Each year, an important place in the Inne Brzmienia program is dedicated to a distinctive music label, which serves as a starting point for storytelling about music publishing in different parts of the world. It allows for the juxtaposition of different business models and approaches to sound, while also showing how cultural contexts shape publishing processes. Independent labels—arguably the most interesting—tend to focus either on specific musical genres or on a territorial scope, which makes it possible to capture the specificity of time and place.

In the 35th year of its existence, Trost Records will transform the festival stage into a living archive of the avant-garde. These will not be ordinary concerts, but a comprehensive presentation of the philosophy of one of the most important imprints in the world of improvised music: from meeting the label’s creators and presenting rare visual materials, to three absolutely key performances. The festival framework of Inne Brzmienia provides the perfect context for the legacy of Sun Ra Arkestra, the presentation of the Swedish-Finnish powerhouse of Gustafsson and Pohjonen, and the electroacoustic experiment of the Austrian Drank project. Thanks to this comprehensive experience, the festival audience will not only listen to leading artists, but also gain insight into the processes that have been shaping the landscape of alternative European music for three decades.

A broad presentation of Trost Records at Inne Brzmienia is a key to understanding the genealogy of contemporary jazz and experimental music. It will allow for tracing the label’s 35-year evolution—from releasing raw post-hardcore to refined Afrofuturism and electroacoustic music—demonstrating how a single, consistent artistic vision can shape the history of music over decades. This is an opportunity to explore not only the sounds but also the philosophy of Trost Records, making this event an invaluable educational point for anyone who wants to understand the roots and directions of contemporary sound art.

Trost Records is a renowned Austrian label founded in 1991 in Vienna by Konstantin Drobil. This year marks the 35th anniversary of this distinguished imprint. Today, Trost Records specializes primarily in alternative, exploratory jazz, improvised music, and avant-garde. However, it began by releasing young underground bands from the Austrian scene, such as Valina (a post-hardcore band from Linz that recorded most of its albums with Steve Albini at his iconic studio in Chicago). Over time, the label grew stronger, consistently building its brand through deliberate artistic choices, eventually launching sublabels such as Cien Fuegos. Its roster has included outstanding artists and groups such as Peter Brötzmann, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Mats Gustafsson, as well as Sun Ra Arkestra, Zu, The Thing, and DKV Trio (featuring Hamid Drake and Ken Vandermark).

The presentation of Trost Records’ output and philosophy fits perfectly into the upcoming edition of Wschód Kultury – Inne Brzmienia, especially as the label itself continues to look forward, presenting ambitious, progressive projects that challenge musical stereotypes.

As part of the Trost Records showcase, there will be a meeting with the label’s creators, a presentation of visual materials, and, above all, three exceptional musical projects: