Poszycie is an ambient/drone album by the Polish trio Signal To Noise Ratio, released late 2025. To be honest I had never heard about them before they released this album. Therefore let me first introduce this Warsaw based band that has been active since 2003. They evolved from a prog-rock and lo-fi experiment into an ambient/experimental outfit consisting of Przemysław Piłaciński (guitar, flugelhorn, de-huntified horn), Maria Białota (synthesizers, gongs) and Adam Izaak Wasążnik (drums). They had collaborations that go beyond the typical rock band genre. An interest in Indonesian classical music is a recurring theme in their work. Their collaboration with the Warsaw Gamelan Group began in 2018 on the vinyl single Zanim. The trio created the original soundtrack for the silent film The Chariot Of Death which was performed between 2008 and 2011, including at the Silent Film Festival in Warsaw and Tofifest in Toruń. Some of their songs were used in the soundtrack of the film Puzzle Doc in 2018. The band also produced two award-winning remixes for the Norwegian avant-jazz-metal band Shining. They remixed Wojciech Błażejczyk's contemporary composition Lśnienie, in which they were accompanied by trumpeter Olgierd Dokalski. Moreover they made it to the finals of Marek Grechuta's song interpretation competition. Furthermore they simultaneously operate in a variety of musical genres. So their musical styles goes from ambient to drone and experimental music. And from rock to contemporary classical music. Let's go to the album Poszycie. It is a long-form experimental work consisting of four tracks, each approximately 15 minutes long. It was recorded as a side project while the band worked on their more intense 2026 album, Poroże. The title Poszycie translates to "sheathing" or "forest floor cover". The album features a blend of acoustic instrumentation, microtonal tuning, and digital processing. As with ambient/drone music it is obvious that the music is very relaxed and mellow. Hardly anything happens at first hearing. Therefore you need to listen to the 4 tracks a couple of times and you certainly have to be in the right mood. Get yourself on a sofa and close your eyes or dim the lights and put the candles on. Wearing headphones is preferred! Relaxing time starts right after the first seconds of the opening piece. Meditative music might be the key word for the music that you are going to hear! Pozornie W Lesie Nic Się Nie Dzieje, which means in English "On the surface, nothing seems to be happening in the forest", features Maja Baczyńska on standing bells. The bells are rather important for the general sound. Typical Indonesia music can enjoyed next to ambient kind of immersive soundscapes. Hadap Ke Barat, which means in English "Facing West", has a collaboration with the earlier mentioned Warsaw Gamelan Group which mixes Central Javanese pelog scales with analog synthesizers. Typical Indonesia music can enjoyed again next to ambient kind of immersive soundscapes. Wrzesień, which means in English "September", is mainly performed on an amplified flugelhorn and a de-huntified horn, processed through custom delay algorithms. It sounds like one big drone! Tamta Strona/Ta Strona/Nigdzie, which means in English "That side/this side/nowhere", is a core trio improvisation featuring jazz-inflected rhythmic patterns next to ambient kind of immersive soundscapes. If you like long-form ambient/drone music, rooted in improvisation and sonic layering, with experimental electronic elements and ambient soundscapes Poszycie is for you to discover. Enjoy the atmospheric depth, layered textures, and meditative quality. Enjoy the improvisation, jazz-inflected rhythms and unique instrumentation of gamelan, bells, synthesizers, A special mentioning is that Poszycie was released by Strange New Sounds in three different formats: streaming/download, CD, and a limited edition of 50 cassette. Yes you can still buy them! *** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
