Skalpel – Transit (PlugAudio)

1

Skalpel

It’s been quite a while since we last heard from Polish downbeat jazz / beats duo Skalpel. Back in the early 2000s Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo were one of the more touted names operating amongst the Ninja Tune label roster, going on to tour with DJ Vadim as part of his Russian Percussion ensemble and releasing two acclaimed albums that saw them fusing 60s and 70s Polish jazz samples with a swaggering hip hop undercarriage. Following the release of 2005’s second album ‘Konfusion’ though, everything went silent in the Skalpel camp, the duo apparently having gone on indefinite hiatus. The sudden announcement of last year’s European live shows saw Skalpel re-engaging their engines though, and this third album ‘Transit’ on the duo’s own PlugAudio label arrives swiftly on the heels of their taster ‘Simple’ EP. Rather than ripping up the rulebook, the twelve tracks collected here see Skalpel picking up pretty much directly from where they left off. If anything though, there’s an increased level of depth and scope to the duo’s arrangements, something that’s definitely aided by a gorgeous level of attention to the production and mix.

Indeed, there’s a warm and lustrous atmosphere to this entire album, with subtle and predominantly downbeat grooves best suited to late night listening. ‘Siesta’ opens proceedings with a wander out into tribal drum rhythms and moody double-bass swells that sees rippling keys suddenly unfurling out against majestic jazz horns, the sense of opulent rolling swing given a slight angular re-shuffle amidst the cracking rimshots. ‘Simple’ meanwhile shifts the pace up a couple of notches as swinging jazzy rhythms lock into place against fluid double-bass runs and twinkling vibraphone tones, the addition of clattering offbeats injecting a stray dubby feel, before ‘Snow’ offers up a dreamlike foray out into swirling orchestral atmospheres and soft gauzy textures, the more blurred edges being nicely balanced out with the addition of sharp focus woodblock percussion accents. Elsewhere, the aptly titled ‘Transit’ livens things out of their sumptuous haze with a hectic ride through moody spy-jazz horns and clattering, near-junglist drum breaks that wouldn’t be out of place in some European retro detective chase scene. A more than worthy (and welcome) return from Skalpel.

Share.

About Author

A dastardly man with too much music and too little time on his hands

1 Comment

Leave A Reply