Aleksander Debicz - Invention (2018)

The latest album of an artist whose choices are tempting, yet disturb one’s comfort zone. Plain is not an option: he is looking for modern groove in Bach, whilst escaping jazz by improvisation. It makes him hard to define, yet it is also impossible to simply pass him by without noticing. Who is this mysterious artist? It is Aleksander Dębicz and he is just releasing his second solo album.

The pianist’s fans already know about his predilection to combine seemingly radical stylistic poles. Film, baroque, modern, dark, dense or maybe ethereal and fleeting music? All of these sounds tangle in one, unusually tasteful and coherent in his albums. His interpretation and improvisation style escapes categorization and reflects modern reality with its permanent kaleidoscope of events, impressions and emotions. After the premiere of his first album Cinematic Piano, he was compared to Einaudi and Arnalds, and he gained attention from the media. The second one, Bach Stories – a collaboration with cellist Marcin Zdunik – dazzled connoisseurs and experts with its artistry, both in baroque music interpretation, as well as its chamber improvisation. The latest album INVENTION is a bold combination of tradition and modernity, baroque and hip-hop, improvisation and classics.

This time, Dębicz reaches for Bach’s miniature masterpieces and blends them with his own compositions inspired by hip-hop. The result is a sophisticated mixture of rich aroma, which can be tasted both by connoisseurs and seekers of new experiences. “I play Bach because I like it!” – he says with laughter and nonchalance, just to pursue the details of baroque ornaments, tractates and history with excitement on his face a second later. He decided to record the complete Inventions and Sinfonias of the great master of keyboard music to show their condensed beauty, timelessness and truth enchanted in them. However, the artist would not be himself if there were no compositions of his own on the album. The power of creation and improvisation lures him from the very beginning of his musical path. This is why we may find four Toccatas inspired by the collision of hip-hop and baroque music in INVENTION. “Hip-hop? Pianist?” – one could ask. Why not? To Dębicz there are no boundaries in art or music. He listens to everything, absorbing the whole colourful world as it is without categorization, just simply creating his own surprising combination of flavours.

You will listen to the album in one sitting. The classical part sparkles with diversity, yet gives a moment to focus and to stop running for a while. Dębicz does not stick to the old established rules, but reads Bach afresh extracting what is the closest to us, and the most modern. With his first toccata we are coming back to reality with its invigorating energy, vibe and groove.

INVENTION is a transcendental feast where every bite counts.

Tracklist:
Johann Sebastian Bach:
01. Invention No. 1 In C Major, BWV 772
02. Invention No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 773
03. Invention No. 3 In D Major, BWV 774
04. Invention No. 4 In D Minor, BWV 775
05. Invention No. 5 In E-Flat Major, BWV 776
06. Invention No. 6 In E Major, BWV 777
07. Invention No. 7 In E Minor, BWV 778
08. Invention No. 8 In F Major, BWV 779
09. Invention No. 9 In F Minor, BWV 780
10. Invention No. 10 In G Major, BWV 781
11. Invention No. 11 In G Minor, BWV 782
12. Invention No. 12 In A Major, BWV 783
13. Invention No. 13 In A Minor, BWV 784
14. Invention No. 14 In B-Flat Major, BWV 785
15. Invention No. 15 In B Minor, BWV 786
16. Sinfonia No. 1 In C Major, BWV 787
17. Sinfonia No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 788
18. Sinfonia No. 3 In D Major, BWV 789
19. Sinfonia No. 4 In D Minor, BWV 790
20. Sinfonia No. 5 In E-Flat Major, BWV 791
21. Sinfonia No. 6 In E Major, BWV 792
22. Sinfonia No. 7 In E Minor, BWV 793
23. Sinfonia No. 8 In F Major, BWV 794
24. Sinfonia No. 9 In F Minor, BWV 795
25. Sinfonia No. 10 In G Major, BWV 796
26. Sinfonia No. 11 In G Minor, BWV 797
27. Sinfonia No. 12 In A Major, BWV 798
28. Sinfonia No. 13 In A Minor, BWV 799
29. Sinfonia No. 14 In B-Flat Major, BWV 800
30. Sinfonia No. 15 In B Minor, BWV 801

Aleksander Debicz:
31. Toccata No. 1
32. Toccata No. 2
33. Toccata No. 3
34. Toccata No. 4