Laboratorium - Modern Pentathlon (1976)

Seguimos con el rock polaco de excelencia, el Mago Alberto nos trae a Laboratorium con su rara mezcla de jazz prog con muchos elementos electrónicos y bronces, y como el dice en su presentación del disco: "Un trabajo de una calidad interpretativa asombrosa y con arreglos de sintetizadores y sonidos extraños que lo hace muchísimo más atractivo.
Esto reboza de originalidad y va a caer en las cabezas de los cabezones/as como un ladrillo, realmente para el asombro". Aquí tienen un disco que al Mago le voló la cabeza, y decir eso no es poco, así que escúchenlo con atención.

Artista: Laboratorium

Álbum: Modern Pentathlon
Año: 1976
Género: Jazz rock experimental
Duración: 67:13
Nacionalidad: Polonia

Lista de Temas:
01 Pieciobój Nowoczesny / Modern Pentathlon
- a) Przebieg Niekontrolowany
- b) Mur 1234
- c) Kravhana
- d) Coyola
- e) Taniec "Bialego Karla"
02 Funky Dla Franki / Funky For Fanka
03 Szalony Baca / Crazy Shepherd
04 ABZ
05 Grzymaszka
06 Pieciobój Nowoczesny / Modern Pentathlon (Bonus Live Track)

Alineación:
- Janusz Grzywacz / piano, Fender-Rhodes electric piano, Roland 2000 synthesizer
- Marek Stryszowski / vocals, alto saxophone, bass clarinet
- Pawel Scieranski / guitars
- Krzysztof Scieranski / bass
- Mieczyslaw Górka / drums

Para el rock actual, Polonia es una usina de buena música, a veces menos experimental e imaginativa que las usinas de otros lados del planeta, pero de muy rica calidad melódica. Y esa vertiente desde donde nacen miles de grupos nuevos, no es así porque simplemente Dios lo quizo o por la alineación de las estrellas, sino por el basto historial de buena música que se ha cosechado a lo largo de la historia. Lo mismo podríamos decir de Hungría, Francia, Suecia, etc etc.
He aquí parte de esa historia, el Mago Alberto no adelanta algunos discos de rock polaco que vendrán, ya sea de grupos actuales o pasados. Aquí tienen un disco que al Mago le voló la cabeza, y decir eso no es poco, así que escúchenlo con atención.
A continuación, las palabras del Magro presentando a este disco... ah! y no hay o no encontré comentarios en castellano para este disco, así que tenemos la exclusividad, además este disco es muy muy difícil de conseguir:

Es sorprendente como en los años 70s en todas partes del mundo surgían bandas con una calidad musical de excelencia, este es el caso de Laboratorium, una agrupación polaca que lanzo una serie de álbumes con conceptos distintos en varios volúmenes, este es uno de ellos, un trabajo que bien podríamos encasillarlo en el género jazz-progresivo (por el rock-progresivo), y aclaro este punto porque el género en cuestión no existe en este caso, pero bien podría serlo. Un trabajo de una calidad interpretativa asombrosa y con arreglos de sintetizadores y sonidos extraños que lo hace muchísimo más atractivo.
Esto reboza de originalidad y va a caer en las cabezas de los cabezones/as como un ladrillo, realmente para el asombro, solo les sugiero que escuchen el primer track y despues me cuentan.
Me parece que la materia Polonia vuelve, no dejen pasar este disco, si se meten a hurgar por YouTube, podrán escuchar los otros volúmenes, músicos con muchisima experiencia en la materia haciéndo algo simplemente distinto y genial.

Mago Alberto

Así que a prestarle atención no solamente a éste disco sino también a la materia Polonia de la Escuelita de Rock del Mago Alberto. Ahora, algunos comentarios de terceros y en inglés, que nunca vienen mal.

