"I played/composed/produced:
-future, no wave, electric, free, acoustic, ethno, nu jazz
-indie, punk, dark wave, psychedelic, metal, gothic rock
dark ambient, ethno, meditative, sacral, experimental contemporary classic,noise, electro, industrial, EBM;
and there is still an endless sea of music that I desire to be into . It is a New Millenium and making a new music is necessary.I respect tradition deeply, but I do not pray to it . I look to the future, definitely."
Voytek Konikiewicz
from an interview for Polish Radio, Channel 1, March 2007~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
".the excellent Konikiewicz ." - John Fordham, The Guardian
".one of the most interesting, most open and creative musicians of Polish jazz" - Bohdan Chmura, Jazz Forum
"He is a true man of the New Renaissance." - prof.Henryk Skolimowski,The University of Michigan
*FUTURISTIC*ALTERNATIVE*INDEPENDENT*
Wojciech (Voytek) Konikiewicz /born 1956 in Wroclaw[Breslau], South West Poland/ is a rare example of a person whose educational background includes studies in classical music / piano, composition /, technology /electroacoustics/ and philosophy.
Konikiewicz has a well-established position in several fields of activity.As a composer he scores music from works for symphony & chamber orchestra, choir, string quartet, reed trio, saxophone and piano, saxophone and organ, harp and organ etc. to progressive, free & nu jazz, experimental, electronic /dark ambient,EBM,noise,industrial,trance /,dub & reggae, ethno and sacral pieces.
The remarkable features of his music are:
- treating music and sound as a mood-creating unity
- modern harmonies and techniques that reflect composer's interest in 20th century music
- echoes of in-deep studies in sacral and ethnic music
- use of both hi-tech electronic and acoustic instruments
Konikiewicz is one of the most creative and
multidimensional artistic personalities of Polish electro, jazz, experimental, indie rock as well as reggae & dub music.
In 80-ties he took part in a free-punk-funk jazz rebel, founding legendary groups like Sesja 80 Acoustic Action, Green Revolution and Free Cooperation, as well as in the independent rock movement, that flourished during Solidarity time, touring and recording with numerous legendary reggae, punk & indie rock groups (Izrael,Tilt, Deuter, T.Love, Klaus Mitffoch, Citizen GC etc.), performing at famous rock (Jarocin), reggae (Solidarity Against Apartheid, Robrege Festival) and jazz festivals .
Since 1985 he has been a successful composer scoring for feature, documentary, experimental and TV films, as well as for theatre, ballet and mime theatre.
Performing artist -he performs both as a soloist / piano, electronic instruments, laptop, pipe organ, harpsichord/ and as a member of many groups - playing contemporary, experimental,electro, jazz, regaae & dub, indie rock or improvised music. He also takes part in some multicultural projects, cooperating with musicians of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Educator and theoretician of culture - he leads workshops, scientific conferences, publishes essays, articles etc.
Cooperated and/or played: with many Polish independent rock,jazz & electronic artists and groups, as well as from other countries (b.o. Japan, Korea, France, USA) - for example UK: Asian Dub Foundation, Dr Das, J.J.Burnell (The Stranglers), Benjamin Zephaniah,Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Steve Harris , Jan Kopinski, Cathy Stevens, Karl Bingham, Steve Iliffe etc. (see the official website for more detailed info)
Voytek's flagship is his trio
KONIKIEWICZ@TRANSGROOVE
".Hypnoelectronic, futuristic, psychedelic, free music of XXI century."
"No mainstream - music is an ocean of countless streams . " VK
KONIKIEWICZ@TRANSGROOVE presents a radical,hi-tech backed up concept of music in which trance, freedom of expression and live interaction between musicians and electronics are crucial. Most of trio's concerts last 3 hours and are endless trips into the world of unlimited imagination. A wizard of electronics, virtuoso keyboardist and pianist Voytek Konikiewicz is a guru of XXI century electro jazz. Not only - he has been cooperating with radical wave of Polish, Japanese, British (Pinski Zoo, Asian Dub Foundation), US and French jazz, rock & ethno but also working as a performing artist, as well as a producer within most contemporary electronic music streams like noise, industrial, ambient, and EBM. Touring Europe, America (USA, Mexico), Asia (Japan, Korea) he is permanently in search of new ideas. He is also an active lecturer and workshop leader, involved in many activities, including a membership of Advisory Council of the US based ISIM society. In TRANSGROOVE he plays synths, laptop, samplers, ethnic flutes and live electronics, accompanied by Marcin Pospieszalski on electric bass and Frank Parker on drums. Concerts feature live visuals by VJ FX .
New fusion for a new century - KONIKIEWICZ@TRANSGROOVE ranges in expression from nu, ethno & acoustic jazz through rock to electro. The group performs at diverse venues: from clubs to open air, gathering crowds of 3000 and more (e.g. in Mexico City).K@T's latest CD "My room 101" has many enthusiastic reviews in both daily and music press.
Dominik Burakowski www.diapazon.pl
"."My Room 101" is one of the most interesting and original productions of Polish jazz scene in a few last years (.) Konikiewicz displays here an innovative and futuristic vision of jazz, far from so called mainstream. Vision saturated with elements of (.) dark ambient, nu & acoustic jazz. Experienced listener will also find here neogothic phrases, which implemented into electro jazz produce a surprising effect (.)
Each tune here has a dose of mystery, bringing a hidden in this sound time-space sense (.)
The sound shape created by Konikiewicz is saturated with a dark depth and intellectualism. It is a kind of dialogue with the unknowable world, available to us only in rudimentary manifestations."
