You're not going to find a great deal of traditional Polish folk music out there.  Even in Poland it's pushed into the background.  That's why this daring record, the second release (first in the U.S.) by a very young band, is so encouraging.  Not only are they exploring their roots, actively going out and seeking tunes and songs from an aging generation, they're melding them with ideas and moods from other types of music – dance, dub reggae, and others – but all done on acoustic instruments, for a sound they call “bio-techno.”  It can be a shattering, abrasive sound, whether from the suka, an old Polish fiddle, the drum clatter or the “white voice” culled from shepherd calls.  But it’s also quite addictive, treated with studio effects like delay to create something hypnotic.  There’s a thrilling, eager energy to the performances that makes them irresistible.  The music itself might be simple (rarely is any tune more than two parts, and sometimes just one), but while the term “trance music” has been co-opted by the electronica crowd, it’s perfectly applicable here and includes crossing the borders of generation (and, on “Chassidic Dance,” religion).  There are a pair of remixes, one bringing in Indian influences that sit surprisingly well, the other, a souped-up version of “I Had a Lover,” simply astonishing in its power, and one of the few instances of electronic and acoustic music sitting comfortably side by side.  There may not be a great deal of reflection on this outing – the pace is frenetic throughout – but that’s fine; it’s an exuberant statement of intent, promising a fascinating future for the band. –CN