Joachim Mencel - Etno Machina (2026) [Hi-Res]

Etno Machina is a solo album for hurdy-gurdy (vielle à roue) by Polish pianist, composer, and musicologist Joachim Mencel, released on 27 March 2026 via the Belgian label homerecords.be. Recorded entirely through overdubbing, layer by layer, every sound on the album originates exclusively from the hurdy-gurdy — though in many instances electronically processed, pushing the instrument far beyond its traditional sonic limits. All compositions are original works by Mencel. As he writes: "Here, tradition meets modernity, and a single instrument creates an entire musical world."
The album's title — Etno Machina, or "Ethno Machine" — encapsulates its conceptual tension: a medieval instrument transformed through electronics into something radically new. The tracklist maps this duality through nature imagery ("Wind, Blow," "River, Flow," "Sirens," "The Peaks," "From a Bird's Eye View"), cosmic references ("Etno Kosmos," "Ursa Minor"), and jazz-inflected energy ("Freedom Jazz Groove"). Mencel is an assistant professor at the Academy of Music in Kraków, holder of Poland's Silver Cross of Merit and the Gloria Artis Bronze Medal for Cultural Merit, and widely regarded as one of the world's foremost proponents of the hurdy-gurdy in a jazz and world music context. His previous recordings span collaborations with Lee Konitz, Dino Saluzzi, Richard Galliano, Dave Liebman, and American jazz musicians Steve Cardenas, Scott Colley, and Rudy Royston.



Tracklist:
1-1 Joachim Mencel - Wind, Blow [3:04]
1-2 Joachim Mencel - River, Flow [2:57]
1-3 Joachim Mencel - Sirens [4:52]
1-4 Joachim Mencel - Meanders [3:18]
1-5 Joachim Mencel - We Seek Love Without Being Able to Love [3:55]
1-6 Joachim Mencel - Etno Kosmos [3:06]
1-7 Joachim Mencel - Ursa Minor [4:26]
1-8 Joachim Mencel - Freedom Jazz Groove [3:39]
1-9 Joachim Mencel - In the Dark [2:48]
1-10 Joachim Mencel - In Hope [4:40]
1-11 Joachim Mencel - The Peaks [3:26]
1-12 Joachim Mencel - From a Bird's Eye View [3:34]