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SATELLITE

Neo-Prog • Poland


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Satellite picture
Satellite biography
Formed in Poland in 2000 - Activity unknown as of 2019

The Polish progressive band COLLAGE are somewhat legendary within the genre. With several albums under their belts, their album "Moonshine" is considered a staple within the subgenre. COLLAGE eventually broke up, but Wojtek Szadkowski still had the fire within him. "I wanted to go back to the beginnings, to playing music spontaneously, music which could be played without any barriers, to feel this fresh breeze of creativity again. ... It was like a new beginning for me. I wanted to start from the scratch to feel creative again, and to feel a particular uncertainty, which one can experience only in the beginning of writing new music for a totally new project."

Initially, SATELLITE started as a solo project for Wojtek, but took on a completely different life of its own. He finished some vocals and arranged some basic background, but some textures were better provided outside of himself. He met Sarhan Kubeisi, who ironically was a drummer in a friend's band. After hearing him play so beautifully on a song, he knew he had his guitarist.

Wotjek needed a vocalist...plain and simple. So, who better than his old bandmate from COLLAGE than Robert Amirian, who also plays bass. Remarks Wotjek, "Great, distinctive voice, very fluent English language and outstanding sensitivity. Robert agreed to participate". On keyboards, he brought on another COLLAGE alum in Krzysiek Palczewski. Natural comparisons to COLLAGE are expected.

"A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset" debuted on March 10, 2003. Its follow-up, "Evening Games" (2006), reached number 8 at the top 100 best-selling albums in Poland.

In 2007, SATELLITE were invited to play the famous Baja Prog Festival in Mexico and released "Into The Night" towards the latter part of the year. Since then they have added bassist, Jarek Michalski to the band, freeing Robert to concentrate on vocals.

Eric Walker (USA)

See also:
- Collage
- Strawberry Fields

SATELLITE Videos (YouTube and more)


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SATELLITE discography


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SATELLITE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.90 | 240 ratings
A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset
2003
3.82 | 188 ratings
Evening Games
2005
3.86 | 275 ratings
Into The Night
2007
3.58 | 159 ratings
Nostalgia
2009

SATELLITE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SATELLITE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.66 | 42 ratings
Evening Dreams
2005

SATELLITE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SATELLITE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

SATELLITE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.90 | 240 ratings

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A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by gbjones

4 stars What strikes me about this album is how easy it is to listen to right from the first spin. Not to say it's "easy listening" haha. It IS progressive music through and through, but it's also a very "soft" type of progressive; no wailing guitar or screaming morons. Some reviewers compare this to Marillion but I don't get the comparison. Another thing striking is the balance between great instrumentals and great vocals - it scores high in both categories and both are very even weighted. I'm giving it four stars because every track is consistently good and it lacks any weak or obnoxious tracks - a requirement before I give anything four stars. I'm trying to find a copy of the sister material from Collage but that seems a little bit harder to obtain cheaply.
 Evening Dreams by SATELLITE album cover DVD/Video, 2005
3.66 | 42 ratings

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Evening Dreams
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

4 stars Tucked away amongst the "extras" on this DVD, that most people probably don't bother with, is an unassuming bio of SATELLITE that betrays the secret to the group's success. Founder Wojtek Szadkowski, who had been the leader of the legendary COLLAGE in the 1990s, stated that he wanted to start something again after a few years of silence, and he wanted it to be about melody as the fundamental goal of music as he sees it. And this from a drummer, albeit a brilliant one! It is that focus on melody that, as evident as it was on the first 2 and best SATELLITE albums, suffuses this entire live performance, in its hardest rocking or most romantic moments; in Robert Amirian's earworm choruses and grungiest pronouncements; in the surprisingly poetic English lyrics; in Sarhan's most searing guitar solos and more delicately plucked expressions; and in both the most atmospheric and pointed keyboards of Krzysiek Palczewski. It also distinguishes SATELLITE from most of the earlier neo prog groups of UK vintage who were so transfixed by their navel that they forgot about what lay both below and above.

