“II” by Wieloryb remains to this day one of the most compelling documents of the development of the Polish EBM / industrial scene.

Wieloryb’s second album, II (1995), was released a year after the band’s debut by the Polish branch of the Austrian company KOCH International. Alongside licensed releases (including The Prodigy, Breakbeat Era, and Basement Jaxx) and debut albums by Polish artists (Apteka, Lombard, Albert Rosenfield, Lech Janerka), the label opened itself to domestic alternative music on the border of EBM, techno, and industrial. In addition to Wieloryb, its catalogue later included albums by Agressiva 69, Jesus Chrysler Suicide, and Drimsztajn, among others.

Wieloryb followed its own path while remaining open to new influences. Alongside powerful EBM-driven tracks (“hoo3 Century,” “S.C.O.,” “Poosh,” or “Public Brain,” featuring guitar samples and nods to The Prodigy) and industrial rock close to Nine Inch Nails (“Hammered By The Gods”), the band also ventured into more accessible territory. Examples include the reflective, electroid “Firedrome” and the title track “Dwa,” which comes very close to techno.

A major surprise for fans was the original cover of Joy Division’s “Isolation,” which, thanks to its sampled riffs, carries something of The Young Gods’ spirit. The band was clearly attentive to global trends and incorporated them into its music – without abandoning its own distinctive style. The result was still heavier than almost anything else released on the Polish market at the time, yet increasingly refined in production and richer in variety.

^{Marek Horodniczy}