Out of the dozen plus records Armia have released, „Legenda” (1990) and „Triodante” (1994) are widely regarded as classic Polish rock gems. The band have established their position with hundreds of concerts (with Killing Joke and New Model Army among others) and by appearing at many prestigious festivals in and outside Poland. Their concert activity is documented on such albums as „Exodus” (1991), „Soul Side Story” (2000), „Koncert na 20-lecie” (2006), and „Przystanek Woodstock 2004” (2007).
In 2006 the band released a live DVD called „Koncert na 20-lecie”, which documents the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the band’s formation. Among the guest stars are Kazik Staszewski of Kult, Moskwa, as well as former members Darek Malejonek and Sławek Gołaszewski (with his band Asunta). The 35-song track list includes some legendary Siekiera songs, with an over-an-hour long interview with Tomasz Budzyński added as a bonus.
Over the twenty years of the band’s career, its line-up consisted of many outstanding and distinguished figures of Polish rock music. The Armia of now are: Tomasz Budzyński (voice), Tomasz Krzyżaniak (drums), Krzysztof Kmiecik (bass), Paweł Klimczak (guitar), Rafał Giec (guitar), and Jakub Bartoszewski (French horn).
The power of Armia lies in the combination of Tomasz Budzyński’s poetry with the music which is at the same time sophisticated and expressive, and which merges elements of rock, folk, and even classical music. The use of the unusual instruments for today’s rock standards, such as French horn, flute, cello or violin, renders the band offer unique and guarantees them a special place on the Polish rock scene. Armia remains a band whose original music is not to be pigeonholed. The lyrics abound with references to outstanding works of the world’s literature such as Dante’s „ Divine Comedy” or poems by Samuel Beckett and Artur Rimbaud, as well as Franz Kafka novels, which again makes Armia sensational on a worldwide scale. Tomasz Budzyński’s lyrics call for a serious reflection upon the spiritual condition of man today. The band try to provide the listeners with more than mere entertainment, through their art inviting them to make an existential quest for the meaning of life.
2009 is special in the history of the band, as by the end of November they will have released two brilliant (and so different) records in one year. In February, “der Prozess” was out, another concept-album in Armia’s discography. The very title suggest the link with Franz Kafka’s masterpiece, an inspiration which Tomasz Budzyński does not deny. The album is not an illustration of the book, however, but an individual glance at the existential tragedy of each human being, coloured by the references to Kierkegaard philosophy. Most personal lyrics combined with the aggressive and complex music bring a really stunning effect. Six compositions by Paweł Klimczak make a sophisticated suite with a unique combination of hardcore stylistics with elements of jazz and even the modern avant-garde classical music. The wall of guitars, the fantastic drumming from Tomasz Krzyżaniak and Banan’s fairytale French horn make an uncanny background for the powerful vocals of Tom with theatrical touches.
Yet at the moment Armia have just finished working at the brand new album called „Freak”, which is to be released on 20 November 2009, by Isound Labels. Sensationally, founder members Robert Brylewski and Sławomir Gołaszewski took part in the session. Apart from the characteristic psychedelic guitars by Afa and the magic instruments by Merlin, the album features some free-jazz saxophones by Marek Pospieszalski and Łukasz Kluczniak (who has already contributed to the band’s concerts), as well as the otherworldly accordion from Karol Nowacki and some backing vocals from Gerard Nowak of The Soundrops. The album is produced by Tomasz Budzyński and the material has been recorded at Robert Lica Friedrich’s studio in Puszczykowo near Poznań.
“Freak”, which little resembles the monumental sound of “der Prozess”, comes as a complete stylistic shift for Armia. The fact that all the tracks are sung by Tomasz Budzyński in English only adds to the novelty of the album.
