Malá Pardubická Vol. 4

Four musicians from four countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary) each theoretically speaking a different language, can, however, speak to the listener in a universal way that can be understood everywhere.
We present the fourth fragment of a session recorded in Czech Pardubice in autumn 2021. Wild improvisations bursting with energy and crazy ideas, which were born both "live" during the recording and during joint concerts of four tankers without a dog.
The cover is part of a larger image, which is is printed in its entirety only on the cover of the first part (Mala Pardubicka vol. 1) of this recording session, released on ultra-limited vinyl, just like the second and third parts of this session.

The musicians played the following instruments:
Mikołaj Trzaska — saxophone
Petr Vrba — trumpet & electronics
Mark Tokar — double bass
Balazs Pandi — drums

Graphic design by Klára Zahrádková

Mikołaj Trzaska:
Mikołaj Trzaska is a Gdańsk-born saxophonist, bass clarinettist and composer. He studied fine arts between 1988 and 1991. He grew up on the basis of yass – an artistic and social movement which at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s rebelled against the ossification of the national jazz community. Trzaska was a co-founder of the most important yass formation – the legendary Miłość and (the still active) Łoskot. Although the momentum of yass music expired many years ago, he became a leading figure on the Polish improvised scene. After the yass period, he recorded several concentrated and quiet albums with the Olesia brothers. He also accompanied the poets Świetlicki and Andruchowycz, creating music and literary projects with Andrzej Stasiuk. Today, he is the leader of the international Volumen trio, a member of, among others, the International Volumen Trio, Above all, however, it is realized on the grounds of radical free jazz, collaborating with dozens of the world's leading free improvisers, including Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermak, Peter Friis Nielsen, Michael Zerang, Clementine Gasser, John Tchikai and Noel Akchote. He is also a recognized composer of film and theatre music, working on a permanent basis with Wojciech Smarzowski, among others.

Petr Vrba:
His unrelenting explorations of non-idiomatic improvisation using trumpet, clarinets, synths, diy electronics, vibrating speakers etc., made him one of the most active experimental musicians in Prague these days. He is founder (with George Cremaschi) of Prague Improvisation Orchestra and bands like Poisonous Frequencies (with Didi Kern and Tomislav Federsel), junk & the beast (with Veronika Mayer), The MoND (with Ken Ganfield and Pasi Mäkelä), NOIZ (with Thomas Lehn and Tiziana Bertoncini), IQ+1 and others. He regularly works with dancers (13 aphorisms - based on Milan Grygars acoustic drawings, duo KaPe, Moving Orchestra a.o.) and filmmakers (live music for experimental or silent movies, creating music for animated movies etc).
His discography includes debut double vinyl Prague Improvisation Orchestra on Polí 5, Punkt (with Kurt Liedwart) on Mikroton, Resonators (with George Cremaschi and Irene Kepl) on Another Timbre, Torschlusspanik by Poisonous Frequencies on Meteorismo, duo with Yan Jun on Kandala records and many others. For two albums he was also member of psych-rock band Rouilleux.
Petr has played with musicians like Xavier Charles, Angélica Castelló, Michel Doneda, Axel Dörner, Isabelle Duthoit, Kai Fagaschinski, Susanna Gartmayer, Franz Hautzinger, Agnes Hvizdalek, Irene Kepl, Mazen Kerbaj, Christof Kurzmann, Joke Lanz, Ava Mendoza, Seijiro Murayama, Peter Orins, Maja Osojnik, Ivan Palacký, Ryu Hankil, Matija Schellander, Ingrid Schmoliner, Burkhard Stangl, Miro Tóth, Mikolaj Trzaska, Birgit Ulher, Michael Zerang and many others.
In 2010-2016 he curated the musical programme of Communication Space Školská 28 which was a multifunctional space for various nonprofit cultural and artistic activities. Since 2018 he became dramaturgist for the Alternativa festival in Prague.
Since 1994 he plays as a DJ at Radio 1 in Prague (last years include the 13 raw programme), and was also a temporary student of gamelan music at Institute of Art of Indonesia in Yogyakarta (1997–1998).

Mark Tokar:
Mark Tokar originally studied classical guitar at S. Lyudkevych Music College. During this time he began to play double bass, which became his main instrument.
During 2002-2004 he repeatedly participated in the Krakow Jazz Workshop, directed by M. Parkinson (USA).
In 2006, via the "Gaude Polonia" scholarship program, Mark studied at K. Szymanowski Jazz Academy under the direction of Professor Jacek Niedzela. The program was granted by the Minister of Culture in Poland.
Since 2006 he has given private lessons at various jazz schools.
During 2005-2006 Mark worked as art director of the Ukrainian-Polish Jazz Bez festival. He organized a series of Metro Jazz Philharmonic musical performances in Lviv.
Mark has performed with various bands at numerous festivals in Germany, Poland, Lithuania, USA, Austria, France, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Hungary, Georgia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic. He participates in Ken Vandermark's international project "Resonance". He also plays in the groups Undivided, Five Spot, Four, Varpaj, and Yatoku. Additionally, he is the leader of the international projects Leo'm'art, Mark Tokar's Quintet and Avtokar.
Mark Tokar has performed with Ken Vandermark, Bobby Few, Perry Robinson, Steve Swell, Michael Zerang, Tim Daisy, Dave Rempis, Roberta Piket, Fred Frith (USA), Klaus Kugel, Arkadij Shylkloper (Germany), Petras Vishniauskas (Lithuania), Mirchea Tiberian (Romania), Mazzol, Mikolaj Trzaska, Waclaw Zimpel, Piotr Baron, Kazimierz Jonkisz (Poland), Jurij Jaremczuk (Ukraine), Magnus Broo, Per-Ake Holmlander (Sweden), and Mark Sanders (England).
Currently, Mark Tokar remained in Ukraine and turned the stage into military trenches, defending his country against Russian aggression.

Balázs Pándi:
Balázs Pándi is a Hungarian drummer and journalist. He has worked and toured with various acts from all around the world including Venetian Snares, Otto von Schirach, To Live and Shave in L.A., The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble and Zu. He also played drums for the Blood of Heroes project.
Since 2009 he has frequently played drums live with Merzbow, and they have released three live records together. They headlined the experimental stage at the Scion Rock Fest in Tampa, Florida in 2012. More recently, he and Merzbow have performed as a trio with Mats Gustafsson. They released Cuts in 2013 on RareNoise. For the follow-up Cuts of Guilt, Cuts Deeper (2015), they were joined by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.
Balázs started an electronica-metal-breakcore project with Bong-Ra called Wormskull in 2010 (their first album "Sound of Hell" was released in 2011). Most recently he joined the Italian experimental instrumental band Zu. His current projects include Italian doom band Obake, Metallic Taste of Blood (featuring Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree, Eraldo Bernocchi of Obake and Jamie Saft), and Slobber Pup (Saft, Joe Morris and Trevor Dunn). From 2012 he started to play solo shows on selected festivals under his own name.
From 2013, he worked as a journalist at Hungarian news site Index. After the resignation of the majority of the staff in July 2020, he moved to Telex.