Szymon Wojcik - All the Wonders of Six Little Spoons (2023) Hi Res

All the Wonders of Six Little Spoons is a project founded in 2021 in Cologne (DE) by the Polish, Cologne-based composer and guitarist Szymon Wójcik (RASP Lovers).

The ensemble consists of 10 musicians from different parts of the world, coming from various musical backgrounds: Thea Soti (voice), Ferdinand Schwarz (trumpet), Jonas Engel (alto sax, clarinet), Victor Fox (bass clarinet), Emilia Gołos (piano), Zoe Argiriou (vibraphone, bass drum, timpani), Magdalena Lorenz (violin), Jonas Gerigk (double bass), Anthony Greminger (drums) and Wojcik himself on electric guitar.

The album is an attempt to escape and find an alternative to the hierarchical composer-ensemble relationship. Wójcik closely involved the musicians in the creation and development of the music, by composing specifically for unique styles and techniques used by each member of the ensemble.
The music of „All the…” is a search for balance between the precise organisation of musical material and freedom of expression. Wójcik gives up the idea of a soloist in favor of a dialogue and searching for a common language within the ensemble. He draws from various musical traditions, often at first glance far apart, creating trans-genre environment full of contrasts and oxymorons.

The music is strongly influenced by the writing of Gertrude Stein, specifically her „Tender Buttons”, and a poem by Polish artist Monika Orpik. Language in Wójcik’s compositions has been used not only as a narrative tool but primarily as another instrument, of which the phonetic layer is an extremely important element.