Spectra 01 by ||ALA|MEDA||

||ALA|MEDA|| (formerly known as Alameda 5) is one of the most innovative and original bands that emerged from Polish underground scene. Known for its genre-bending and genre-blending approach, the group has always been focused on reinventing itself and its musical language. Whether it was noisy and jazz-influenced krautrock of Duch Tornada (Instant Classic, 2015) or polyrhythmic avant-prog of Eurodrome (Instant Classic, 2019), the results were always ingenious, surprising and defying the clichés of musical canons. On their new album Spectra. Vol. 1, the band fully dives into the influences of African and Latin American rhythms that were already present to a smaller extent on their previous albums. The key word here is batida, musical style that originated in Angola and celebrated for its euphoric and syncopated rhythm style. ||ALA|MEDA|| expands this musical idiom in their own novel way, adding the influences of post-industrial, post-punk, gqom, IDM, dub and vaporwave. It leads to a unique tropical-industrial combination where avant-garde meets afro-house, complex sampling and granular synthesis are incorporated into frenetic live rhythm section. The main idea of the band’s new direction is a total fusion of electronics and live music and obliteration of all divisions between high and low arts, sublime and vulgar works, avant-garde and entertainment, music „for the soul” and music „for the body”. ||ALA|MEDA|| consists of five experienced musicians known from such bands and projects as: Innercity Ensemble, T’ien Lai, Hati, 3moonboys, Javva, Stara Rzeka, Jachna/Mazurkiewicz/Buhl, X:NAVI-ET and others.

Tracklist

1.	sonicas	8:52

2.	echo•atom	5:04

3.	rumor	10:04

4.	karat	3:44

5.	konkk	8:08

6.	⍺\|rosa	10:32

Credits

released February 25, 2022

Jacek Buhl - drums
Rafał Iwański - percussion
Łukasz Jędrzejczak - electronics
Piotr Michalski - bass
Jakub Ziołek - electronics

rec: Jarek Hejmann
mix & master: Jakub Ziołek
gfx: Piotr Bukowski

"This is a daring and adventurous album that moves deftly between a variety of influential touchstones to create the circuitous route of a dislocation dance." - Julian Marszalek, thequietus.com

"Alameda’s festive rhythms and vivid loops offer simple fun. “Spectra 01” could also come both from the past and the future, certainly from somewhere far away." - Mariusz Herma & Artur Szarecki, beehy.pe

"If all you’re looking for is a dark-horse candidate for “weirdest fun record of 2022”, this might be for you" - Nebula Reviews

"Spectra. Vol.1 to jedna z tych płyt, od których trudno się oderwać. Dojrzała i onieśmielająco ambitna propozycja, która nosi w sobie potężny ładunek groove’u. To również powiew świeżości – jak zresztą każde inne wydawnictwo Alamedy – nie oglądający się na niezalowe trendy i obowiązujące konwenanse brzmieniowe." - Paweł Klimczak, poptown.eu

"Intensywność i energia na rzadko spotykanym poziomie." - Bartek Chaciński, polifonia.blog.polityka.pl

"„Spectra vol.1” to płyta szalenie intensywna. Od pierwszych minut jesteśmy wciągnięci w rytmiczny, obficie wypełniony dźwiękami kalejdoskop. Zarówno, kiedy kierunek nadają syntetyczne, powtarzalne bity, rozwlekle zawłaszczające przestrzeń perkusjonalia, pasma syntezatorów czy drobne ornamenty, błyskotliwe odniesienia do współczesnej sceny luzofonicznej. ||ALA|MEDA|| filtrują batidę, gqom czy afrohouse po swojemu, dodają autorski aspekt." - Jakub Knera, polskieradio.pl

"Na „Spectra vol. 1” ||ALA|MEDA|| osiąga nowy poziom. Wychodzi poza utarte schematy rządzące muzyką alternatywną, po raz kolejny staje w awangardzie polskiej sceny". - Michał Wieczorek, czaskultury.pl

"||ALA|MEDA|| pozostaje sobą, ale zamiast grzebać w lokalnej alternatywie, przeszczepia na jej grunt coś nowego, czyli robi dokładnie to, co robiła zawsze, ale tym razem z wyjątkowo owocnym rezultatem." - Jędrzej Sołtysiak, soundrive.pl

||ALA|MEDA|| (known as Alameda 5) is an avant-garde/rock group from Bydgoszcz, Poland. By far it has released two acclaimed LPs: „Duch Tornada” (2015, Instant Classic) and „Eurodrome" (2019, Instant Classic, 11th on The Quietus's AOTY list)) and is well-known for powerful and euphoric concerts which resulted in invitations to such festivals as Unsound Festival and Avant Art Festival. Alameda 5 consists of five experienced musicians known from such bands and projects as: Innercity Ensemble, T’ien Lai, Hati, 3moonboys, Javva, Stara Rzeka, Jachna/Mazurkiewicz/Buhl, X:NAVI-ET and others.

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