1/ KLANDESTEIN is a group of musicians of musicians of variable makeup, enabling it to assume multiple configurations of personnel and sounds thus creating a specific form of music making.
2/ KLANDESTEIN's music is based on seven-note phrases, so-called "modules". The source of these modules is a system in which every day is expressed by a single note. Hence this is both a method of making music and a way of recording time. A module may be defined as a sequence of seven successive notes relating to a given week. As a result each module has a fixed existence in time, as it is played only during its seven days, from Monday to Sunday. Whilst it is being played the module is incorporated into the very essence of an acoustic structure where it can be subjected to various transformations, and where it functions as the foundation upon which rests an entire edifice of sounds, created from an interaction of musical associations and the collaboration between its performers. A live performance is a celebration of the energy contained within the constellation of sounds, which form the module.
3/ Since KLANDESTEIN was formed in 1993 its music has been based on the set of unchanging principles described above. However, in the course of time it has undergone several phases, starting from purely acoustic music (flute, drums, acoustic guitar), then through purely electronic music (drum machine, synthesizer, computer), until now when the resources that we utilize may be called electroacoustic.
Taking into account the lack of any strictly defined time frames, our music's tendency towards resembling a "flood of sound", and its other characteristics, which are close to the conventions of Ambient Music whilst simultaneously containing strongly dissonant elements, ( derived from the tonal principles to which we adhere), which generate an atmosphere that evokes reminders of Gothic horror films, an appropriate way of characterizing the genre of the music performed by our group would be by the use of the word ZOMBIENT, PHOBIENT or TRAUMBIENT.
4/ The CD album "Planet Tiger" consists of compositions, which constitute fragments from live concerts as well as home recordings. They were recorded between 29 October 2000 and 31 December 2000 and are based on the following modules: G/F/D/A#/A#/G/G# ( tracks 1 and 2), G#/F#/C/C#/C/G/G ( tracks 3,4,5,6), D#/G/D#/D#/E/G/G/ ( tracks 7, 8) and F#/C/G/D/F#/F#/A# (track 9). In the last composition (track 9 - "Trauman") we utilized the text (in original language) of a 16th century Japanese poem written by Onono Komachi :
Like the colors of flowers which are gone
And never to return
So our life
Goes by to no purpose
Whilst we are forced to watch
Performers:
MARZENA BORON (MBORO) - vocals, keyboards -
vocalist, lyricist, has performed with KLANDESTEIN since 1995. A member of the MIGRESKA Pantomime Theatre Group as well as other music groups and projects operating in Cracow, Poland. Works as a therapist in the Social Welfare Center in Cracow, where she runs a theatre group which has been successful at a number of local and national festivals.
PIOTR GRZESIK (PETER GRESSICK) - keyboards, drum machine programming, overall artistic concept -
author (prose: "In Suburbia"/"Na Przedmiesciach" - Baran and Suszczynski Publishing House, Cracow 1997 - Polish Culture Foundation Award; "Karmasutra" - Baran and Suszczynski Publishing House, Cracow 1999; "Degenesis" Ha!art Collection, Cracow 2001; several articles printed in the magazines: "viVo", "Future Guide" and "Ha!art".
Composer (founder of KLANDESTEIN group in 1993; author of solo recordings: "Cycle" 1993, "Feary Tales" 1999, "Melanhole" 2000).
A motto for all our activities:
A droplet is not the shape of water,
but rather is a method
by which water plays its games,
not having any other responsibilities to perform.
Khalid Ibn Igkherssi (11th c.)
A motto for "Planet Tiger" disc:
"In 1668 the half insane esoteric, astrologer and astronomer Johannes von Grieschke declared in a pamphlet published in Nuremberg that apart from the eight planets of the solar system which were known at that time, there existed a ninth one, which could not be seen by means of ordinary astronomical instruments. He called it Planet Tiger and attributed to its influence most of the epidemics, wars, disasters and plagues besetting mankind."
according to "Dictionary of the Occult" London 1934
CD "Planet Tiger" was released in April 2001 by:
amorpha
Music Production
T.A.M. Associates
Cracow
Poland
"This group has been performing since 1993 and refers to a continual rotation of members as one of its trump cards. Surprising, isn't it? Their music is even more surprising.... There is something unearthly about it, and although in some parts it raises goose-pimples, it also utterly absorbs the listener, who remembers it for a very long time.
