“Buttonhacker” is both the title of the record and the stage name of a versatile instrumentalist and composer. It is the name of the artist who finds himself in modern, electronic and improvized music with great easiness. I came to know from his bio that, among countless successes, he has been awarded a title of the World Digital Accordion Champion. While working on his solo album, Janas was considering using a wide spectrum of instruments. Finally, he decided to record only this music which would be performed by using acoustic accordion, moderately supported by electronic effects: a loopstation and a vocoder. Electronics, however, does not overwhelm the sound of the leading instrument but instead acts as a support. On the album we will find eight audio recordings which were partly composed and partly improvized during the recording session.  Each delivered in a formula which the listener will find mesmerizing. They will often captivate with their melodic motives which could easily become a catchy hit.  “Black Button,” “Virus” and “Loopman” open the record and are very dynamic. Soon quite calmer “Moon Spice” captures your attention, also the closing “Catch Me!” sounds original. Nevertheless, what impressed me most was the final recording. Definitely the longest, lasting almost ten minutes. Compatibly with its title, it paints the alluring landscapes. Calm sounds prevail, although there also appear dark and heavy moments. It heads to illustrative or film music. “Landscapes” slightly differs from the remaining seven tracks but maybe it is this otherness that makes it perfect to summarize the whole material. For me, seeker of the accordion steps in culture news, “Buttonhacker” of Paweł Janas has been one of the most pleasant and unexpected surprises of the last several months.

To have a solo album recorded with limited instrumentation and to mesmerize the listener within eight recordings (instead of being bored as it frequently happens) with their variety of sound and melody (despite the limited instrumentation) is indeed great art. That has been achieved by the accordionist Paweł Janas on his solo album “Buttonhacker”. “Buttonhacker,” despite its quite limited by the instrumentation form, is really quite electric. What do we have here? “Home” which may be replaying in your head (scat and whistling motif at the end are enchanting), solemn at the beginning, then gauzy “Hyper,” long “Loopman,” where Janas highlights his technical skills as an accordionist, or monumental (but not constantly), finalizing this piece of art “Landscapes”. The most surprising is that it was achievable to place such variety of enchanting melodies in more than forty-seven minutes. I myself may add that when I listen to jazz solos, where in fact in the whole album only one instrument is hearable, I know that for me, because of the scarcity of sounds, such music is on the lost position. Here it is different, and that is because of Janas’s creativity which has been revealed primarily in using looper. Those extra sounds are not exaggerated, they do not interrupt the leading accordion, actually they amazingly play along. I will certainly return to this record as it has the charm which makes it impossible to forget it.

On the past Friday at the Philharmonic in Szczecin the final concert of the Xth Nationwide Accordion Competition took place. The most important voice belonged to the winner – Paweł Janas who brilliantly played the accordion concert “Concert Classico” of Mikołaj Majkusiak with Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zygmunt Rychert.

Supposedly even those who, to put it mildly, had not been the accordion’s enthusiasts, were won over by the young artist’s performance. Paweł Janas proved how elegantly and daintily this instrument may sound and how picturesque and intensive narration it may lead. Great performance and fully deserved prize.

This time within five concerts there performed eleven soloists of different specializations (accordion, guitar, grand piano, violin, cello, singing) and percussion trio.  

This year’s Week of Talents showed the scale of emancipation of instruments which used to be absent on our stages. The vast majority of audience came to see in Kąśna (…) the accordionist Paweł Janas who played brilliantly and beyond musically the program diversified stylistically.  Although its modern compositions were not easy, the audience’s reactions proved that even seemingly difficult music can capture if interpreted properly.

(…) the performance of a 22-year-old accordionist from Jarosław has appeared to be the real revelation. He ravished the listeners with fantastic virtuosity in effective transcription of Mendelssohn’s Prząsniczka and in spectacular modern pieces of Wieczesław Runczak.

“I really like people who search – you do and that is great glory.  You marry the new technologies with accordion excellently”.

We had the opportunity to listen to a completely altered version of Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre) from the repertoire of Gotan Projects thanks to talented Paweł Janas, professional musician, accordionist.  Paweł played on digital accordion which was a great surprise for his listeners. As far as I am concerned – it was sensational! Diversifying dynamics, effects combining electronics with almost vocal play, well-thought structure. There are few artists like that.