Customer Reviews

Skalpel

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased the album largely on the strength of the reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. This is sometimes a bad idea. When it is, I make purchases that I mildly regret as I hand the CD off to Bumper at the used music store for 30% of it's original value after several disappointing listens. That didn't happen this time. This album is a keeper. It's mellow--look elsewhere for a more energetic take on the jazz/beats front--but it's ideal for evening relaxation or to keep things chilled out at work. I'll be playing this when I have folks over for dinner, probably sandwiched between STS9's "Artifact" and Savath & Savalas' "Apropa't", both of which I also recommend. In the meantime, Skalpel will enjoy a long run in my regular listening rotation.

So, if you're looking for something mellow but insistent enough to keep your attention, if you enjoy jazz & beats & a mild taste of electronica, buy this album. You won't have any regrets, even if you like it a little less than I do.

Thanks to other reviewers for turning me on to this album.

Igor Pudlo and Marcin Cichy have been making warm, crisp and complex beat-based music for a while now. You wouldn't know it but they are some of the best knowned DJ's and producers in Poland. A blend of old 50's nouveau polish jazz records,Cichy and Pudlo unravel there debut with astonishing east european crisp breaks. They are on to it.
Makes me feel un-huh... right.

This album is sort of a cure for pain, believe me..I totally dropped out when i heard "sculpture" ep some months ago..Now we gotta full album and it's worth it.Dig it.You won't regret.Classic sound, sort of retro, comes together with Cinematic Orchestra and classical tunes of scandinavian jazz scene form the 60s and 70s..Just kick back, relax, get your earphones and listen. Pure joy.

Ok, so you've heard about the Polish jazz affinity, the finely-tuned snare hits, and the orchestrated cymbal crashes. But beyond simply being schtick, Skalpel take the forgotten Polish jazz culture and weave a tightly-knit ode to these lost gems, turning out what amounts to a damn fine jazz/beats album. Yes, the fact that echoes of the Novi Singers, Wojiech Karolak, and Jerzy Milian can be heard throughout the LP is certainly a remarkable attribute, but why pigeonhole when you'll only be distracted from enjoying a great record? Instances such as "1958" shine with its scat vox and scattered drum patterns, proving there is inventiveness beyond basic arrangements of samples. "Break In" is also a standout, a softer exhortation of the virtues of the electric keyboard. So while acknowledging the past is always requisite when guaging a sample-based album, just don't let it deny the undeniably contemporary context in which the album was conceived in.

Awesome mix of ambient sounds, beats, jazz, and hip hop. The polish duo sound like they're having fun, introducing us to 60s and 70s Polish jazz - something i've for sure never listened to. If you love Cinematic Orchestra (also Ninja), you'll love Skalpel. I recommend this cd for all those who appreciate music at its best. And props to Ninja Tune for releasing yet another awesome album.

3O seconds into "Break in" and I was hooked. The whole album flows beautifully, start to finish. I especially dig "Sculpture" and "Not To Bad". It's more playful(nice beats and sampling) than Cinematic Orchestra but similarly put together, so fans of C.O. should feel at home here. This is going to be in my deck for quite some time. YOU NEED THIS ALBUM... SO BUY IT

There's a lot of boring beat-based noodling out there, so it's always great when someone and someone you like, exposes you to a standout. I like this as much as I like the better parts of DJ Shadow's big CD. The emphasis on jazz sets it apart, as does the execution. Glad I found this.

Skalpel - "Skalpel": Hailing from the Ninja Tune label, 'Skalpel' is the work of two artists "Marcin Cichy" and "Igor Pudlo", who are two producers/Dj's that have a penchant for nocturnal and brooding electronic-Jazz, and through the use of creative sampling and hired musicians, produce a dark, smoky form of electronic fusion that rather unusually, heavily references 60's polish Jazz. Theirs is a sound that is as much informed by slinky, filmic soundtrack music, as it is by contemporary electronic music, with a undeniably heavy reference point of Jazz.

What this (Their Debut) so brilliantly illustrates, is the Duo's understanding of not only sampling, but creating a mood (in this case a heavily layered and detached sound, with the occasional freewheeling moment). And with their music not sounding a little unlike the composer-led lablemates "The Cinematic Orchestra", in that both share a knack for largely instruemental music, that is heavily reliant on large intimate pieces of music that sustain an atmosphere and use elegant rhythm and loops, with elements of live instrumentation, that touch upon the more reflective side of soundtrack derived music.

