The music generated by Village Kollektiv is a fusion of electronic sound with the ‘live’ sound of original instruments and singing, the first such blend on the Polish music scene. The traditional musical roots create a kind of integrated circuit with the computer score, in this way giving rise to a new sound space in which the very expression of the word ‘ludu’ (folk/people) takes on a distinct character. The group uses both original folk melodies and their own folk-inspired themes. Breakbeat, electro, dub and drum'n'bass, as well as Polish and Bulgarian strands are blended with the throaty sounds of the North. The debut CD ‘Motion Roots Experimental’, released in 2006, was nominated for Poland’s two major music awards – the ‘Fryderyk’ and the ‘Folk Phonogramme of the Year. It also won in the ‘New Tradition’ Polish Radio Competition in 2007.
Village Kollektiv has performed in such events as the Wrocław Non Stop, the Festival of Cult Films in Katowice, ‘Budapest My City’ in Warsaw, the Ethno Port Festival in Poznań and the Festival of Open Sources in Warsaw.
Foreign tours have taken the group to Berlin (the anniversary of singing the Treaties of Rome), Vienna (OST Club), Kiev (‘My City Warsaw’), Riga (‘Warsaw in Riga) and Mexico City (three concerts at Ollin Kan - Latin America’s most important world music festival). Recently, the group was joined by new musicians, including a wind section. At the end of 2009 it issued an EP promoting its new album; it contains two new compositions as well as their remixes.
In its present line-up Village Kollektiv has performed in Edinburgh, Manchester (Eurocultured Festival), London (Thames Festival), Gdynia (Heineken Open'Er), Gorzów Wielkopolski (Reggae nad Wartą) and Warsaw (‘Rewizje’ Festival).
In 2010 Village Kollektiv took part in an international CD project ‘Unite: Gathering of Strangers, prepared by members of the Britain’s Transglobal Underground. The two groups performed together during the Days of Contemporary Art in Białystok, northern Poland (May 2010).
A new album by Village Kollektiv – entitled ‘Subvillage Sound’ – was launched on 27 October 2010.
![[Rozmiar: 50882 bajtów]](images/village_kollektiv.jpg)