Sanatorium Merkurial is a joint initiative of Sanatorium of Sound—an experimental music festival in Sokołowsko (Poland)—and the publishing collective Merkurial. The goal of Sanatorium Merkurial is to showcase artists associated with Merkurial as well as those connected to the Sanatorium of Sound festival, with a particular focus on creators from Poland and Eastern Europe.
Rashad Becker is a composer, producer, and sound engineer with longstanding ties to Berlin’s electronic music community. He first garnered acclaim as a respected mastering engineer at Dubplates & Mastering, collaborating with a wide range of experimental artists and labels from around the world. His solo work includes the lauded Traditional Music of Notional Species series on the PAN label, in which he constructs intricate, multi-layered sonic environments.
Robert Piotrowicz is a Polish composer, improviser, and sound artist. His work spans a broad range of electroacoustic and experimental music, frequently blending acoustic elements with electronics. Advanced modular synthesizers serve as a central tool in his practice, enabling him to create unique, often microtonal sound structures.
Artur Rumiński is a Polish guitarist and composer known for his longstanding involvement in bands such as Furia, Thaw, Gruzja, ARRM, and Mentor. His distinctive style merges elements from black metal, ambient, and noise, resulting in unique sonic landscapes. He gained particular recognition as a member of Furia, bringing an experimental edge that imbued the group’s sound with a more avant-garde character.
Jacek Sienkiewicz is a Warsaw-based producer, composer, and performer—one of Poland’s electronic music pioneers. For over 25 years, he has refined a singular sound merging minimal techno, abstract ambient, and experimental forms. Since the early ‘90s, he has continually expanded electronic music’s boundaries. In 1999, he launched Recognition, issuing his own albums and over 50 EPs, while also supporting emerging artists. Sienkiewicz’s style—rooted in a distinctive approach to sound—has evolved from a debut at Warsaw’s Centre for Contemporary Art to deeper explorations of rhythm and abstraction.
This year’s edition of Sanatorium Merkurial focuses on new electronic music, presenting artists whose work and experience shape distinct narratives within the contemporary scene. Their bold and independent voices stand out for their uniqueness, creating space for new forms of expression and dialogue within modern sound culture.