So, Whether it's the glistening and smooth nocturnal sounds of "High" which fuses the instrumentation of a live 60's performance Jazz sound with the upbeat percussion of contemporary electronica, or the rubbery double bass and retro-styled jazz grooves of "Not Too Bad" moody expressive music seems to be their forte. But that's not to say that all Skalpel can do is slow thoughtful polish-inspired Jazz. Single "1958" is a gloriously upbeat Jazz-Swing with such rapid eclectic drumming, and uptempo swinging double-bass, that it's an infectiously slab of Jazz-fusion, that you invariably find yourself humming along with the terrifically breezy female vocalist. It's music that is designed to get you moving, and arguably could get a crowd moving on a dancefloor.

"Break in" opens with a dialogue introduction before settling comfortably a energetic percussive sound, not unlike the moody Spy thrillers of many years ago, and has skalpel edging ever closer to the tag of 'Film Music composers', such is the undeniable mood and smooth grooves with subtle use of soprano sax and and liberal use of snare drum, that this could arguably soundtrack a moody thriller movie. "Quiz" shares the quicker beat of "1958", and stands on its own right as perfectly devised upbeat track, with an emphasis on a shimmering energetic piano and a deeper use of the double bass instrument, that so prominently features throughout this album, with a cracking simple snare drum arrangement that manages to add texture to the sound, and create an atmosphere similar to that of a really kicking live Jazz club. Skalpel seems just at ease crafting danceable Jazz-beats, as they do composing complex musical scores, and so tracks such as "Asphodel" & "Theme from "Behind the Curtain", condense their soundtracking/compositional skills to tremendous effect, and this is probably were the comparisons to "The Cinematic Orchestra", are the most valid, with these being the tracks, that justify the comparisons. They are beautiful, melodic, eerie, lush, edgy, expansive and take the soundtrack inspirations and all the improvisational energy of jazz, and built a sense of gritty, intensely powerful, and gorgeous organic music off the back of it. Although "Skalpel's" music is far more steeped in vibrant Jazz overtones and, and has far less of the orchestration, that their labelmates trade in. It's still music to soundtrack moods and show just how far this downtempo form of Jazz-influenced electronic music has come.

Skalpel has dropped a debut that is truly 5-star, in terms of arrangement, quality and composition. It's a breath of refreshing air, to hear something that isn't resolutely concerned with current electronic/Jazz trends, and merely creates a sound and a space all of it own. True, it's not an original sound (mixing Dusty Jazz, with electronica), but it's execution can't be faulted. Sure it's only 10 tracks long, and runs for about 46 Min's, but it's heartening to see that the artists haven't decided to pad the album out with filler, and that....only the truly worthwhile material made the cut. And not only stands as one Ninja Tunes finest releases of that year (2004), but will most likely appeal to fans of "The Cinematic Orchestra", but also anyone looking for a more beautifully devised electronic-Jazz music.

Beautiful. This release is 10/10, 5 stars, perfect.
Unlike most Ninja tune releases, this is consistent, and refreshing. Nice jazz mixed in with shadow style endtroducing beats. Initialy I was more excited about the release by Blockhead (also on ninja), but in the end was very disapointed. Yeah, it had some AMAZING moments. This release on the other hand is perfect. I recomend this record and just hope that Ninja Tune will make available their previous releases that were released only in Poland.

This is a brilliant record, if you like European drumming. This is a brilliant record even if you have doubts about it, like me. "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing" said Duke Ellington. And the question is, can the Europeans swing when they drum?

Here are the drummers: the leaders, the steady beaters and the be-boppers. In this age of rock, Keith Moon of the Who is definitely the leader and Charlie Watts of the Stones is the Rock to build the Church upon. This leaves the others who are either frustrated lead sax players or just best accent musicians?

Skalpel's record is built on drumming. The samples are Polish jazz records of the 60's. It works beautifully and there is enough swing to raise the Statue of Liberty to new heights. How do Mr. Pudlo and Mr. Cichy achieve this is their secret. When you look at the pictures of albums their samples are coming from, you see Komeda's "Astigmatic" record. I have been trying to get inside of this one for a few years and I still don't get it. The gorgeous trumpet must be Mr. Stanko's efforts with the Komeda's Quintet but who is the guitar on "Asphodel"? There are so many unanswered questions here that I expect a new conspiracy theory coming on: "who played this one?"

The best cut is "Sculpture". Enjoy the free ride.