Tomasz Sroczynski — Symphony n°2 / Highlander

Tomasz Sroczynski is a young Polish composer and violinist, whose work has one toe in grandly dramatic classical music and another in repetitive modern composition. Symphony n°2 / Highlander is a CD/ LP release, and it’s a four-track affair that highlights both his urgent-yet-dramatic and sometimes dizzyingly layered compositions

The CD is presented in a four-panel mini gatefold- this features wonderful pictures of some derelict/ rundown concert hall, this is most fitting for the sounds found with-in and their blend of the old and new. From the pictures, I’ve seen the 12-inch vinyl release features similar, but of course, enlarged artwork. So all in all a nicely presented release.

Sroczynski utilizers both a sampler and a harmoniser to create his compositions. He makes numerous loops, then steadily layers up the sound picture. Creating orchestrated string work that is often both surprising and daring in both its compositional structure and harmonic make-up. At points, you could compare his way of working to the more string focused work of someone like Murcof- but Sroczynski compositions are often more urgent, spiritly, detailed and organic in their layering/ building up of loops.

The album opens with “Moderato Pastorale” and this sounds like a blend of an almost grooved-up Reich, and an angular-yet grand Nyman. As we move through the release we come to “Diablak”- this finds Sroczynski starting with a glumly locked mid-range string tone, to which he slowly but surely adds and substrates more layers of mid-range sawing, sad higher-pitched swoons, and jaunting world music like string loops. The release is finished off with “Highlander”- here he creates a slower jogging almost rundown techno like rhythm to his string layers. And along these, we get wonderful richly dense dwells- that switch between been harmonical pastoral, and blurring-to-almost glitching out hazes of sound.

Symphony n°2 / Highlander is certainly an interesting blurring of the old and new classical forms- and mostly Sroczynski managers to pull it all off in a compellingly and creatively manner. In a few points his layering of loops can become off as a little clumsy/ awkward, but depending on what sonic angle you're coming at the work from this can be most rewarding. I’d say don’t expect twee and predictable postmodern string work-outs, but something a little more unpredictable/dangerous, and you'll get on just fine with the release.