It helps that 3 of these 4 members were in COLLAGE during their peak, because the chemistry and emotional intelligence is second nature. In fact, apart from the fact that there will never be an equal to "Moonshine", SATELLITE represents a 2000s upgrade on COLLAGE, particularly to the tightness of their playing, the more mature lyrical subject matter and vocalist Amirian's transformation from flower child to sensitive tough guy in barely 10 years! This fully compensates from my sense that his bass guitar is little more than a prop.

Another critical aspect to SATELLITE circa 2005 was their commitment to the "song" even if that song is 17 minutes long. I don't mean verse chorus song but a journey on which the listener becomes a trusting fellow traveler and is richly rewarded for that loyalty. The renditions of "Evening Games", "The Evening Wind" and "Beautiful World" reverberate with nuances that far exceed the limits of an audio only experience. Granted they could have done better for an encore than reprising the entire "Evening Games", especially given the mini epic quality of some of the shorter tracks on both "Street" and "Evening games". For instance, the version of "Fight" seems even more moving for its dedication to a perhaps departed comrade in the worldly sense.

Among the additional features are a couple of audio tracks from each album that were not in the setlist, an overly long video of the band rehearsing and kibbitzing, and, most interestingly, an official video of the romantic "Love is Around You" that leaves little question as to the orientation of the band's own heart.

As with COLLAGE, SATELLITE extinguished themselves with their own radiance, their next two albums matching neither the clarities nor the subtleties of their early work, and have been silent for over a decade now. Luckily we have this audiovisual register of Szadowski and company's second peak. One more time, Wojtek? Well, we can dream.

 A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.90 | 240 ratings

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A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by The Crow
Prog Reviewer

4 stars From the ashes of the great polish band Collage, Satellite was born back in 2003!!!

And I really don't understand why they decided to change their name, because the line-up is very similar to Collage and so is the style of their music. They still make a very sentimental and keyboard oriented neo-prog with dreamy passages and a precious fairy tale atmosphere, very unique and enchanting. Maybe they thought their success would increase changing the name of the band? I don't know...

Nevertheless, the result is better than the previous Collage's album called Safe. The production is also more competent and everything sounds more modern and actual, including some programmed rhythms and a better vocal work. Robert Amirian was not a very good singer in Collage, and in Satellite he is still weak, but at least he sounds not out of tune anymore. Thanks' God! The guitars of Gil are also more bearable than in the 90's, not so high pitched, and the rest of the instruments sounds also great, including the drums of the band's leader Wojtek Szadkowski.

The result is a very good, even excellent neo-prog album from a band which deserved more recognition!

Best Tracks: On the Run (comparable in quality to the best Collage's compositions), No Disgrace (a powerful and beautiful neo-prog track with excellent keyboards and a true marvelous guitar solo), Fight (a well written song, with a beautiful chorus and great guitars) and A Street between Sunrise and Sunset (modern and not so old fashioned, but equally interesting and with a splendid bass line)

Conclusion: Collage changed their name, but not their spirit! After the disappointing Safe, Satellite retrieved the magic of Moonshine with A Street between Sunrise and Sunset. Full with wonderful melodies, incredible keyboards and a very good work of all the members of the band this is a delicious record for all the neo-prog fans out there.

Even Robert Amirian sings better than before!

My rating: ****

 A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.90 | 240 ratings

BUY
A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars While Satellite may be a new name in the prog field, and 'A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset' their debut album, this is a band that have been formed out of one of Poland's most well-known and best-loved prog acts, Collage. Originally this was set to be a solo project by drummer and main Collage songwriter Wojtek Szadkowski but he gradually brought in more and more musicians, many of whom he had performed with in Collage. They are signed to Metal Mind, the most important label of it's' type in Poland, and the artwork has been provided by Mark Wilkinson of Marillion/Fish fame. In fact, if you look at the Satellite site at www.satelliteprog.com you can see the whole series of covers that he designed for this, a real work in progress.

