One of last year’s gems was Polish composer Jacaszek’s Treny which painted hauntingly cinematic B&W soundscapes with the help of cohorts Maja Sieminska, Anja Smiszek-Wesolowska and Stefan Wesolowski. With his new release Pentral he’s set to describe the interior of a gothic church by means of sounds. A hefty project!

After spending days in Gdansk churches Oliwa Cathedral, St. Nicolas’ church, St. Mary’s Basilica recording chants, organs and noises, he set off to process the samples to create a work in 10 parts. Pentral is not a pleasant ride to say the least, with loud, disorienting passages of atonal organwork and claustrophobic ambient scenes for the full length of the album. Yet at the same time it does offer the complex range of emotions gothic architecture conveys, the tension and the discomfort with the contrasting bliss of choirs, so it is a success upon the initial concept. The highlight of the album seems to be V where he enters Bohren territory with slow rolling reverby scapes, but will it be enough to please the preconceived masses wanting a second Treny? I’m not so sure.

Jacaszek – PENTRAL-the sound of the interior from Michal Jacaszek on Vimeo.