For the next edition in our Mr Bongo Record Club Mix Series we have a special submission from Igor Wiśniewski. Guitarist for the formidable SOYUZ (СОЮЗ), Igor has also been focussing his time on writing material as part of his new solo singer/songwriter project.
For his mix Igor has put together a deep dive on Warsaw's Lado ABC - an influential, genre-spanning record label set up by a group of friends in the early 2000s. Giving the artists creative control, a distinctive free-flowing, playful aesthetic was born, one where the musicians were given autonomy to explore new sounds, textures and avenues.
Alongside putting together this brilliant mix, Igor took the time out to speak to us about the influence of this iconic, cult label.
Aside from your work with SOYUZ can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Right now, I am focused on my first singer-songwriter project, Igor. It is the most personal music I have made so far, but I do not want it to feel precious. It brings together the guitar language I have developed over the years with my voice and writing that feels quite direct, without dressing it up too much.
I have been into singer-songwriter records for years, so this project feels like something I had to do eventually. I recently played the first Igor show in London at LOST, a secret venue with a great atmosphere, and it made me want to take the project further.
Outside of that, I tour with musicians across Europe, do studio sessions, and work on different projects. When I am not touring, I am usually in my studio in Warsaw recording new music or playing a jam at SPATiF.
Photo credit: Marek Kita
Why did you choose to focus your mix on Lado ABC?
It just felt important to share this huge part of Warsaw’s music legacy that I grew up with. I have worked and recorded with a lot of musicians from that scene, including Macio Moretti and Hubert Zemler. The way they think about sound is really unique. They are amazing instrumentalists, but more than that, they are artists with a very free way of thinking about music.
Can you give us a bit of background on the label and the sounds they release? What makes them stand out against other Polish labels in the same realm?
The label was founded in Warsaw in 2004 by a group of friends who were tired of labels interfering with their artistic vision. They wanted to have a safe space for friends they hung out with every day. It was never really about money. It was about community.
The concept for the label was that it would consist of three distinct sounds. That is what the A, B, and C stood for. A was for more electronic music, B for music with a rock influence, and C for acoustic, jazz related music.
Even though the label announced its closure in 2019, it continued releasing albums as LADO RIP. To this day, it has released over 100 records and remains a big part of Warsaw’s music culture, hosting two major summer festivals.
What impact / influence have they had on the Polish scene?
In my opinion, LADO ABC developed a distinctive aesthetic that can be heard in many new projects across Poland. The style strongly relies on a no-ego attitude and a playful approach. This attitude is crucial for creating in the spirit of LADO. You can feel that the music comes from their hearts and from their friendships.
I’ve always felt welcomed by LADO people. When I joined the festival team in 2023, Paweł Szamburski, a member of Bastarda, gave me a lot of freedom to do my own thing there, and I’m very grateful for it. I even ended up doing two editions of my own festival, Ladomek Sessions.
You’ve included one of your own tracks in the mix which you mentioned was highly influenced by Lado ABC - could you expand on that?
In 2018, when I started composing new music, I was genuinely interested in a blend between experimental music and pop/rock sound. I’ve always admired unusual approaches to creating music. I adored the music of John Cage, Can, This Heat. LADO ABC was that to me. They were crazy - always searching for new sounds, new textures, new ideas. That inspired me to create a band called EKUZ. Shortly after we played some shows the pandemic started. I felt it was the perfect moment to go to the studio. So I invited Albert Karch to co-produce the album with me. I rented the studio for over two weeks and we just kept recording, overdubbing, and exploring. The process of recording the album was crucial to my survival during the pandemic.The song I featured on the mixtape, ‘Gardening / Welding’, comes from a sound palette I feel very comfortable in. It blends acoustic and electronic sounds, with contrasting riffs and melodies that all come together to tell a unique story. To this day, Albert and I still sing the main melody by heart - and as you can hear, it’s not that easy, haha.
Are there any personal favourite tracks from the mix you’d like to highlight?
I’d say the music of Mitch and Mitch is especially important to me. That’s a wonderful blend between song-like structure and sonic explorations. I really love the album they recorded with Zbigniew Wodecki, a legendary Polish singer-songwriter. I was especially obsessed with the song ‘Opowiadaj mi tak’. I love the cheerful yet subtle Polish lyrics combined with the huge orchestral sound and Mitch's unique approach to arrangement. The band leaders, Macio Moretti and Bartek Tyciński, just told me that they’re working on a new album and I’m really looking forward to it.
They have a strong design aesthetic to their artwork, can you tell us a bit more about that?
Most of the covers were done by Macio Moretti. His unusual approach to music comes along with his graphic design. It’s all about strong ideas. He’s a crucial individual for the whole LADO movement. You should check out his new album called ‘November’ that he recorded with Royber Trio.
You mentioned they have their 11th edition of the festival coming up? What does that entail?
The festival happens every Wednesday through the summer in the garden of a 1940s Finnish house in the centre of Warsaw. The house was built in 1945 for the workers who were rebuilding the city after World War II, so the place already carries a lot of history.
This year, we are going back to the original idea: each of the eight nights is curated by one LADO member. For my night, I invited Grzegorz Tarwid, an amazing pianist and composer, to play a solo set. After that, I will play with Albert Karch from SOYUZ, Piotrek Domagalski, and Marta Malikowska. We will perform songs we are working on right now.
I feel that the festival is a perfect place for checking out new ideas since everybody is so open and genuinely interested in what you have to say.
Photo credit: Tymur Pylypets
Big thanks to Igor for taking the time out to speak to us for this feature, you can keep uptodate with his solo project and work with SOYUZ, by giving him a follow on Instagram.