Heavily experimental array of stuff going on this one, from electro to ambient to ethnic to jazz. Andrej Nebb sings in Polish and English, his vocalizing being a prominent part of this unique electronic music. Sounds a bit like a Sound/Joy Division meets Ensemble Pittoresque.
Even in 1982, post-punk was still progressing, as Holy Toy proved.
"Down in Japan" is a weird fusion of synth-wave (a la Suicide) and discordant jazz. "Warszawa" features a noir-ish bassline, dissonant perscussion and free-jazz brass squelches. "Marmur" uses an even more frenetic rhythm and an anthemic melodic progression. Then "Dwa Portrety" tones things down with a menacing synthesizer line and an elegiac Middle-Eastern interlude (Joy Division crossed with Minimal Compact).
At times the album veers towards even more experimental territories. In "Niebieska Patelnia" the singer recites his lyrics against a collage of deformed brass and voices, and ethereal flutes; then a soaring melody appears (worthy of a religious hymn), before the song returns to an even more abstract collage of sound-effects. In "Bells", they juxtapose a militant march, sonorous chants and moody brass. The logical progression is "Buntowniki", where the singer's zombified monotone is set against an aquatic guitar pattern. Here Holy Toy turn the ethereal upside-down.
They still exhibit a rare elegance though, as shown in the melancholy jazz of "Wojtek" (worthy of Tuxedomoon).
Tracks
01 Down in japan - i
02 Warszawa
03 Marmur
04 Dwa portrety - i
05 Niebieska patelnia
06 Lada vada
07 Wojtek
08 Bells
09 Buntowniki
10 Planet of violence
11 Dada
12 Do wroga
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