HiPoKaMP projekt

The ever-expanding Polish group have intensified with each new album and their next will be no exception.

Begun in 2017 as solo effort by guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Maciej Zamczała in the central Polish town of Inowrocław, HiPoKaMP Projekt soon expanded into a duo after attracting the attention of his former Polish language teacher and drummer Łukasz Oliwkowski, who’d already been playing in Riverside guitarist Maciej Meller’s acoustic side project Zenith. And with every subsequent release, HiPoKaMP Projekt have seen the steady expansion of their line-up.

“We were joined by keyboardist Zbigniew Florek for our third album 'Futurocklogia',” explains Zamczała. “He was already famous in the prog world with the band Quidam and playing with Colin Bass from Camel. We’d started recording in his studio, so inviting him to join was only a matter of time.” Their extended live configuration now includes Maciej Tonder (bass), Sebastian Niemiec (saxophone) and singer-violonist Dominika Kapuśniak. “She will definitely contribute a lot into our next records as during the concerts she manages to win the hearts of our fans.”

As evidenced by their albums – 'I', the harder 'II', 'Futurocklogia' – which was inspired by 'Solaris' author Stanisław Lem – and 'Memory Implanted'  – arguably their most ambitious album to date – HiPoKaMP Projekt are not a band that stand still or repeats themselves as they venture into ever deeper progressive territories. “HiPoKaMP Projekt is open to different kinds of contrasts in style but it remains consistent,” says Zamczała. “Each album recorded so far has its own original concept.”

HiPoKaMP Projekt’s new album, 'Unicorn', is set for release later this year and it comes from a very personal space. Inspired by his son Natan’s four-year-long and successful battle against cancer and partly coordinated and co-written by his wife Olga, the 16-song double album sees the participation of 28 musicians and guest vocalists. “Al the proceeds from the album will provide support for children from oncology wards,” says Zamczała. “This record just had to be created. We want to show that after such traumatic experiences we appreciate life even more. It is illness that shows us what is important in life and that every day we care about things that are not that essential. The album’s title symbolizes people believing in victory of those little fighters and refers to the quote ‘You can stop believing in unicorns but they will never stop believing in you.’”

- Julian Marszalek

See www.hipokampprojekt.bandcamp.com