Flat Earth Society. Photo: Raymond de Vries
On entering the intimacy of one of London’s premier jazz venues, Vortex, it was clear to me that this was going to be a cosy gig. The place was packed out and the 15 members of Belgium’s Flat Earth Society squeezed onto the stage, filling a quarter of the room. Continue reading Flat Earth Society – Vortex, London (Live)
Shockingly and embarrassingly, I have only recently discovered Estradasphere though they have been going for over 18 years. Not only that, there is a whole family of musical projects which its members are involved in which I had never heard of.
Devotchka have been producing their distinctive take on ‘Gypsy cabaret’ since 2000, releasing 6 albums. With their contribution to the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack 2006 in they were exposed to a much wider audience and bringing them wide acclaim
From deep within the Carpathian mountains comes something both mysterious and mesmeric. DJ Shantel is truly a creature of the night. Beware he is on his way
Balkan music connoisseur Jill Sellner finds out from band members Ionita Nicolae and Costica Trifan what keeps them going with such exuberance after the death of their beloved patriarch, Ioan Ivancea
Continue reading Fanfare Ciocarlia – The Speed Brass Express
Sampling from traditional ursar music from Romania, (ursar actually meaning bear handler as this music, combining men shouting and playing percussive instruments such as spoons, would have been played while a bear danced around them) Shukar Collective’s second album seems to have very nearly edited out the Rroma tradition on which they base themselves
The first time I heard this CD I loved it. But the more I listen the more contrived it seems. The songs on this album are good but it’s over-produced and sounds too perfect and far too practiced for an authentic Balkan brass sound. I would expect a bit more from German label Piranha, purveyors of extraordinary music
Continue reading Fanfara Tirana – Albanian Wedding Brass Explosion
Their debut, Laughter Through Tears (2004), got my attention, but Oi Va Voi’s ‘difficult second’ album has me completely sold on their unusual talent
Crammed Discs brings us yet another CD in the ‘Gypsy’ genre, this being selected and remixed by Belgian DJ Gaetano Fabri. A resident DJ of Nuits Tsiganes at Divan du Monde, Paris, epicentre of the Gypsy disco movement in Europe, Fabri cultivates what could better be described as electro-manouche rather than mixed Balkan Brass
Continue reading V/A – Nuit Tsigane: Gypsy Night at Le Divan Du Monde – The Gaetano Fabri Remixes
Sometimes I just think English lyrics in non-Western music sung by non-native speakers of English sounds like Eurovision drivel, but yet, hold on, there are some fantastic tracks here that make Shantel’s first solo release in seven years worth buying
