1982–1992

Kafel

41 | ARCHIVE SERIES 03 | 2011

A cross-sectional album of this very interesting group, led by Dariusz Krzywański, with whom Katarzyna Nosowska began her career.

The first part (1982–1986) presents recordings from the very beginning of the activity. A definite tribute to the experiments associated with Throbbing Gristle. However, it is not aggressive, biting or noisy music. A searching artist who took care of melodies, flavors of arrangement and traditional composition. A multitude of ideas, as for recordings from almost 30 years ago.

The second record (1989–1992) is a marked trail. The coldwave atmosphere mixes with the heavy beat of the drum machines. Strong bass harmonizes with the ambient, which oscillates between sequential electronics and industrial. The lyrical nature and form of expression in the texts give the whole a specific character.

This is a must for every self-respecting lover of searching music seasoned with a pinch of the best achievements of the gothic scene at the turn of the 80s and 90s.

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"The beginnings of Kafel's musical activity date back to the early 1980s. The first instruments included a set of pots pretending to be drums, a couch, boards, sheets of metal, cans, whistles, harmonica, cymbals, a toy accordion, a mini acoustic guitar, a Soviet television game, prepared tapes, cassette tapes. Everything pretended to be a musical instrument. I could only dream of synthesizers, so I got down to work and started building generators myself based on schematics from Młody Elektronik (a kids toy for learning electronics). I installed them in housings with keyboards resembling synthesizers, and the keys were cut out of wooden strips For a while I also had an electric guitar, but what really attracted me in creating music was related to the possibilities offered by electronics.

When I met Andrzej Panfil and Piotr Gniedziejko during my high school years, the name Kafel appeared, it was also time to confront the audience. In the summer of 1986, we were qualified for the Poza Kontrolą (“Out of Control”) VII review. Composed by: Darek Krzywański - generators, tapes, melodeclamations / singing; Andrzej Panfil - generators, we played our first concert in the Remont club in Warsaw. The room was packed. Two nineteen-year-olds stood in front of ironing boards wrapped in black foil, on which Uniprymiton-1 were placed, and one-octave Prymiton-1 and 2 (all with self-made Multifuzz attachments "on board"), and the backing music came out of the Unitra ZK-140T spool in a suitcase painted silver. In some amok we excessively exceeded the show time. However, no one tried to make us aware of it. Then, as in the iconic Rejs movie, there was general applause and acceptance. Such moments leave a permanent mark on the mind of every young person.

In 1987, we played two more concerts in Szczecin (during Andrzej Panfil's second performance, Tomek Czerwiński replaced him) and in Częstochowa (in the local academic radio studio) I recorded a few songs with the help of the already mentioned Piotr Gniedziejko.

A technological breakthrough in my activity came with the purchase of the Casio SK-1 sampler. It is difficult to describe the euphoria that aroused in me the possibility of using any sound as a musical instrument. Besides, it was my first normal electronic instrument, which did not require opening the casing and turning the trimmers before every playing in order to achieve some "human" musical scale.

In the spring of 1989, I was joined by the singer Andrzej Kwinto (Lenin), who had previously sung in various post-punk bands and moved well in the music world of our city.

After a few rehearsals in a team of two, we entered the studio of the Academic Radio Pomorze in Szczecin, where we recorded a few new songs. Through our colleague, Andrzej Smolik, Lenin arranged a place for rehearsals at the club of the "Pod Masztami" Maritime University. Smolik was studying at the WSM at that time and played in a band there. For one of the rehearsals, Lenin brought his friend Kasia Nosowska. We liked making music together, so Kasia stayed with us for longer.

In a three-person line-up we performed, at festivals: Fama'89 in Świnoujście, FMR Jarocin'89, ZEF in Pisz, Zadyma'89 in Warsaw (Torwar) and other cities.

We also recorded a few songs in the Szczecin Studio of Polish Radio S1. In 1990, after more than a year of cooperation, we parted ways with Kasia, before the Jarocin'90 festival, where, together with Maciek Suszyk and Artur Grochowiecki (two mimes from the Szczecin pantomime), we performed for the second time - this time also on the big stage.

In the fall, we recorded a few songs in the Szczecin PRiTV S1 Studio. As I was not satisfied with our current "toy" sound, the beginning of 1991 was spent exploring the secrets of my new acquisition, the Amiga 500+ computer. In 1991, there were concerts in Warsaw, Nowogard, Choszczno, and Szczecin, and in the spring of 1992 we were awarded at the OMPP Wrocław '92 review. In the same year, we released a cassette entitled Egzalte. Since 1989, our performances have been accompanied by slide projections with pictures by Zdzisław Beksiński, and later by Radek Brodecki who assisted us.

Kafel as a band ceased its activity in the fall of 1992, but it has survived in deep conspiracy and in various incarnations to this day.

Dariusz Krzywański, 2011