One of Polish jazz fusion cornerstone, this album was released in 1976 only. Laboratorium was formed in Krakow, intellectual capital of Poland, in 1970, and even had some recordings, made in 1972 (they were released as fan-club release, and re-released later on CD). If neibourhood Czechoslovakia dominated on Eastern European jazz-rock market in early 70-s, Poland with its excellent jazz traditions seriously came on this market a bit later.
Modern Pentathlon is really modern fusion (in sense of mid 70-s) album, keyboards -led and heavily influenced by Chick Corea/RTF. Very relaxed, even funky in moments, but with European traditions (and even Eastern European melodic influences) this album's music is excellent example of high quality Polish fusion of that time. If such musicians, as Michal Urbaniak, who lived and played for years in W.Europe and USA, bring Western fusion traditions on Polish land, Laboratorium grew up on domestic land, and their sound is more "Polish".
Most interesting on this album is its opener - twenty-minutes long composition "Pięciobój nowoczesny". Being of complex structure and some rhythm changes, it is excellent example of progressive jazz fusion. Others songs are good as well, but doesn't add much to album's music.
Good jazz fusion album, one of the most representative from Polish fusion of that time.
My rating is 3,5, rounded to 4/5.

Slava Gliozeris

Janusz Grzywacz was the mastermind behind Polish Jazz-Rockers Laboratorium, a band from Krakow formed in 1970 with an original line-up of Mieczyslaw Gorka on drums, Marek Stryszowski on vocals/sax/clarinet, Waclaw Lozinski on flutes and Edmund Maciwoda on bass.Their name appeared for the first time on the 1973 jazz album ''"Klub Plytowy" with two tracks.The following years the band received awards and achieved several important collaborations despite the line-up changes.In 1976 Grzywacz, Gorka and Srryzowski were joined by brothers Krzysztof and Pawel Scieranski on bass and guitars respectively and recorded their debut ''Modern pentathlon'' for Polskie Nagrania Muza, of course at the studios of Polskie Nagrania in Warsaw.
The album is dominated by the 20-min. title track, a really innovative composition somewhat split between improvisation and tightly structured musicianship with the band presenting a unique and attractive sound, where Psychedelic Rock meets Fusion meets Space Jazz and containing all the right elements of a good jazz-oriented composition: Obscure trippy vocals, fast piano paces, hypnotic saxes, spacey atmospheres, district guitars and fiery interplays.This is actually the main reason to buy the album.The second side of the LP is definitely weaker, containg well-performed material but being close to commercial Jazz/Fusion music.Lots of funky vibes on the keyboard, electric piano and bass parts, even some Soul-influenced saxes are present, the guitar work is more prominant but always in a safely-presented style.Some nice and proffesional interplays though are more than decent and holds the listener's interest till the very end.
The 20-min. sidelong opus alone belongs among the finest Jazz/Fusion compositions you can listen to, however the rather accesible approach of the flipside prevents ''Modern pentathlon'' of being a trully essential release.Still it comes recommended for fans of experimental and intricate Jazz-Rock.

apps79

Laboratorium is a polish jazz band formed in 1970 in Krakow. Modern Pentathlon is their official debut LP, released in 1976 by Polskie Nagrania in the Polish Jazz series as Vol. 49.
This album is quite an original experience because the band uses an instrument rarely used by jazz-rock bands. This instrument is... voice. I said instrument because Marek Strzyczkowski doesn't sing in a traditional way, but he rather improvises with his voice (which may be compared to Urszula Dudziak's vocalisations). I must say that sometimes it sounds comical.
Apart from vocal experiments, album belongs to the jazz rock genre (with some funky influences). The album's opening track is a long, 20-minutes Pięciobój Nowoczesny which consists of five distinctive parts. This track is the most free on the album, it contains many improvisations and solo parts. The other four, shorter tracks are more regular and melodic. There are some similarities to bands like Weather Report, Return To Forever, or Mahavishnu Orchestra but as I said, this album is quite an original experience. Experiments and originality are sort of written in the band's name.
Overall, Modern Pentathlon is an interesting, original jazz-rock album. 4/5 stars.

Pablo P.

Listo! que lo disfruten, toda una sorpresa para el día de hoy.