Błoto (PL)

Friday, 3 July  – CD Club
Free entry 
Festival pass: EUR 115

Latarnik, piano, synthesizers; Wuja HZG, bass guitar; OlafSaxx, saxophones, synthesizers; Cancer G, drums

Błoto is a Polish instrumental group that formed spontaneously in 2018 during an impromptu session while on tour with the larger jazz band EABS, with some of its members jamming to fill the free time between concerts. Błoto stands for reduction, or a shift towards a more brutal and rudimentary, groove-focused expression rooted in hip-hop – with loose references to the gritty, sampladelic sound of the 1990s.

Their music is grounded in massive, looping structures, where heavy basslines, precise drumbeats, and repetitive motifs take centre stage, evolving through subtle improvisation. While jazz remains ever-present as a substructure, Błoto deliberately avoid complexity for complexity’s sake, instead prioritising feeling, texture, and hypnotic rhythm. The result is both minimal and intense – a sound that is at once direct, raw, and relentless.

Released in 2020, the quartet’s debut album, Erozje, is a minimalist yet massive soundscape of decay and transfiguration. Beyond their classic album projects, the band is also known for numerous tributes dedicated to one of hip-hop’s most influential producers, J Dilla, culminating in the 2026 release of We Remember J Dilla.

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In their performances and recordings, Błoto seek to capture the tension arising from broader social realities, including fragmentation and stratification, rising nationalism, political crises, and systemic violence. Their distinctive approach speaks to a wide-ranging audience – spanning hip-hop and electronic music through to avant-garde jazz.