KAMP!
Over this summer we all got to see a slice of Poland with the football world descending on the nation throughout June. One aspect of Poland we didn’t get to see though was the nation’s music, something we entirely intent to do here.
Despite many nations around Europe, Poland’s music has become rather insular, rarely breaking out of its own borders.
Pushing Poland’s charts forward though is Monika Brodka, who won the third series of Polish Idol and has since become an artist of the absolute highest regard.
Following a successful pair of more traditional albums, Monika took a four year break and decided to experiment with her third release Granda, with brilliant results both critically and commercially, with the album going double platinum and picking up the Fryderyk award (a Polish BRIT if you will) last year for ‘Best Pop Album’.
Drawing influences from the worlds of electro, traditional Western pop and rock and even the new rise of nu-folk, Brodka has become a massively adventurous artist. With results this good, who can blame her?
She’s also just released LAX, a teaser EP for her fourth album due out later this year, and it sees her fantastic run of form continue. Endlessly catchy yet deeper than it has any right to be, anticipation is very high for her next full blown assault on the charts.
Having made their return to the Polish charts, Cool Kids of Death have immediately made an impact, with the record becoming nominated at this year’s Fryderyk awards.
Having come together in 2001, the group from Åódź have been hard at the grindstone, pumping out an amazing six albums over the course of a decade.
Don’t worry about the name either; Cool Kids of Death are nowhere near as scary as they sound, dealing out a dose of highly politically aware alt-rock. It’s that political slant that Cool Kids of Death have become known for, as their ultra-cynical lyrics and rebellious image combining to make the band a focal point for a new frustrated youth.
Kari Amirian is a small artist is number of ways. Her tiny voice and tiny instrumentation are hallmarks of her debut album, but there is one thing she does have abundance in. Talent.
With her first album Daddy Says I’m Special she displays a fantastically sweet voice, matched perfectly by minimalistic acoustic backing that can only have a calming effect on the soul.
Comparisons to Swedish siren Lykkie Li have been made and are most definitely deserved, as Daddy Says I’m Special is a gorgeous slice of low-key pop.
Having come together in 2008, KAMP! have quickly established themselves as one of Poland’s brightest electro artists, mixing an unusually light touch with an almost Simon Le Bon like vocal and keyboards that make you flashback to episodes of Miami Vice.
So far the trio have recorded four EPs, with the collection having garnered praise from bloggers and critics, yet still remain to many one of the best kept secrets in Polish music.
In the meantime, the group have become famous in Poland for their remixes, taking on a variety of the country’s biggest artists and giving the tracks a good old dose of KAMP!’s own retro electro vibe.
Currently working on their first album, KAMP! have already demonstrated their skills with the guys having performed in festivals in the UK, the U.S and even as far afield as China and may just be on the cusp of something big.
Think we’ve left one of Warsaw’s best off of our round-up? Let us know in the comments below.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith