acid/psychfolk & ethno-folk psych from Poland : Ossian/Osjan

Milo Rec. Ossian (Ksiega Deszczu) (POL,1975)**°'

While the band started to perform in 1971, with performances also outside Poland, in several countries in Europe, This is the first full album by the band, based upon a live concert recording. After a very short intro on metal plate percussion hanging on a wire, making gong-like sounds, the first track is a flute improvisation which includes breathing in the instrument sounds, and free jazz abilities while also provoking different ethnical worlds (Japanese,..), speaking into the flute too. The track sadly abruptly stops possibly because the complete piece might have been too long to be added on the original LP-size (-I only wonder if they lost the original live recording masters, because a CD could have handled of course more than 40 minutes-). I’m sure the original performance of the complete piece would have sounded as something comparable to the 1978 live recording (see further down) which includes larger parts. The second track is a piece on guitar, which is played droning-like, as if imitating a resonating effect, which, after a tabla is added, becomes clear that this is actually becomes a raga guitar piece, played with 2 guitars, based upon strummed guitar mostly, with at the end a bit of Indian flavoured singing to conclude the piece. The fourth piece is a percussive improvisation, of mostly hand driven exotic percussion. The fifth track is an improvisation of flute with acoustic guitar. It starts with beautiful emotional flute playing, with a Spanish guitar flavoured guitar, then becomes folk-rock like with pleasant strums, then gets also hand percussion, becomes weirder with flute, the rhythm becomes bolero-like, like a dance, until it concludes in minor key again. The last track clearly is a “bis” track, which is an improvisation based upon the enthusiast stomping hand claps of the public, with lots of hand percussion mixed with metal plates' percussion.

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Milo Rec. Ossian featuring Tomasz Stanko (POL,1978)***

This album is a live improvisation in three parts. The first track, over 18 minutes, is firstly led by flute, first in a semi-native American style accompanied by quiet percussion of bells and a few background smashing sounds as if this is accompanying some Japanese opera. Other sounds come in like the singing of a blackbird, and what sounds like a church bell. The flute becomes more weird and fast, with faster breathing. The church bell sound now seem to have been a metal can, which now adds more melody and percussion. The flute goes even weirder and starts to make nervous repetitive rhythmical high notes, something which becomes a bit annoying, and goes on a bit too long to make its point, before the metal bells and gong percussion takes over the ending. Part 2 and 3 hang together most. Part 2 sounds like a koto improvisation accompanied by solo trumpet, somewhat jazzy but also playing along with the already provoked specific mood. The last track features singing which seems to be based upon Tibetan Buddhist prayer singing, with more Ooom like sounds to start with, some overtones, and the mumbling praying. Additional to this we hear soft cymbal percussion, and another trumpet solo improvisation.

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Milo Rec. Ossian : Ksiega Chmur (POL,1979)****'

Ossian knew some popularity in Poland and they also had a long history. This still early album surely proves them best. This sounds like a huge, well prepared improvisation with lots of ethnic backgrounds of inspirations, which are skilfully mixed to a new, rather meditative, but also powerful performance of contemporary music. Some weird vocal parts have something of new contemporary music with a spiritual context, elsewhere sounds more like African celebrative singing, then are based upon tensions of energy of laughing, or are overtone meditative bass droned mantra-singing. I guess they had a number of additional vocalists as guests for this recording. The ethnical and exotic instruments sound beautiful, there are zither improvisations, flute improvisations, and a lot lot more (sitar,..).

This is a highly recommended and essential album, but also most heavy album (contrasts). This has also much more depth, skills and background compared to many new drone-folk releases. After having heard this release I realised that it proves to me how Ossian must have been an inspiration or at least starting point or an example to groups like Atman or even Kwartet Jorgi with their sound.

Milo Rec. Osjan : Roots (POL,1982)****

Even with only two tracks on this album, and with its mood comparable to a live recording, this still is one of the most successful performances of the Ossian/Osjan group, perhaps due to the perfect mood, the opening up sphere, and perfect group balance for the improvisations and well prepared ideas which alternate the improvisations well. The first track starts with a koto improvisation, first with only some guitar touches. It sounds as if from here starts a journey through remembering related sounds of different cultures, from Asia to Africa, over wide landscapes. Also the guitar changes shape more often, while jew’s harp or conga rhythms are added and a flute improvisation, with a wilder part together with the percussion, increasing in energy and starting to babble and speak through the playing, while the piece ends with moody guitar and flute improvisation. The second piece is built up very much as if it’s a meditative ritual, which builds up on its own rhythm (percussion, guitar), and everything flows in logically, harmoniously and organically, with again some flute improvising. The guitar begins to form a hypnotic rhythm, with the flute on top, an improvisation which works so well with an underlying increasing energy, that enthusiastic screams are spontaneously added, and lots of percussion (hand percussion, and iron, -as iron and wood-, and bells). Then suddenly a new part comes in, which makes a change to a medieval flute theme with folk-dance percussion. The last musical theme change turns to a calmer part with meditative guitar and a calmer flute improvisation.

PS. Also in Scotland exist a folk(rock) band called Ossian. When the group found out about them, they changed their name to Osjan.

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