An outstanding expert on Polish improvised music, author of the book „Polish jazz recordings and beyond” – Maciej Lewenstein – about our latest album:

Keep reviewing the ones I love:
***** Andruchowycz & Karbido: „Litografie”
by Hermetic Garage

Jurij Andruchowycz (voc);
Ihor Hnydyn (dr, perc, live elec);
Marek Otwinowski (bg);
Tomasz Sikora (as, bs, field recordings).
September 2017.

This marvelous album was inspired by the series of
red lithographs and a series of poems „Litografie starego
Stanislawowa” by Jurij. Here, the poet interprets seven
of this poems in Ukrainian with an incredible support of
Karbido. Pawel Czepulkowski is replaced by Ihor Hnydyn,
who is perhaps more dynamic, but equally well one
could say that the music here is more dynamic.

I am totally impressed by the incredible work of Tomek Sikora
on saxophones, both on alto and baritone. It all sounds
like a Polish-Ukrainian XXIst century version of The Pop
Group with Gareth Sager, combined with some phrasing
à la Ken Vandenmark. My favourites are the opening „Serafini”,
with the baritone sound, and the magisterial „Koci koncert”,
combining both alto and baritone.

The album is wonderfully edited as always, with the
reproductions of the seven lithographs, and with the
congenial Polish translations of Jurij’s poems by Marek
Otwinowski, on the reverse of each image.

For me this is a masterpiece of the contemporary
avant-prog-rock combined with sung poetry.