everyone. contendo
A compilation of unreleased laid back and chiller tracks for when the party gets a little too much (or is just getting started.) Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 21, 2022