Oudeziel

“Our music is a bit like the weather,” considers Artur Wolski, the guitarist and keyboard player of Polish proggy art-rockers Oudeziel. “There are songs that start on a lazy morning, when the fog evaporates and the sun rises. There are elements of a summer storm that comes suddenly. We live close to the Baltic Sea and such a comparison of a sudden storm after a calm at sea also reflects well on the progression in the music we want.”

Wolski’s assessment is indeed apt. Oudezial was formed by the guitarist and his drumming bandmate, Jarek Bielawski, from the ashes of the ethereal trio OBRASQi, who came to close at the end of 2022 following untimely passing of singer Monika Dejk-Ćwikła.

“We decided to end that band’s activity and to create music by inviting guest musicians and without a permanent singer,” explains Wolski. Bassist Mateusz Bańkowski joins them for live work.

Oudezial’s star has been in the ascendency. Their first recordings emerged halfway through 2023, and their eponymous EP has been released on CD and via streaming services. Blending post-rock with prog and ambient texture, they’ve also been taken under the wing of celebrated Polish proggers Riverside, for whom they’ve opened for on tour. The experience has proved beneficial.

“It’s prepared us for the possibility of playing on larger stages and reacting quickly,” says Wolski. “And it helped us as performers on our recent college tour.”

Oudezial write and create their music in the studio and fine tune the material on the road instead of vice-versa. Says Wolski, “Only when the songs are ready and recorded do they become the basis for playing live.”

He continues, “There is a lot of improvisation in our music, which is why the live songs are different from recordings. At concerts, it’s important for us to convey space, so we make the music as spacious and energetic as possible. We also assign an important role to the sound engineer; first we create pre-production, arranging everything with him so that we are prepared for the concert and convey what we want to achieve.”

Wolski also stresses that Oudezial’s material is an active rather than passive experience. “This is music that requires attention to create time for reflection and listening to oneself.”

— JM