Janek Gwizdala Returns with Clear, a Cinematic Solo Bass Album for 2026
Janek Gwizdala released a bass duo album with Daniele Camarda just over a month ago, but he’s already back with a new album for 2026. Clear is a solo bass album that uses a wide range of effects to transport the listener to a different space. Gwizdala, who recorded everything with one take, went for a cinematic approach.
“It’s something akin to a soundtrack for a movie that has yet to be made,” he wrote on Substack. “But that movie, and many more like it, play on loops in my brain whenever I sit down to write, improvise, or record. I’m trying to get better and sharing these moments rather than being afraid of the music not ‘fitting my brand.'”
The eight tracks are labeled numerically, “Vision One” through “Vision Eight.” The opening cut is the most traditional, with beautiful melodies floating in a bath of reverb. Later tracks introduce more chaos with bit crushers, ring mods, and distortion.
Gwizdala got lost in the creativity to the point of not being able to explain how he got some of the sounds.
“On this, the seventh track on the album, I cannot for the life of me remember how I created these sounds,” he explains. “I know it was live. I know it was in one take. I also know exactly what pedals were on my board at the time. But I have no idea what combination of sounds I used to create this track. Perhaps it’s a sign that I shouldn’t try to recreate it, and it’ll live right here where it’s supposed to: the enemy spacecraft is passing us and we seem insignificant enough for it not to bother to stop and investigate. And like the memory of how the sound was created, the ship disappears solemnly into the night…”
Check out the otherworldly sounds of “Vision Seven”:
Clear is streaming now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more.
Clear Track List:
- Vision One
- Vision Two
- Vision Three
- Vision Four
- Vision Five
- Vision Six
- Vision Seven
- Vision Eight
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
