Adam Baran & Helicopets - Jazz Juniors Competition 2024

Helicopets is a jazz group led by Warsaw-based composer and guitarist Adam Baran. The band focuses on collective improvisation and draws from contemporary influences. Their music—rooted in the jazz quartet tradition—blends elements of minimalism, ambient, and electronic music, boldly crossing and redefining the boundaries of the jazz genre.
Baran’s guitar playing emphasizes space and trance-like textures. Using effects and various devices, he creates layered soundscapes, treating his guitar like a sampler—though he often returns to a more classic, even mainstream, approach to playing. A key part of the band’s sound is Panilas (Magdalena Sowul) on bass clarinet, who uses her instrument to generate electronic textures and avant-garde improvisations. The rhythm section features great Polish musicians: drummer Józef Biegański and bassist Piotr Zygma.
In 2024, the band debuted at the Jazz Juniors Festival in Kraków, receiving multiple special awards from organizations such as NOSPR, Jazz Denmark, JazzFest Brno, the Budapest Music Center, and Jazz Vineyard. As a result, Helicopets will embark on a European tour.
Their debut album, slated for release in 2025, was created in collaboration with electronic music producer Paweł Rychert. So far, the singles “Balbina”, “Murakami”, and “Army of Me” have been released. The recording sessions took place at the picturesque Monochrom Studio, with Ignacy Gruszecki responsible for the album’s sound. Mastering was done by Jeremiasz Henszel.

Band members:
Adam Baran – guitar
Magdalena Sowul (Panilas) – bass clarinet
Piotr Zygma – bass
Józef Biegański – drums, electronics

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Recorded at the Jazz Juniors Competition 2024 / Cricoteka, Kraków

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