Ascetic is a Wrocław-based jazz quartet formed on the initiative of Mateusz Rybicki. The music played by the quartet stems from the tradition of modal jazz, but to a large extent it goes beyond this tradition. In defining its musical identity, Ascetic draws on the achievements of contemporary American minimalism as much as it does on the legacy of medieval sacred music. By playing simple and repetitive compositions, the musicians aim to achieve a state of deep attentiveness, both musically and spiritually. The main intention of the band leader was to create a space where listeners and performers can go deep together, to experience togetherness in the search for transcendence and musical essence. Ascetic is a vehicle through which a communal spiritual experience is brought to the modal improvised music.