Czart - Czarty Polskie [LP]

CZART is an audiovisual metal project founded by Michal Chroscielewski and Pawel Smarkusz in the northeastern region of Poland. The band fuses heavy music with experimental visual storytelling to create a distinct artistic identity. "Czarty Polskie" is a concept album rooted in medieval Polish demonology. It explores horror as a holistic phenomenon-unfolding across both music and imagery. The narrative draws from ancient beliefs that attributed evil deeds and misfortunes not to humans, but to demonic forces-serving as a way to rationalize human wrongdoing. The lyrics incorporate authentic excerpts from "Czary i czarty polskie oraz wypisy czarnoksieskie" ("Polish Witchcraft and Devils, with Sorcery Excerpts") - a 1924 book by renowned Polish writer Julian Tuwim. Tuwim described how devils, although formless, could mold bodies from air and earthly vapors and speak in "artificial language." This poetic notion inspired the use of modern AI tools in the creative process of both music and videos. Artificial Intelligence - much like electricity in centuries past - is both a tool of innovation and a source of controversy. It's synthetic and "unnatural" nature aligns perfectly with the symbolic image of the devil (Czart) as an outsider to the natural world. By integrating AI into music composition and video design, the project achieves a surreal, dreamlike vibe that stimulates the imagination and heightens the sense of mystery. "Czarty Polskie" presents an eclectic sound that draws from death metal, sludge metal and elements of 1970s psychedelic rock, it's an immersive, emotionally charged journey through sonic and visual landscapes that do not exist in the real world - but resonate deeply on a symbolic and intuitive level. The use of Polish lyrics enhances the mystical, folklore-infused atmosphere, giving the project a strong cultural and thematic identity.