Tworzywo Sztuczne at Firlej: Fisz, Emade and a seven-piece band with soul and funk

9 DECEMBER 2015

Fisz’s debut, “Polepione dźwięki”, released on 26 June 2000, was musically and lyrically groundbreaking, causing a major stir in hip-hop and receiving the highest praise. It is no exaggeration to say that his debut irreversibly changed Poland’s hip-hop scene. Previously, discerning listeners had no significant domestic alternative to a style deeply rooted in monotonous, grimy street realities. Thanks to Fisz, Polish hip-hop began to be perceived as something intellectually and emotionally enriching.

With a modest contribution from instrumentalists, Fisz’s second album, “Na wylot”, explored jazzier moods. Guests included Novika, vocalist with Futro, and session musicians Karim Martusewicz on double bass, bass guitar, Fender piano and analogue bass synthesiser, Milo Kurtis on percussion and, last but by no means least, Wojciech Waglewski on guitar. Even before its release on 24 September 2001, the record caused more of a stir than the debut, “Polepione…”.

In “Machina” 9/2001, the album received 4.5 keys — 4 keys meant a revelation, 5 a classic. The review declared: “nothing in this country has sounded like 'Na wylot' for a long time”, “it can no longer be put on the same level as the rest of the Polish rap scene”, and “once again it puts the competition to shame, and not only in hip-hop”.

Fisz’s third album, recorded with his own complete studio and live band, defies classification as hip-hop altogether and deserves to be heard as a work independent of any trend in Polish music. It is a highly personal, eclectic record. The guest musicians include regular collaborator Karim Martusewicz on bass, Marek Piotrowski of Sistars on Rhodes keyboards, Dominik Trębski on trumpet and Nuno, formerly of Modfunk, with her outstanding singing and movement. Another new element is Emade, now behind the drums and also playing other instruments. Two rappers appear too: Peteero, known from Fisz’s debut, and Max, now called Pablo Hudini, making his first appearance on a record after playing dozens of concerts with Fisz. The album was released on 9 December 2002.

The fourth album, “Wielki Ciężki Słoń”, preceded by “Tysiąc pięćset sto gwiazd”, appeared in late May 2004. It was the first credited entirely to Fisz and Emade’s seven-piece band, Tworzywo Sztuczne. It led Fisz’s, or rather Tworzywo’s, listeners into completely new musical sensitivity. Gazeta Wyborcza’s Robert Sankowski wrote: “One of this year’s most important Polish albums, even though it is only late May.”

The long-awaited Tworzywo Sztuczne live album “Na żywo w Mózgu” was released in November 2004. As the title indicates, the concert was recorded at Mózg club in Bydgoszcz, in May 2004.

On 25 April 2005, an album appeared by the duo Fisz, this time without either Tworzywo Sztuczne or Emade, and Envee, a producer and DJ, member of Niewinni Czarodzieje and artist on London's Fluid Ounce label. The single “Kryminalny Bluez” preceded it.

Fisz received Polish Recording Academy Fryderyk 2000 nominations for Debut of the Year and Rap & Hip-Hop Album of the Year. The latter nomination was repeated at the Fryderyks in 2002. His Fryderyk 2003 nomination for “F3”, however, came in Club Music Album of the Year, as did the 2004 nomination for “Wielki Ciężki Słoń”. Fisz won a Machiner 2000 award in the Niche Record category and, thanks to Paweł Sito, then head of Radiostacja, a Polityka Passport nomination in Jazz, Rock, Pop and Stage Entertainment.

Fluid’s editors named “Polepione dźwięki” Polish Album of 2000. Hip-hop monthly Klan called Fisz the “best/most important Polish performer of 2001”, his brother Emade the “best/most important Polish producer of 2001” and the “Tajemnica” video the “best Polish video of 2001”. As if that were insufficient, “Na wylot” tops the list of “best/most important Polish albums of 2001”. He received a Ślizger 2001 in the Personality category. Alongside 4 other albums, “F3” was distinguished in Klan’s 2002 round-up for “going beyond hip-hop”.

The same round-up also honoured the album’s producer, Emade, alongside 4 other producers, “for the organic and electronic touches on ‘F3’”. The album’s single “Sznurowadła” also received a shared distinction “for its chill-out unease”, as did Tomasz Nalewajek’s video for the song “for the blood and the washbasin”. In April 2005, all three — Fisz, Emade and their father, Wojciech Waglewski — jointly received “Fenomen”, an award from the weekly “Przekrój”, alongside 4 other recipients.

Alongside three albums and his earlier involvement with RHX, Fisz has made guest appearances on Grammatik’s “Światła miasta” (T1 2000), Ośka’s “Kompilacja 2” (Asfalt 2001), DJ 600 V’s “Wrukwione bity” (RRX 2001), Paktofonika’s “Archiwum Kinematografii” (Gigant 2002) and the Czech compilation “East Side Unia 2” (Terrorist! 2000). A guest performance by Fisz also appeared on T.Love’s latest album. Nor should we forget his two 12-inch vinyl singles featuring “Polepiony” and “Huragan” (Asfalt 2001) and “Tajemnica” (Asfalt 2001), alongside two CD maxi-singles from “Na Wylot”: “Tajemnica” (Asfalt 2001) and “30 cm” (Asfalt 2002).

On 18 October 2003, Teatr Wybrzeże hosted the Polish premiere of Ivan Vyrypaev's “Oxygen”, staged by Agnieszka Olsten. Fisz and Emade produced the music, with contributions from Olo Walicki, Dominik Trębski and Jurek Zagórski.

Fisz and Emade have been performing regularly since 2000 (since September 2002 always as a six-piece band featuring Fisz, Emade on drums, Dominik Trębski on trumpet and effects, Jurek Zagórski on guitar, Staszek Starszip on bass, Pablo Hudini on rap vocals and, more recently, Łukasz Moskal on congas). In total, between September 2000 and February 2005, Fisz played 167 concerts, including appearances in Berlin, Bordeaux, Calvi in Corsica, Dijon, Marseille, Vienna, Prague, Paris and Saint Vallier.