But what about the music? The band themselves have compared it most to 'Moonshine' era Collage but how about Western proggers who may have never heard that band? In fact there is a lot going on, and while certain influences such as Genesis and Pendragon or Pink Floyd can be picked out, it is easier to say that this is easy listening prog that is thoroughly enjoyable throughout. The album is sung in English, and in fact the feel is that this is an American project and not a Polish one at all. The album starts with street noise and a snippet of a radio commentator, and the impression is a bustling American city. That is an intriguing way into the first song, "The Evening Wind", which at nearly thirteen minutes long is a great start. Of course, the guitar can't be hidden totally by the keyboards and there are some very powerful plays indeed. A particular favourite has to be "No Disgrace" which is a belting prog rock number driven along by dynamic percussion and sizzling keyboard runs.

This could easily be the most important album out of Poland this year, and the finest I have heard from that country since Quidam. Which one is the better? The jury is still out.

Originally appeared in Feedback #73, Jun 03

 Nostalgia by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2009
3.58 | 159 ratings

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Nostalgia
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Satellite's first three albums formed a sort of trilogy of day, evening and night, so Nostalgia marked the start of a new era for the band, being their first album outside of this context. Once again, Satellite put an even bigger emphasis on drawing on more non-prog influences to spice up their sound, as is particularly notable in the keyboards and drums on this release. Recorded in Wojtek Szadkowski's home studio, it's entertaining enough, but to my ears the mix is a little off - particularly with regards to the drums, which I feel are a little overwhelming. Still, fans of the band's combination of dance music rhythms with neo-prog will find it entertaining.
 Into The Night by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2007
3.86 | 275 ratings

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Into The Night
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Satellite follows up the more traditional neo-prog release Evening Games with Into the Night, on which they once again try to incorporate more modern (particularly modern electronic-leaning) musical influences into their sound, creating a more diverse piece of work than either of their preceding albums. On Evening Games they'd already mastered melodic neo-prog and gentler musical approaches, whilst on Into the Night they show a greater flair for louder and more raucous outbreaks of technical virtuosity. It's another very strong album which shows how the band's musical talents have matured like fine wine over the years, and will appeal to most fans of neo-prog, though I find it a little colder emotionally speaking than Evening Games.
 Evening Games by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2005
3.82 | 188 ratings

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Evening Games
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Satellite's debut album had a really great cover but musically speaking was somewhat average; their second album, Evening Games, has a completely atrocious cover (seriously, what is it with bands accepting miserably poor CGI when an amateur DeviantArt artist could do better for cheaper?) but musically speaking is a bit of an improvement. The balance this time has swung more towards the band's symphonic and neo-prog side and less towards the spacey, ambient, almost dance music-inspired rhythms that underpinned the previous album (though they are still present here and there), and as a result that those who miss the old classic Collage sound will find it alive and well here.

That said, whilst it's certainly competently-delivered neo-prog, it isn't necessarily all that interesting as far as such stuff goes - you'll have heard a bunch of the motifs on here a ton of times before if you're a fairly well-seasoned neo-prog listener, and if you're not there's plenty of albums in the genre you should be giving your time to before you dive so deep as to be exploring this one.

 A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.90 | 240 ratings

BUY
A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars The prospect of a spiritual successor band to Collage, one of the absolute greats of the Polish neo-prog scene, is surely enough to make any neo fan excited. As it stands, though, Satellite's debut album shows potential but does not quite live up to it to my ears.The interesting experiment of having dance music rhythms underpin a lot of the songs (there's even a song with preprogrammed drums) with neo-progish keyboard and guitar solos over the top was probably worth a try, but here at least they don't quite mesh into a coherent whole. Still, the Mark Wilkinson cover art (which seems to be his take on the cover to Neil Young's Trans) is a nice touch.
 Evening Games by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2005
3.82 | 188 ratings

BUY
Evening Games
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Two years after their beautiful debut, Satellite return with a second album but without Mirek Gil on board, who went on to form Believe.Absent in the line-up is also bassist Przemek Zawadzki.They were replaced by bassist Piort Zaczek, while Sarhan took over both lead and rhythm guitars.''Evening games'' was released again on Metal Mind Records and became one of the most succesful rock albums in Poland.

