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EBM 035CD
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Polka, Balkan, ska, and punk mixed into one vibrant sound, a sound that can only arise from Berlin. Loud and multi-cultural, dirty, yet tender and with a certain charm. Polkageist are children of the re-united Berlin. The crazy all-night Berlin that is now in danger due to the progressing gentrification in most areas of the blooming metropolis. Polkageist (German for "The Spirit Of Polka") celebrate that special mélange of Balkanbeats, Russion disco, polka, and punk.
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EBM 033LP
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Double LP version. Global pop with a meaning -- that's Il Civetto. Ever since the release of their in 2015, the fan base of Il Civetto has grown steadily. Word has got around that Il Civetto concerts are rousing and magical, an ecstatic modern musical experience, never too brute, always danceable -- in a concert hall, just like on record. After several tours in Germany with a total of more than 300 concerts, appearances at MS Dockville, the Fusion Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, the 3000°, or at the Anti-G20 Protests in Hamburg, the band now inspires an international audience from Istanbul to Copenhagen. Il Civetto's journey began using guerrilla tactics in the Berlin subway in 2010: Playing in the train and shaking the wagon. Bribing the securities with kebab to play longer. Growing up in Berlin's club scene with appearances in Kater Holzig, Ritter Butzke, or Sisyphos, the band scores an impressive success story. And now album number two: Facing The Wall. Written in Morocco, Greece, and Andalusia, sung in English, German, and French, recorded in Berlin -- Il Civetto have carried their ecstatic-magical playground from the stage to the studio a second time with great attention to detail. The dreamy lightness of the self-titled debut album has given way to hard reality: Facing The Wall is a deeply touching fragment of our time. The expression of a generation in upheaval, searching. An album between euphoria and melancholy -- wallowing, sweating, dancing -- with a tingling belly and wide-open eyes. Il Civetto have become more serious, somehow more real, and yet have retained their very own, characteristic sound. Deeply touching, always danceable. "Geld Essen" and Karussell feature Twistah.
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EBM 032CD
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Global pop with a meaning -- that's Il Civetto. Ever since the release of their in 2015, the fan base of Il Civetto has grown steadily. Word has got around that Il Civetto concerts are rousing and magical, an ecstatic modern musical experience, never too brute, always danceable -- in a concert hall, just like on record. After several tours in Germany with a total of more than 300 concerts, appearances at MS Dockville, the Fusion Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, the 3000°, or at the Anti-G20 Protests in Hamburg, the band now inspires an international audience from Istanbul to Copenhagen. Il Civetto's journey began using guerrilla tactics in the Berlin subway in 2010: Playing in the train and shaking the wagon. Bribing the securities with kebab to play longer. Growing up in Berlin's club scene with appearances in Kater Holzig, Ritter Butzke, or Sisyphos, the band scores an impressive success story. And now album number two: Facing The Wall. Written in Morocco, Greece, and Andalusia, sung in English, German, and French, recorded in Berlin -- Il Civetto have carried their ecstatic-magical playground from the stage to the studio a second time with great attention to detail. The dreamy lightness of the self-titled debut album has given way to hard reality: Facing The Wall is a deeply touching fragment of our time. The expression of a generation in upheaval, searching. An album between euphoria and melancholy -- wallowing, sweating, dancing -- with a tingling belly and wide-open eyes. Il Civetto have become more serious, somehow more real, and yet have retained their very own, characteristic sound. Deeply touching, always danceable. "Geld Essen" and Karussell feature Twistah.
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EBM 027CD
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The Ukrainians's Evolutsiya: 40 Best And Rarest 1991-2016 is compilation featuring songs from the "Ukrainianizing" band. Len Liggins of The Ukrainians talks about the band and the release: The Ukrainians - the first quarter of a century 1991 to 2016. It has been a long journey that has taken us 25 years by trains, planes and battered vans and wherever we're going, it feels like we haven't got there yet - but it has been a fantastic ride! Our music is borne from the meeting of east and west, Ukrainian and British, and the genetic make-up of the band reflects this. Some members have a Ukrainian background and some don't. The result is a musical hybrid created from the meeting of different cultures. We have always felt moved to create our own songs. Because of our 'musical influences', Ukrainian folk music and western rock music, it feels natural to record our thoughts and emotions in this 'hybrid' style. Of course we also play traditional Ukrainian folk songs, of which there are thousands - composed centuries ago by a people whose culture had often been suppressed and whose only emotional and political outlet was in song. The resulting energy and emotion, combined with the poetry of the Ukrainian language makes it a wonderful listening experience, even for those who do not speak the language. The fact that The Ukrainians have been asked to play festivals all over the world clearly shows that this is the case. We also occasionally record our own 'Ukrainianized' versions of classic western pop or rock songs. They are, after all the folk songs of our age. Our band's music can be interpreted as specifically Ukrainian in its musical and lyrical content, but the songs' themes are most definitely universal because they reflect a whole range of emotions felt by the whole of humanity: love and loss, fear and bravery, ecstasy and despair. Many labels have been attached to The Ukrainians in an effort to categorize us. 'Cossack Punk' is one we particularly like, but it doesn't tell the whole story, as I'm sure you'll agree when you listen to this collection of our best and rarest tracks. Enjoy!"
