Trupa Trupa

Emerging from Poland, Trupa Trupa—whose moniker roughly means "Corpse Corpse"—blend elements of post-rock, psych-rock, indie, and motorik into their experimental sound. The group came together in Gdansk during 2009, with acclaimed poet Grzegorz Kwiatkowski handling vocals and guitars alongside vocalist/guitarist Wojtek Juchniewicz, keyboardist/guitarist Rafał Wojczal, and drummer Tomek Pawluczuk. Both Juchniewicz and Pawluczuk attended the local Academy of Fine Arts as students, whereas Kwiatkowski pursued philosophy studies at the University of Gdansk. Among their initial self-released projects were a 2010 EP, a 2011 LP, and the 2013 cabaret-tinged ++, which brought Trupa Trupa unprecedented recognition up to that point. In addition to securing the band's second Storm of the Year cultural award from Gazeta Wyborcza, the album ++ caught the attention of Blue Tapes founder David McNamee, leading him to propose releasing their subsequent record. Produced by Michał Kupicz, the 2015 album Headache leaned more explicitly into psychedelic territory. This release earned a nomination for Poland's counterpart to the Mercury Prize and received a vinyl edition from Ici d'Ailleurs in 2016. Co-issued by Blue Tapes, X-Ray Records, and Ici d'Ailleurs, the next year's Jolly New Songs evoked the styles of Mercury Rev, My Bloody Valentine, Syd Barrett, and Can.