“Their debut LP, released in July, is brilliant, bursting with terrific melodies. It occasionally calls to mind the young UK jazz
scene, with its pulsating funk sound, but also boasts arrangements that would have been right at home in the golden age of
Polish radio and TV. The group’s dense sound; their interweaving of electronics with wind instruments and flutes; and their
undeniable groove make them one of the most promising young groups on the scene.”
Jakub Knera, Bandcamp Daily
Klawo (pron. /klʌvɔ/) is a 7-piece jazz-funk ensemble, based in Gdansk, Poland. Started in 2020 as a live band for Konstanty Kostka solo lo-fi hip hop project. Shortly after they decided to write music together and soon released a debut LP – Klawo, (2022, Coastline Northern Cuts). After that, the band played several shows around Poland, including festivals and showcase gigs (e.g. Up To Date Festival, Great September, Tak Brzmi Miasto, Sea You, Jazz Around). Klawo has also given concerts in Slovakia (United Europe Jazz Festival) and Romania, where in July 2023 they won the first prize in the Jazz in The Park Competition held in Cluj-Napoca. In March 2023, Klawo, as the only Polish act, became a finalist in the HEMI Music Awards program, an initiative to help artists from Central and Eastern Europe in international export.
In August 2023 the first live album by Klawo was released by Coastline Northern Cuts, “Live!” – recorded on April 15th ‘23 at Sea You Tricity Music Showcase. More international dates followed in the autumn, including showcase festivals Mastering the Music Business (Romania), Batch/Reconnect (Czech Republic), BUSH (Hungary) and PIN (Macedonia). In January 2024 Klawo is going to perform at the legendary Eurosonic festival in Groningen (NL). The band’s second album is to be released the following spring.
The mostly instrumental compositions of Klawo draw inspiration from a multitude of musical styles including funk, indie, psychedelia, hip hop, jazz and afrobeat, with plenty of room for improvisation.
Klawo are:
Konstanty Kostka – keys, percussion, vocals
Jakub Krzanowski – drums
Malina Midera – keys, percussion
Tomasz Rafalski – keys, percussion
Alicja Sobstyl – flute, vocals
Artur Szalsza – bass, guitar
Karol Tchórz – trumpet
“The band’s debut album Klawo features rocking grooves, a rich palette of analog keyboard sounds and melodic brass. (…)
Funky fire mixed with an almost Scandinavian lyricism and a sometimes absurd sense of humor.”
Channel 4, Polish Radio
Watch:
● music video for Pizza, single recorded for Generacja Jazz, a compilation LP by U Know Me Records
● Live! – a full show recorded in Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre, April ‘23
● full live performance at Jazz in The Park Competition, Cluj-Napoca (RO), June ‘23
● Tiny Desk-style live session recorded in Sonar Record Store, Gdańsk, November ‘22
● music video for 01.06 single
● music video for Tom-Kha (ft. Mr Krime) single
● animated music video for Wdzięczność single
Listen to:
● ‘Live!’ album on Bandcamp
● ‘Live!’ album on Spotify
● Self-titled debut album on Bandcamp
● Self-titled debut album on Spotify
Check out:
● our Instagram profile
● our Facebook profile
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