The group uses the term Zombient to describe the type of music it plays - a trance like combination of the cosmic sounds from two analogue keyboards and the hypnotic voice of vocalist Marzena Boron, who also introduces elements of pantomime to the performance. As textual material for her vocals she uses Japanese XVI century haiku poems.
The ritual-magic conception of musical creations as a celebration of passing time constitutes the foundation for all of the compositions. It is the artistic creation of writer and composer Piotr Grzesik, who was the founder of the whole project."
Review from the "Guide to the Polish Underground" published in Lodz in February 2001
"We have not included the entry about Klandestein in this lexicon purely for the sake of this group's interesting concept of creating music structure, because what does matter is not "in what way" (although the method is worth being aware of), but "what really is there."
I perceive this music as an individual story told by means of space, surfaces, lines, points, suspended sounds, slow motion and disturbing pulsation. It may be called a bit mysterious, arcane, fairy-tale, yet realistic; while hypnotising our minds and senses, it does not take them totally captive. This music, focused on every note, is artistically persistent and conscious of its own creation. The vocalist's charismatic voice perfectly matches the electronic landscapes, adding to them a touch of magic and ritual. Klandestein's art seems ascetic and restrained, however, it is also passionate and abrupt. Before I heard "Planet Tiger" I had become acquainted with Piotr Grzesik's "Feary Tales", and then with his "Melanhole". He builds his music according to the same rules as Klandestein does. Both CDs bring us electronic music which is not as unique and charismatic as Klandestein's. Their titles define the tone and atmosphere."
from Henryk Palczewski's "Informator Ars-2" nr 31, 2001)
AN OUTLINE OF KLANDESTEIN'S ARTISTIC BIOGRAPHY:
1993 - The group-project called KLANDESTEIN was created; so far about 20 persons have been involved in its activity.
1993-1995 - during these years the group worked mainly at home.
February 1996 - the radio programme devoted to KLANDESTEIN was broadcast on Radio Kraków
May 1996 - A premiere concert in NO NAME Club, Kraków
1996-2001 - performances in Kraków's clubs: LAZNIA (including live music played during the show of P.Wegener's film "Golem"), BURZLIWY PONIEDZIALEK, ROENTGEN (during the Extragram Festival), POD JASZCZURAMI, KLUB OTWARTY, CSW SOLWAY, ZACZEK, and twice in Bronislaw Chromy's Sculpture Gallery (in 1996 and 2000)
1999 - Piotr Grzesik's (Peter Gressick's) solo album "Feary Tales" released by Manufaktura Muzyczna amorpha, Kraków 1999. In June 2000 it was presented by the Polish Radio (very popular Program III).
April 2000 - The Artistic Club at the TAM Gallery was opened at Ulica Jagiellonska 11 in Kraków. Up till now KLANDESTEIN has given there six concerts (also combined with film shows, e.g. S.Eisenstein's "Ivan the Terrible")
October 2000 - Piotr Grzesik's (Peter Gressick's) second solo album "Melanhole" - Manufaktura Muzyczna amorpha, Kraków 2000.
April 2001 - KLANDESTEIN'S album "Planet Tiger" - Manufaktura Muzyczna amorpha, Kraków 2001. It was presented in July 2002 by Henryk Palczewski in his programme on Radio Sto.
July 2001 - the Internet site has been established: www.ha.art.pl/klandestein.
August 2001 - KLANDESTEIN's art was extensively described and presented in Ha!Art Magazine, 2(7)2001.
Summer 2001 - Selected pieces from "Planet Tiger" were made accessible in the Internet: www.soundclick.com, www.nuta.pl, www.activist.pl, www.wp.pl (it is worth mentioning that the piece "Thrill O'Beat" (nr 2 on the disc) reached the number 6 in MP3 HITS LIST- alternative music category , on 31 October 2001.)
August 2001 - The beginning of Klandestein's collaboration with Requiem Records; the piece entitled "Spacebowls" created together with NEMESIS, was prepared for the album "City Songs" presenting mostt important bands and personages of contemporary Polish independent music - realese in December 2001.
August 2001 - the co-operation with an American recording company Falcata-Galia Recordings/Transparency; an album "Planet Tiger" will have been released in the future.
