His concerts in Portland (26th September at Mississippi Studios), and Seattle (27th September at the Decibel Festival) are part of showcases arranged by the Ghostly International record label, which released his album Glimmer in 2011. In both concerts, Jacaszek will be accompanied by the clarinettist Beth Fleenor, who also accompanied him on his previous American tour.
On 30th September, Jacaszek will perform in Los Angeles during the SpectreFest film and music festival, where he will present his own soundtrack to Golem, a 1920 film by Paul Wegener. Wegener was inspired by the Jewish legend of the golem and the novel by Gustav Meyrink of the same title. It is the story of a monster which was made of clay by the rabbi of Prague, Judah Löw ben Bezalel.
Michał Jacaszek is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and arranger. On his album Glimmer, electro-acoustic sounds interlace with live instruments – a harpsichord and a clarinet – giving the whole an atmosphere on the verge of Baroque and contemporaneity. The album received international acclaim. Pitchfork, one of the most important American music portals, rated the album 7.7 out of 10. In 2013, the artist released the album Pieśni (Songs), on which he reinterprets traditional religious songs.
“I've known church songs since childhood, these melodies run through my veins. (…) Many of them are profoundly moving, deep and mystical songs about love and yearning for God. When I was working on the pieces collected on this album, I tried to strengthen and emphasize that metaphysical, inwardly-stirring element which is present in these church songs. (…) All these pieces are my subjective interpretations filtered through my sensitivity and electronic musicianship, but I hope that there will be listeners to whom such an approach to catholic songs is close.”
Tour dates:
Sources: press materials, ed. fl, trans. szm