T’ien Lai (PL)
T’ien Lai is a Polish experimental trio blending industrial techno, tribal rhythms, and global club sounds. Named after a fictional cigarette brand from Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle (loosely translating to “heavenly music” in Japanese), the group began as a drone/noise duo using vintage Polish radios, documented on their debut Da’at(Monotype, 2013). They evolved through sample-heavy, rhythm-driven works like RHTHM (2015), incorporating live percussion and aggressive electronics. Now a trio—Qba Janicki, Łukasz Jędrzejczak, and Jakub Ziołek—T’ien Lai draws inspiration from kuduro, gqom, and baile funk, with sonic roots stretching from Luanda to Kampala. A SHAPE Platform alum, the band has performed at CTM, Unsound, Luminato, and other prominent festivals, pioneering what they call “konk”: a hybrid of experimental electronics and global bass music.
https://tienlai.bandcamp.com/