DESCRIPTION:
The Magic Carpathians Project has been established in 1998 by Anna Nacher and Marek Styczynski. Mournful vocals, eerie woodwinds, hypnotic drones, primal rythms, noise collages, rich sonic tapestries. Exploring the soundscapes of Carpathian primal forests and alpine open spaces.
Singer/guitarist Anna Nacher exceptional vocal abilities are often compared to the likes of Diamanda Galas, Lisa Gerrard, Iva Bittova or Renate Knaupt. Her specific vocal expression is built on techniques of throat singing developed across Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Marek Styczynski employs a plethora of ethnic instruments - choosing between bowed Turkmen hydjak or prepared dulcimer as well as a number of European and Asian flutes and reeds and gongs, cymbals and frame drums. His most distinctive woodwind instruments come from traditional Carpathian mountain culture of Poland (a sort of shepherds reed instrument called in Polish ligawa) and Slovakia (Slovakian shepherds fujara, gajdica and a lot of other horn-like woodwinds). Soundscapes they create often are accompanied with home made analog sine wave modulators and primal electronics.
The Magic Carpathians Project has released highly acclaimed albums on Obuh Records, Drunken Fish Records, Vivo Records, Reverb Worship as well as on their self-managed label, World Flag Records.
The Magic Carpathians Project regularly performs in Poland and Europe at various jazz and folk festivals as well as in chamber settings like art galleries or clubs. In 2001 and 2006 the Magic Carpathians Project has toured in USA, performing in New York City (Knitting Factory, Tonic and WFMU live broadcast), Columbus, Nashville, Austin (at South by South West Music & Media Conference), Albuquerque, Los Angeles, San Francisco (including live broadcast at KFJC radio station), Davis (KDVS radio station live broadcast), Chicago (WNUR radio station) and Seattle as well as at the Terrastock Festival 6 in Providence.
Anna Nacher is also active as a sound artist interested in field recording and acoustic ecology (released the series of albums with soundwalks from Laponia in the northern Sweden, her other recordings available at http://aporee.org/maps/ )
More:
http://www.magiccarpathians.com
http://freemusicarchive.org/label/World_Flag_Records/
http://www.youtube.com/user/magiccarpathians
http://www.facebook.com/magic.carpathians
http://terrascope.co.uk/features/Magic_Carpathians.htm


Noise to Silence -- site-specific long strings installation

Noise to Silence has been conceived in 2011 by Anna Nacher and Marek Styczynski (Magic Carpathians Project) as a project to investigate the meditative qualities of overtones which are generated acoustically (with long string instrument) and/or electronically (with home made analog sine wave generators). The long string instrument -- inspired by the work of Ellen Fullman -- is always installed in specific ambiance and exploring audiences' listening abilities in relation to different sonic architectures depending on the site itself. Thus generated soundscapes function as a environment of dynamic exchange between human ears/mind/body, metal (long wires) and the environment (air, building materials and architectural shapes). When analog sine waves generators are employed, the basic medium is electricity - overtones are translated into the minor changes in the electromagnetic field and the environment consists also of the technical equipment and frequencies of electric waves.
Noise to Silence has been carried out in 2011 in EL Art Gallery (Elbląg, Poland) and open-air at the public park during art festival (Nowy Sącz, Poland).