And not just accidentally, as this one is an album that defines what modern Polish Prog is all about with Satellite's sound being synonymous to the term.The great 17-min. eponymous opener is propably the perfect example of this style.A mix of contemporary Symphonic Rock, COLLAGE-styled Neo Prog and Psych/Ambient/Space Rock, where power meets softness and roughness gives its place to delicacy.The rest of the album is certainly defined by this description.An album full of sudden breaks but always based in melody, where deep atmosphere is the undisputed king.Smooth parts with light guitars, sensitive warm vocal lines and soft piano burst radically into dynamic passages with powerful solos, grandiose keyboards and a symphonic attitude.And a big part of Satellite's sound is the alternation between normal and distorted vocals, the constant use of sound effects and the careful use of analog keyboards as well like organ and mellotron.The electric guitars have an evident PINK FLOYD vibe, especially in the solo parts, while COLLAGE's ghost seems to be all over the place due to the high quality of the musicianship, characterized by the grandiose synths, the elegant vocals of Amirian and the light symphonic sound.

Another huge album by this excellent Polish band, maybe a little better compared to their debut.Contemporary prog means ''Evening games'' to me and the album comes as an essential addition to any collection of a decent prog fan...4.5 stars.

 Into The Night by SATELLITE album cover Studio Album, 2007
3.86 | 275 ratings

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Into The Night
Satellite Neo-Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars The third of a trilogy of albums originally intended as a solo outlet for former COLLAGE drummer Wojtek Szadkowski, SATELLITE has taken on a life of its own--and a valid place in the pantheon of Neo Prog artists. Hearing the powerful performances of former COLLAGE vocalist Robert Amirian, former COLLAGE keyboardist, Krzysiek Palczewski are always worth giving a COLLAGE/SATELLITE album a chance. This one is no exception. Interesting that it's the work of Satellite mastermind, drummer Wojtek Szadkowski, that is really the weak spot of this music. No matter, still a pretty decent album of Heavy or maybe even somewhat Neo prog.

1. "Into The Night" (6:54) (13.5/15) 2. "Dreams" (13:48) too sprawling and loosely threaded together to warrant high marks. Even the highly touted final four minutes is flawed in its drawn out simplicity. (24.5/30) 3. "Downtown Skyline" (6:16) (8.5/10) 4. "Lights" (2:15) 5. "Don't Go Away In Silence" (7:36) great melodic guitar soloing. (13.5/15) 6. "Heaven Can Wait" (9:04) a metallic opening that I'm captivated by turns into something disappointing in its simplicity and predictability. One of the poorer vocal arrangements and integrations I've ever heard from the Satellite world. Nice guitar shredding before the strummed acoustic guitar- and electric piano-based middle passage. (17/20) 7. "Forgiven And Forgotten" (6:07)

Total time 42:00

The opener, title song, "Into the Night" shows us right off the bat that this is going to be an enjoyable listen to some beautiful, powerful music. The excellent bass playing of Jarek Michalski is well worth noting, as is the guitar work of Sarhan Kubeiski (though he is no MIREK GIL). The sound production is quite a step up from the band's 2003 debut.

Album highlights: 1. "Into the Night (6:34) (9/10);" 3. "Downtown Skyline" (6:15) (8.5/10), and; 5. "Don't Walk Away In Silence" (7:40) (13.5/15).

4 stars; a good, solid album but nothing Earth-shattering to write home about.

Thanks to ProgLucky; Eric Walker for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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