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EBM 026CD
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Berlin-based band Il Civetto formed in 2010; after a spontaneous performance on a Berlin train that got all the commuters dancing, they were booked on the spot for a gig at a passenger's party. It all took off from there -- more bookings, two EPs, two music videos. By 2015, Il Civetto have played more than 250 concerts. They are regulars at the coolest Berlin clubs like Ritter Butzke and Kater Holzig. And abroad; Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey have been on their road map. Il Civetto lives in the here and now. They are typical city buskers, constantly improvising. Their set-up consists of acoustic guitar, bass, ukulele, clarinet, saxophone, and a self-made percussion set of cajón, bongos, djembe, snare drum, and cow bell. Il Civetto's songs are never too heavy, but always danceable. Latin passion meets oriental mysticism, created by Berlin boys. Their lyrics are a mix of French, Portuguese, and languages that have yet to be invented. For their self-titled debut album, old and new songs have been rearranged and beefed up with multiple instruments. The stage action is translated into multilayered studio sound. The result is mostly uplifting, swinging, and groovy, but sometimes also mysterious, exotic, and melancholic. Il Civetto's sound can be instantly recognized. Singer Leon's passionate voice has the kind of timbre that can mirror euphoria as well as longing. Somehow their songs manage to make audiences dance wildly at their concerts while listeners relax to the same songs at home. Their fan base grows with every concert.
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2CD
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EBM 025CD
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At the beginning of the millennium, party sounds from Eastern and Southeastern Europe began to conquer the metropolises of the world. In Berlin, the Russendisko and Balkanbeats parties were becoming the talk of the town. The only missing piece was the soundtrack to take home from these parties -- so two friends decided to set up the Eastblok Music label. The label's first release was 2005's Ukraina Orange: Songs of the Orange Revolution compilation. Next was Café Sputnik: Electronic Exotica from Russia (EBM 004CD, 2005), which turned out to be a long-term seller and is still considered one of the label's most original compilations. The time was ripe for BalkanBeats. For four compilations (including EBM 003CD (2005), EBM 007CD (2006), EBM 011CD (2008)), Eastblok accompanied DJ Robert Soko's successful party series of the same name on vinyl and CD. The music world started to recognize the label, and in 2006, Eastblok was one of the Top Label Award winners at the World Music Expo. The label's first band album was by Hungarians Little Cow, and several other bands followed including Shukar Collective from Romania, folk rockers Haydamaky from Ukraine, La Minor and Markscheider Kunst from Russia, Shazalakazoo from Serbia, Italians Figli di Madre Ignota (who have more Balkan in their blood than most Croats), the politically explicit Lyapis Trubetskoy from Belarus, and the German-Russian band Skazka Orchestra from Berlin. Most successful, however, are the label's concept compilations. After BalkanBeats there came Balkan Grooves (EBM 016CD, 2010), Polska Rootz (EBM 015CD, 2009), Swing Diskoteka (2011), and Lunapark (EBM 023CD, 2012). For those who have neither the nerve nor time to dig the music of a whole country, Eastblok provides a nice way to start. This double CD presents an overview of the label's 26 releases from 2005 to 2015. Disc one is a sort of best-of collection of the label's first ten years. Disc two features exclusive tracks and remixes from label artists and their side projects. Includes tracks by Musika Dika, Colindat, Messer Chups, Little Cow, Shukar Collective, Haydamaky, Slavic Soul Party!, Watcha Clan, Figli di Madre Ignota, La Minor, Psio Crew, [dunkelbunt] & Cloud Tissa, Kiril, Markscheider Kunst, Lyapis Trubetskoy, Parov Stelar, Shazalakazoo, Megapolis, Skazka Orchestra (including a remix by KommodoreK), Kozak System, Intim Torna Illegál, Mov.Sessian Project, St.Petersburg Ska Jazz Review, Tresmuchachos & Companeros, Brutto, and Di Meschugeles.
