Stanisław Lem-Inspired ‘Future: ON’ Streaming in China
The guitarist Michał Milczarek has just finished his new album ‘Future: ON’, inspired by the work of sci-fi writer Stanisław Lem. The album is to be released on April 22nd in the form of sound art in collaboration with Mao Rui, author of the Chinese translation of ‘The Cyberiad’. The project is being supported by the Jazz Po Polsku Foundation and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Cover of the album 'Future: ON', photo: press materials The Future: ON album is in the form of futuristic sound art that presents the unique style of Stanisław Lem’s writings in an abstract way. It combines the world of experimental and ambient music with narration of one of the most famous works written by the Polish master. The music is composed and arranged by composer and guitarist Michał Milczarek, who is also frontman of the jazz fusion trio MM3, who toured China in the years 2017 and 2019, visiting the largest metropolises. The lyrics are being handled by Mao Rui, translator of the Chinese version of The Cyberiad, which also came out this year in March. The digital-only release of the album will be available on over a dozen Chinese streaming platforms, including the popular QQ Music, NetEasy Cloud Music and Kugou Music.
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The aesthetics of electronic and ambient music and the very form of sound art are, in my opinion, the ideal environment for Lem’s futurism and the timeless messages that his works convey. ‘Future: ON’ is my own original filter, my idea of presenting Lem to the Chinese listener. I offer here the opportunity to get acquainted with the works of one of sci-fi literature’s greats through sounds that reflect their unique vibe. They may, at the same time, be both, a captivating track or a soundtrack to the process of reading his books. The narrative fragments from ‘The Cyberiad’ will be accompanied by ambient sounds, analogue and synthetic tones, as well as samples. There will also be some place for the guitar... I have no doubt that Lem saw the future in a much higher resolution than other people. Through his literature he pressed the ‘Future: ON’ button much earlier than it might have been considered possible. This album is to pay him artistic homage.
The main goal of the project is to familiarise Chinese people with Stanisław Lem and his works in a completely new form. The project is part of the celebrations of the writer’s 100th birthday anniversary (he was born on 12th September 1921 in Lviv). He is currently Polish literature's most widely translated author – his books have been published in 50 languages in millions of copies.
The main supporter of the album is Jazz Po Polsku, a project promoting Polish artists abroad, especially in China, which has seen several hundred events so far. Founder Jakub Krzeszowski commented:
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Due to the cancellation of many concert tours in Asia and the constantly unclear pandemic situation that did not allow most people to travel, I decided to broaden the field of our foundation’s work on the Chinese market through publishing. The album that we worked on with Michał will open a new chapter in the history of Jazz Po Polsku, and create new conditions and modern tools for promotion on the local music market. It's worth underlining the scale we are talking about in China, as far as streaming platforms are concerned, as there is 600 million users here, compared to Poland’s mere 3 million.
Stanisław Lem's The Cyberiad is a collection of stories set in a world inhabited by robots. The main protagonists are Trurl and Klapaucius, who compete with each other and create other robots, even civilisations and entire worlds. Their universe reflects human reality, being full of tyrants, power-hungry tricksters, superstitious individuals and social tinkerers. The author combines myths and philosophical stories with science-fiction. All this with a refined, almost absurd, sense of humour.
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Stanisław Lem’s works are widely acclaimed in China. The first one translated into Chinese was Solaris (2005, 2014, pub. The Commercial Press), then there were His Master’s Voice, The Invincible, The Futurological Congress, Fiasco and Eden (2021, pub. Yilin). It's worth noting that only Solaris and The Cyberiad (2021, pub. Zhejiang Literature & Art Publishing House / Guomai) have been translated directly from Polish, while the other works were translated from English. This year’s end will see yet another book by Lem published in China – Summa Technologiae will be the first book published in a form of philosophical essays.
The Future: ON album is produced by the Jazz Po Polsku Foundation and financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. It is partnered by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Honorary patronage comes from Stanisław Lem’s Future of Poland Institute, the Polish Space Agency POLSA, as well as the Polish Institute in Beijing and Consulate General of Poland in Guangzhou. Media patrons include Culture.pl, Guomai (China), JazzSoul.pl, Chiny24.com, Radio Nowy Świat and Radio Jazz Po Polsku.
