Hailing from Poland’s Tri-City, Nene Heroine operate where jazz, psychedelia and art-rock intersect. Their fourth album, simply titled “4”, is more than another chapter – it’s a statement of unity between nature, sound and the human spirit.
Recorded in a cabin in the woods, far from urban noise, the band captured raw, elemental energy in real time. The record explores the four elements – water, fire, air and earth – mirrored by a minimalist, geometric visual concept. The performance feels organic, muscular and collective; improvisation functions as a form of meditation – existential rather than religious.
Singles: “Bowie” and “Tokyo”
The current single “Bowie” is an instrumental ode to creativity, blending elegant jazz complexity with ’70s-tinged psychedelic melodicism while retaining a song-like arc. The title hints at the melodic fearlessness associated with David Bowie.
Earlier single “Tokyo” arrived as a short film directed by Maciej Aleksander Bierut – not a typical music video but a cinematic meditation inspired by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, starring Hiroaki Murakami. Themes of seeking the ideal, creative rivalry and identity crisis echo the idea of “killing the old self” – a guiding motif of transformation hovering over the album.
Ritual and energy
On stage, the musicians wear golden masks, becoming part of a ritual where sound channels elemental energy. The gesture underscores a bond with nature and the unseen. In this sense, “4” is not only music – it’s a ceremony where each chord participates in something larger.
Sound
The rhythm section beats like the earth’s heart; guitars and synths sketch airy vistas; horns lift the music above the horizon. Echoes of vintage fusion meet the pulse of modern post-jazz. Altogether, “4” plays like a captured live ritual, faithfully translating the band’s stage electricity.
EF recommendation: a powerful, organic and spiritually resonant record. Not “Christian” per se, yet deeply spiritual in experience. Best consumed in one sitting after dusk.