Soundedit’s Events

Mechu: Legend of Łódź's alternative solo act

Mechu is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and songwriter from Łódź. He has been active on the Polish alternative scene since the '80s. He has recorded for Krystyna Giżowska and collaborated with Ziemowit Kosmowski, Maciej Werk and film director Wojciech Smarzowski. Mechu was the guitarist and second vocalist in the band Blitzkrieg. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Jezabel Jazz, which he also founded. He played keyboards and was the second guitarist in the band Closterkeller, and was also the guitarist and bassist in the band Moskwa. He also collaborated as a guitarist and session musician with Hedone.

In 2025, he released his first solo album, ‘MECHU 001’. He composed nine songs for it and wrote the lyrics. He performed all the instrumental and vocal parts himself (except for the backing vocals in two songs). He entrusted the mastering to Grzegorz Piwkowski, known for his collaboration with artists such as Behemoth, Dezerter, Hey, Hedone and Lady Pank.

The icon of post-punk returns

Anja Huwe is an iconic singer associated primarily with the pioneers of the postpunk movement – the band Xmal Deutschland. After the band's successful run, which included four albums (Fetisch, Tocsin, Viva, Devils), Anja continued her artistic career, finding her niche in the visual arts. However, her passion for music continued to inspire her creations. Huwe made a sensational return to the international music scene in early 2024 with the release of her solo album Codes and exclusive reissues of Xmal Deutschland's early works. Anja wrote and produced the album together with her friend from the 1980s, Mona Mur. Their songs feature Mur's characteristic electronic sounds as well as the unique style of Xmal Deutschland guitarist Manuela Rickers.

The international music press (including The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Wire and Galore) showered the album with enthusiastic reviews and demanded the artist's return to live performances. The artist's first concert after decades of absence from the stage took place at the Grauzone festival in The Hague. ‘Her voice is like a spear, and she herself resembles a torch in the darkness,’ was how the event was reviewed.

Gavin Friday: Charisma, anger and new energy

Gavin Friday has already performed at the Soundedit Festival. Many fans remember his 2012 concert as something unique, one-of-a-kind and even close to a mystical experience. There is no question that the magnetic intensity of the performance left no one indifferent. Now in his sixties, the artist has begun to question many of his life choices, and the result of these reflections is the album Ecce Homo (2024). It is the first album Friday has recorded after a thirteen-year hiatus.

The music on Ecce Homo is driven alternately by thunderous electronics reminiscent of the power of the Virgin Prunes (Gavin's band) and exquisite acoustics that reflect the beauty of his solo work and soundtracks. The artist intended Ecce Homo to be an ecstatic, unrestrained expression of anger and independence —a break from stereotypes —while acknowledging that our most difficult battles are often collective experiences. There are love songs, songs about inner struggles, reflections on loss, nostalgic dreams, hymns of solidarity, and songs condemning rulers. All produced by Dave Ball of the Soft Cell duo. Friday considers it the most honest album he has ever recorded. ‘Maybe I haven't grown up yet,’ jokes the artist, winking, ‘or maybe I'm just growing up.’

The Chameleons: Melancholy that has been mesmerising audiences for years

The Chameleons — John Peel, the legendary BBC radio presenter, discovered this group for the music world. Their distinctive sound quickly captivated audiences. Their compositions, full of melancholic, energetic and powerful melodies, hypnotic and ethereal riffs, and timeless lyrics, won the hearts of listeners and the acclaim of critics. The Chameleons are considered one of the most influential bands of the post-punk scene of the 1980s and 1990s

The Chameleons' first single, ‘In Shreds’, was released in 1982. This was followed by three albums that have often been called masterpieces: ‘Script of the Bridge’ (1983), ‘What Does Anything Mean? Basically!’ (1984) and Strange Times (1986). Despite the excellent reception of their albums, the band is considered one of the most underrated ever. Although The Chameleons' music was ahead of its time, the group never achieved commercial success.

In 2021, the band went on tour again and shared the stage with U2, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, Simple Minds, Talk Talk, and The Cure, among others, because The Chameleons are primarily a live band. Their new album, Arctic Moon, was released on 12 September. The album marks a departure from the band's earlier sound. However, it retains the same emotional depth, spirit and intensity that has always defined their work.

