- I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, so Listen is the composer’s step into new territory; it is the synthesis of a vast array of musical experiences that span jazz, classical, pop, folk, ethnic, and electronic music. The fascinating eight-track LP is a feast of musical offerings from Sadowski and his global collaborators, an intricate and often troubling journey through captivating sonic spaces. The mood is often brooding, an album thick with substance and story, a layered and highly textural experience that is appropriately uncomfortable and reflective of a year of stretching, breaking, and growth. Instrumentally, Sadowski employs heavy use of strings, synth, and drums, interlaced with fascinating moments of trumpet, electric guitar, piano, and—surprisingly—a full vocal piece with French collaborator Lario Nowhere. It is a truly unique offering in a landscape of “same”, a progressive modern-classical work that pulls from enthralling places.
“The album is an audio record of experiences and emotions evoked by the unique, difficult, and life-changing pandemic period. The unconventional title relates directly to my creative process. I am not an art theorist, a musical philosopher who transfers certain coherent theories to the keyboard or scores. My experiences naturally turn into music in my head. Only after time, through various associations and external triggers, I find echoes of personal events and feelings in my music. I would like to allow my audience to experience a similar search—without suggesting any methods of interpretation or themes. I aimed for a universal artistic message. Despite cultural differences, geographical distance, or different experiences, people share the same emotions which can be found in the material. This universal presentation, combined with the universal chaos that we have been experiencing over the last two years, gave final shape to this album. As the whole idea originated from the pandemic, I needed to think beyond concert performances. With my friends from around the world, we managed to create a rich, colourful body of music that is both multi-level and complex—almost impossible to play live. In the center of composition, arrangement, and recording, I was finally able to focus only on the sound that came out of my imagination.”
—Maciej Sadowski
Stationary Travel
“Blending strings, synth, and drums with trumpet, electric guitar, and piano into a fluid mosaic of sound the album resonates across a wide range of contrasting moods. Sometimes the shift happens between tracks as when the carefree joy of opening track “Paraglider Ticket” immediately turns somber with the brooding “Ladybug Drones” that follow. In others, the shift evolves within the piece as heard in the rising swells of “March 2020” or when the plodding bass lines of “Believe in Nothing” open out to a powerful and surprising full vocal piece featuring French rapper Lario Nowhere. But, in the spirit of the album’s title – enough words.”
“I Have Absolutely Nothing to Say, So Listen is among the most misleading titles I have seen recently. Truly, this album is quite complex and has more than a little bit to say, although what it says is quite deep and dark. “
“…a veil of melancholy accompanies the sound of strings embellished by the use of electronics, concluding an intricate and captivating work that moves with a light step, as though freed from the heaviness of a difficult period like the one we all lived while closed in at home…”
