Truth is I’m quite new to Polish music. Until some years ago, Polish music to me was only Skalpel and Warsaw Village Band. Knowing these bands was already a lot, given the distance to my home country and the way, unfortunately, music from countries such as Poland, Czech Rep., Lithuania,…, and even Portugal or Spain,… gets promoted across the rest of Europe and the world. Apart from some genres – Fado in Portugal and Jazz in Poland, everything else is simply ignored.

As some might ask, is there any other good music, apart from the two previously mentioned genres that is worth listening, from countries such as Poland or Portugal? The answer could not be simpler: Yes there is!!!! Yes, there has always been…

Recently, in one of my tours through some record stores, I discovered a wonderful compilation featuring several Polish artists that gives by the name of Polish Funk, The Unique Selection of Rare Grooves From Poland of the 70’s. The surprise couldn’t have been bigger than this. The 70’s were back, in great shape, with several artists I had never thought they could play this way!!!

As the compilation says it, this Polish Funk gathers some of the funkiest tunes dating from the 70’s. Thirty something years gone by and the music still sounds so cool, so captivating, so loose, so dance friendly, so…... so fresh.

Imagine yourself now, discovering that some of the bands you’ve learnt to dislike, are featured on this compilation and reveal themselves completely different to what you thought of them up to today. For those in Portugal, imagine Marco Paulo, back in the 70’s creating some great music, really great, that would blow your minds nowadays? Are you aware of Jose Cid’s recent success? An artist that, some time ago, few would say they listen to his music, and now, everyone really digs it.

After my first contact with Polish Funk and after getting this album, I started looking at the bands playing here. It was then that I found two bands that, normally, I could not stand at all: I’m talking about Czerwone Gitary and Kombi. Jak Ja to Wytrzymam?, by Kombi, and Coda, by Czerwone Gitary, are two great moments among these 13 fantastic tracks. Groovy, funky, fatty beats, Moog driven tunes, dense bass lines make this Coda a really pleasant track to listen to. Kombi’s piece is no exception, making use of synths and completely crowded funky backgrounds.

…. but the album is not only these two bands. There’s space for some jazzier tunes, soul, blues and pop. There’s time for Novi Singers, Big Band Katowice, Abc, Henryk Debich, and Bemibek, among many others. Get acquainted to Polish Funk and the great work the Soul Service DJ Team did here. You’ll just love it!!!!
Simply, the most interesting compilation to come out this 2007.

If you want to get this album, just go follow this link. You'll get Polish, British and North American online stores that will manage to deliver this Polish Funk bomb right to your door.

For previews, just check Soul Service's webpage or their MySpace.

And now, …. on our Tv set….