The latter duo’s background is at the Jazz Institute in Katowice, while Skorupski used to play in the band Spisek. They first became acquainted when they attended local improvised jazz jam sessions in Wrocław. As a band, they combine hip-hop, jazz, soul, and electronic music.
Their mutual efforts have been appreciated by important representatives of hip-hop and electronic music in Poland, who were some of the first ones to play the Trio’s tracks on their radio programmes: Maceo Wyro, Druh Sławek, and Novika. Their studio recordings differ significantly from their live performances. On stage, the band mainly improvises, and changes the programme from gig to gig, which makes each of their concerts an entirely new experience. The gist of their jam-like performances is suspended between low-key hip-hop and jazz.
Their debut album, produced by U Know Me Records, will comprise six tracks, including Leki (Medicine), sung by Natalia and Paulina Przybysz of the locally renowned duo Sistars, and Glorious Tune, featuring Raashan Ahmad. The American singer was so happy with this spontaneous collaboration that in 2013 he invited the band on a joint tour of France and to a festival in Kazakhstan. On their first album, the Trio also collaborated with the German producer Iamnobodi and with Envee, who was responsible for mixing.
On the band’s Soundcloud channel, one will find their interpretation of pieces by Envee (Love Theories) and by Robert Glasper (Move Love). The latter ranked fifth in an international competition organized by Blue Note. Night Marks Electric Trio featured on En2ak’s album, and participated in the Niewidzialna nerka project, honouring the early Polish hip-hop scene. It included the Night Marks Electric Trio’s own versions of the songs Dźwięki stereo (The Sounds of Stereo) and Śródmieście Południowe.
Piotr Skorupski, apart from playing with NMET, has also been organizing a series of meetings called Electro-Acoustic Beat Sessions, which led to a six-member music project under the same name (it includes the full crew of NMET). The project’s first album will consist of recordings of live performances, prepared together with such musicians as Jeru The Damaja, Coultrain, Paulina Przybysz and Abradab. Skorupski, Kabaciński and Pędziwiatr are also working on an album by Archeo, once again in cooperation with the Przybysz sisters.
Author: Jacek Świąder, May 2014, transl. AM June 2014