Synchronicity is quite a powerful force. Last October I believed that it had chosen to cast its imprint on my life. Whilst at the Euroblast festival in Koln I kept hearing different people saying exactly the same sentence containing precisely the same words. The utterance in question was "Jakub [Zytecki- Disperse] is the best guitarist of our generation." At first I thought pure co-incidence was at play or I was hearing duplicated conversation that several of them had shared previously. But as it continued and the phrase rippled out, It began to become eerie, as though the postulation was following me, haunting my waking thoughts. I am not exaggerating when I say that ten people said exactly these words to me over the weekend. These were not fan-boys kvelling over skills they couldn't ever hold to come close to but some of the most well known a respected axe-men in the progressive metal scene.
Now I love Disperse, but to see this level of adulation pouring out of guys who are themselves the recipient of regular fan worship was a distinct and caffeinated eye-opener.
I had, if not forgotten these encounters then certainly pushed them to the back of my mind, when I was watching Disperse on their recent UK tour when one of the guitarists from the UK's biggest progressive metal band bounded over to me, gave me a hug and through engagingly beery breath, looked at Jakub on-stage and said "It makes me upset that I'll never be that good. Ever. That boy can play anything!" before bounding off into the night."
The skilled and knowledgeable love Jakub and idiots like me can recognise his greatness.
This is sick.
No more words.
– John Whitmore
