Nº 11 From Scattered Accidents – Szymon Kaliski

“12th December 2010, oldest sound, broken piano key….”

From Scattered Accidents is the first release from Polish multimedia artist Szymon Kaliski on KITCHEN. LABEL. Known for blending lo-fi techniques with digital innovations to explore unique modes of expression, Kaliski crafts compositions from acoustic sounds that he loops, decays, and reconstructs using custom-made software and hardware.

Centered on themes of imperfection and transience, From Scattered Accidents began recording in winter 2010 and documents Kaliski’s year-long creative journey. Favoring the natural anomalies that emerge from his recording process, Kaliski uses a curated selection of sounds — including the worn key of a broken piano with its patina intact — as foundational materials. Intentional accidents shape the soundscapes, echoing the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi in their embrace of flawed beauty and quiet introspection. The album also features collaborations with composer Peter Broderick on violin and Aaron Martin on cello, whose harmonic variations and dynamic contributions heighten the emotional depth and scenic quality of the work.

From Scattered Accidents evokes a sense of pastoral decay amid urban life, with slowed-down soundscapes filled with atmospheric cracks and textures. The album is accompanied by 16 pages of monochrome photography by Jan Hoffmann, who captures the forgotten corners and desolate moments of Paris from unusual angles. These images, reminiscent of Baudelaire’s reflections on urban beauty, offer a poetic glimpse into hidden stories within the city, resonating with the fragmented memories that shape Kaliski’s sonic craft.

Kaliski’s subtly evolving textures move with an organic timing, carrying listeners through scenes of smoke-filled rooms, the aroma of coffee on rainy days, and fragmented conversations that fade into distant murmurs. This auditory journey captures a unique solitude and desolation, a sense of urban pastoralism that feels both intimate and expansive.

CREDIT

All music by Szymon Kaliski
Violin by Peter Broderick
Cello by Aaron Martin
Mastered by Ricks Ang

Design by Ricks Ang
Photography by Jan Hoffman