1984: A legend that refuses to fade away

1984 – a band celebrating its 40th anniversary next year – is essentially the brainchild of Piotr “Mizerny” Liszcz. Over the past four decades, Liszcz has selected and replaced successive line-ups of musicians, a key factor behind the band’s longevity. The entire repertoire, in terms of music, lyrics and sound vision, is Liszcz's work.

The band 1984 made its debut in Rzeszów in 1985 during the ‘Rock Plus’ festival, where it received an award on the initiative of Tomasz Beksiński, who was delighted with the group's innovative approach. At that time, 1984 presented a pioneering new wave sound on the local scene, which inspired the evolution of a whole host of soon-to-be-famous Rzeszów bands: One Million Bulgarians, Aurora, No Smoking.

Between 1986 and 1988, these bands received ovations at successive Jarocin festivals and played on Radio Trójka and Rozgłośnia Harcerska. However, not all of them survived the difficult period of political transformation for alternative music. Only 1984 is a band that regularly performs and releases albums. This is thanks to Piotr Liszcz's consistency and persistence. He has nine excellent albums to his credit and is working on new material.

Fields of the Nephilim: Mystery and darkness on stage

Fields of the Nephilim — a band whose name refers to the biblical race of angelic-human hybrids — must be mysterious, dark and enigmatic. This is precisely what Fields Of The Nephilim's music is like. It is described as ‘gothic rock’, but this definition is far from sufficient. To this day, the group continues to inspire many other bands, including those playing such extreme music as Behemoth and Kreator.

The group was founded in 1984 (sic!) in Stevenage, England, by Carl McCoy, Gary Whisker, Tony Pettitt, Paul Wright and Nod Wright. The artists were joined by Peter Yates, with whom they recorded their first album, Dawnrazor (1987). Fields of the Nephilim does not release albums every year. On the contrary, they record them rarely, which is why their albums are so good, polished and full of seductive darkness. The Nephilim (1988), Elysium (1990) and Mourning Sun (2005), recorded after a 15-year hiatus, are considered classics of the genre. The first recordings by Fields of the Nephilim feature elements of hard rock, heavy metal, and psychedelic rock. However, the musicians continue to experiment, searching for new sounds and solutions. The lyrics are inspired by the magic of chaos, the prose of H.P. Lovecraft, Sumerian beliefs and the work of occultist A. Crowley.

SBB: The export pride of Polish rock

SBB – the band will appear at the Soundedit Festival with the following line-up: Józef Skrzek – vocals, keyboards, bass guitar, harmonica, Apostolis Anthimos – guitar, percussion, Gabor Nemeth – percussion. The concert during Soundedit will be the only Polish concert with this line-up in 2025.

SBB is a Polish trio that was one of the most lauded bands in Central Europe in the 1970s. They shared the stage with such legends as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Bob Marley, Soft Machine and Colosseum II. They recorded albums in Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia. SBB was and still is one of the most important representatives of progressive rock in Europe.

SBB was formed – as Silesian Blues Band – in 1971 in Siemianowice Śląskie. After a year of working under their own name, the musicians began playing with Czesław Niemen as Grupa Niemen. In 1974, they returned to the SBB name and for six years were Poland's hottest export, winning over listeners on both sides of the Iron Curtain. They recorded over a dozen albums and several dozen hours of premiere music for radio. The songs created at that time had (and still have!) an impact on younger generations of musicians. Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) is a big fan of the group, considering their albums to be one of his most important inspirations. During one of their concerts in Poland, the musicians of Opeth tried at all costs to meet the band and... get autographs from the members of SBB. The GAD Records catalogue includes several dozen SBB titles, and the label systematically reissues archival albums that were often previously unavailable.

John Porter: The cult album Helicopters after 45 years

‘Helicopters’ (1980) is John Porter's debut album. It is also one of those albums that is still considered one of the most important in the history of Polish rock in the 1980s and in the history of Polish rock in general. The Porter Band album was recorded at the Polish Radio Studio in Opole in 1979.

The English-language album quickly achieved Gold Record status. There had never been such a mature, energetic and rock-filled debut in Poland before. Although 45 years have passed since the album's release, it is still listened to, played on radio stations and reissued. The John Porter HELICOPTERS '45 concert will not only be a reminder of the music of those times, but also a summary of John Porter's career. The artist has refreshed the song ‘Ain't Got My Music’ and made a video clip for it.