KUZNIAK TEICHER: Hope <website under development>
Hope relies on its perpetual tension with despair. And it is this and other dualities that define a new collaboration between Bartłomiej Kuźniak and transfeminine artist Adrienne Teicher. “Hope” is not quite avant-garde electronica, nor exactly minimalistic techno, though the beguiling sonic realm the pair that KUZNIAK TEICHER have created has elements of both, interwoven with, spoken, sung, shouted and whispered texts which explore unsolvable human paradoxes: love, freedom, body, desire.
Hope’s eponymous title track captivates with its ceaseless, complex polyrhythms, discrete, yet urgent and otherworldly field recordings. It seems to hold the invigoration of sensing that there is still time for us, even as the tide of human destruction rises.
“Both & Neither” explores the duality of existence through pulsating drums and a swirling vortex of synths, with a choir shouting in the distance. The rhythmic foundation of the track is juxtaposed with an undercurrent of dissonance, blurring the lines between order and chaos. This aural intricacy mirrors the struggle of identity and belonging, leaving the listener suspended in a state of sonic limbo.
“My Body Is Not My Own” is a poignant and introspective piece that delves into the complexities of bodily autonomy and self-perception. The song’s sombre, haunting melodies are punctuated by sporadic bursts of controlled chaos, reflecting the tension between self and society, from a decidedly queer perspective. Yet even queerness is implicated in the uncertain framework. As Teicher sings, “If all else fails, my allies will destroy me.”
“Ocean” is a vast, immersive soundscape that submerges the listener in a world of fluid, undulating textures and subtle, pulsating rhythms. The piece evokes a sense of tension between the solace we seek in the vast expanse of the ocean and the awakening to its inherent sovereignty and autonomy. Teicher’s vocals resonate with this sense of lost illusions through an ambivalent reflection of love and freedom through the metaphor of seawater, conquest and destruction, intoning: “No Divinity, No Devotion, No Desire, No Empire
At the core of this exceptional collaboration lies a mutual dedication to experimentation and innovation. Teicher, is a visionary artist who is part of the boundary-pushing duo HYENAZ with Kathryn Fischer. The pair create staggering live experiences that cross the boundaries between electronic music and experimental dance/theatre, collaborating with PEACHES and performing at iconic venues from Berghain to Seoul’s Museum of Modern Contemporary Art.
Kuźniak, a prolific composer and audio engineer, has left an indelible mark on the music world as the owner of Studio 333, with involvement in over 40 albums ranging from minimalistic contemporary chamber music to avant-garde electronic soundscapes. Simultaneously, he is working on the Gallery of the Art of Sound, a project that showcases discrete 8-channel 3D octophonic ultra-high-resolution field recordings, further expanding his artistic reach and influence.
It was in the aftermath of a HYENAZ performance in Łódź, Poland that the pair met, and Kuźniak went on to mix and master HYENAZ first two groundbreaking albums.
The duo’s deep commitment to their craft is evident in the meditative states they employ during the creative process. The manner in which they create is as significant as the content they produce; utilizing candlelight and microdoses of psychedelics, they provide listeners with a transformative voyage. Teicher composed and revised the lyrics in near darkness, striving to capture her experience as a transfeminine humanoid without resorting to idealisation or cliché.
As “Hope” unfolds, it becomes a poignant testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and an invitation to confront our own dualities and complexities. In the end, KUZNIAK TEICHER’s collaboration transcends genres and expectations, embodying a bold and defiant spirit that challenges the listener to reimagine the world they inhabit, and find solace in the knowledge that even amidst the…
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