Armia’s discography:
AntiArmia (1987)
Legenda (1990)
Exodus (1991)
Czas i byt (1992)
Triodante (1994)
Duch (1996)
Droga (1999)
Soul Side Story (2000)
Pocałunek Mongolskiego Księcia (2003)
Ultima Thule (2005)
Koncert na 20-lecie (DVD, 2005)
Przystanek Woodstock 2004 (2006)
Der Prozess (2009)
Freak (2009)
Echo
Armia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jest wielki pusty dom zamieszkały przez jaszczurkę
Jest narkotyczny dym co przeciąga się jak kot
Kosmos pająka zdmuchnięty przez dziewczynkę
Jest cichy olbrzym co zapędził się do wioski
Jest obolały lis po przygodzie na manowcach
Jest barbarzyński kraj, w którym rządzi władca much
A teraz wytęż wzrok i przysięgnij, że mnie znajdziesz
Gdy byłeś dzieckiem rozmawiałem z tobą zawsze
Jak nagły pożar jak zapach ciepłej wiosny
Otwarte okno, w którym czekam od początku
In Armia's song "Echo," the lyrics describe a world that is full of contradictions and unusual occurrences. The lines "There's a small sleeping dragon on his autumnal treasure, There's a big empty house inhabited by a lizard" introduce a fantastical element to the song, which continues throughout. The imagery is full of symbols, such as the "narkotyczny dym" (narcotic smoke) that "przeciąga się jak kot" (lingers like a cat), which could represent something alluring but dangerous.
The song also references various animals, including a fox ("obolały lis po przygodzie na manowcach" - a sore fox after an adventure on sandbanks) and a giant ("Jest cichy olbrzym co zapędził się do wioski" - there's a quiet giant who has wandered into the village). Each of these animals could be interpreted as having a deeper significane, perhaps representing various aspects of human nature.
The final lines of the song are particularly poignant: "And now concentrate and swear that you'll find me, When you were a child, I always talked to you, Like a sudden fire, like the smell of warmth in spring, An open window in which I've been waiting since the beginning." These lines suggest that the fantastical elements of the song might be allegorical or metaphorical, and that the "I" referred to could be a person, a memory, or even an idea. The song leaves the interpretation open to the listener, inviting them to find their own meaning in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Jest mały śpiący smok na jesiennym swoim skarbie
A small sleeping dragon rests on its autumn treasure pile.
Jest wielki pusty dom zamieszkały przez jaszczurkę
A large empty house inhabited by a lizard.
Jest narkotyczny dym co przeciąga się jak kot
There's a narcotic smoke that stretches out like a cat.
Kosmos pająka zdmuchnięty przez dziewczynkę
The spider's cosmos blown away by a girl.
Jest cichy olbrzym co zapędził się do wioski
There's a quiet giant who wandered into the village.
Jest obolały lis po przygodzie na manowcach
There's a sore fox after an adventure on the ice floes.
Jest barbarzyński kraj, w którym rządzi władca much
There is a barbaric country ruled by the sovereign of flies.
Szkoła dla chłopców, technikum niewinności
A school for boys, a technical high school of innocence.
A teraz wytęż wzrok i przysięgnij, że mnie znajdziesz
Now concentrate and swear that you'll find me.
Gdy byłeś dzieckiem rozmawiałem z tobą zawsze
When you were a child, I always talked to you.
Jak nagły pożar jak zapach ciepłej wiosny
Like a sudden fire, like the scent of warm spring.
Otwarte okno, w którym czekam od początku
An open window, where I have been waiting from the start.
Contributed by Jasmine I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Łukasz Mickiewicz
Kosmos pająka zdmuchnięty przez dziewczynkę!
lipa shmelzer
uwielbiam te harmonie,doskonale kompnują sie mi z warstwą graficzną płyty.Te harmonie to chyba zasługa Banana ,szkoda że nie ma go w Armii już.
nothinman
Swietny numer , jak i reszta co slyszalem z Ultima .. :) plyta w kolejce do kupienia ! :) /obok Osobliwosci .. :)
acerb45666555
very good band! *****
Mój pionowy świat
Wg mnie album powinen promować właśnie ten kawałek.Płyta bardzo równa ale jeśli miałbym wskazać najlepszy utwór to Echo.