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EBM 024CD
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SkaZka Orchestra appeared out of nowhere and have been a jewel of the Berlin scene ever since. They tell their crazy fairytales on a wave of sweat, honesty and good vibrations. SkaZka's founding members Artur Gorlatschov and Valentin Butt came to Berlin from the former Soviet Union during their childhood and studied accordion and beer-drinking at the prestigious music school, Hanns Eisler. Because of this, SkaZka were able to achieve a high musical level while being accessible and easy to dance to at the same time. They added drummer Elena Shams in 2007 and quickly found a broad fan base between wedding and rave, folk fans and party people, theater and playground. The orchestra, which eventually grew to eight members, is driven by Flo Metzger on double bass, Andrej Ugoljew on trombone and Johannes Böhmer on trumpet. SkaZka playfully combine Russian folk, klezmer, ska, Balkan music, Latin American rhythms and even jazz to create a multi-cultural sound typical for Berlin: not too academic, but party-oriented. They sing mostly in Russian, which suits their music best. In 2010 the band won first prize at the world music festival BilleVue in Hamburg. That same year they sold out the famous Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin for the release party of their debut album. That record was fun, but didn't manage yet to capture all facets of Skazka. This record was produced in the famous P4 Nalepa studio and thus Kalamburage not only has a tight sound, but is just bursting with ideas and musical styles. SkaZka's lyrics are like strange plays in a surreal wonderland. It also helps the record that, besides SkaZka, the band members have continued to work as professional musicians for the famous Berliner Philarmoniker, in jazz orchestras, big bands and for theater productions. But their real baby is SkaZka, where they strip off their classical corset and let loose their wild creativity. SkaZka means fairytale in Russian. And that is exactly how their story has been developing so far. 2013 will be the year when everyone who is interested in Eastern European music will discover SkaZka.
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EBM 023CD
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Eastblok Music presents the sound of the east with a compilation that includes the best-known and most interesting bands from Russia. Russia not only has immeasurable natural resources, but also a lot of musical talent that mostly never gets noticed in the West. A new generation of bands and artists that play music on an international level are represented on the new Eastblok compilation, Lunapark. You'll find superstars like Mumiy Troll and Lyapis Trubetskoy on it, as well as newcomers like Obe Dve and The Retuses or socio-critical artists like Barto, Noize MC and Vasya Oblomov, who spoke for Russia's young generation during the protests against voter fraud and the unfair and unjust charges against Pussy Riot. A kaleidoscope of talents -- not a freakshow. Russia has arrived in the here and now, and if this creates hits such as the ones on Lunapark, the rest of the world will listen as well.
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EBM 023LP
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EBM 022CD
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Shazalakazoo is an electronic music band from Belgrade (Serbia) formed by Milan Djurić and Uros Petković. The band composes and performs danceable electronic bass music heavily spiced with live sounds originating from the duo's own region -- the Balkans. Their interpretation of Balkan melodies, harmonies and rhythm patterns are often intertwined with influences from Latin America and/or Sub-Saharan Africa, creating a unique musical blend which they call "Folkstep." Electronic music has long been a privilege of the population of advanced countries or of upper classes in the developing world. With the general cheapening and increasing accessibility of computer equipment and accompanying music accessories, we now have, for the first time, electronic music made by the poor. Almost in a synchronized manner, new electronic music trends are sprouting in shanty houses across the globe. For instance, we have baile funk in Brazilian favelas and kuduro in Angolan ones; there are kwaito and shangaan electro in South African townships and tallava in karton (cardboard) cities of the Balkans. Newcomer shantytown music producers in all these different regions use almost identical methods to create their music. They first make an electronic music base on the computer to which they add elements of local traditional music and then record vocals on top of it all. The result is numerous music movements which are, substantially, and on the level of ideas, very similar to each other. This music is actually dance music, music for entertainment, a past-time. The idea of this album is to merge the elements of those fresh electronic music movements of the developing world and its diaspora with the trends of their Balkan equivalents, into an integral sound. The outcome is the booming sound of karton cities, as Belgraders refer to their shantytowns. Enjoy the Karton City Boom.
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EBM 021LP
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LP version. A spectre is haunting Europe -- swing is not dead. In London, Paris and Berlin, people are swinging again. But as the youth of today has exchanged the gramophone for the turntable, the DJs are the new masters of this material and now they proffer electro swing. With tribute paid to the classics and masters of their art like Duke Ellington, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald or Bing Crosby, who are getting sampled and dusted, you can also hear the odd klezmer clarinet or guitar licks à la Django Reinhardt -- Jewish and Gypsy swing. The players are not necessarily from Eastern Europe, though. Many Western European DJs and producers, especially in the fields of electro and house, now spice up their beat patterns with homemade samples and burlesque beats. Thanks to virtual networks, there is a busy exchange of new productions going on almost every day and electro swing parties are being thrown every weekend. Similar to Balkan music conquering the clubs a few years back, swing is now hitting the dancefloor. The masterminds behind that come from all over the place: Kormac from Ireland, Nôze from France, Imam Baildi from Greece, and as with the Balkan boom, a lot is going on in Germany and in Eastern Europe, of course! Shazalakazoo in Serbia, Matt Kowalsky in Poland or Mo Fun in Russia -- the DJs are discovering swing and glamour is returning to the techno catacombs. Swing Diskoteka presents a wide spectrum of this new phenomenon, ranging from club sounds by Eldoko and cinescope scores from Smokey Bandits up to rather handmade songs by the likes of Jewdyssee. Many of the tracks here are exclusive to this compilation. From a music history point of view, it's exciting to see how the different scenes are mixing now. This is even educational, as marginalized or half-forgotten music styles like klezmer, gypsy and now swing are playfully being woven into 2011's sound carpet. Old school stylers meet rave kids in the Swing Diskoteka. The joie de vivre of swing meets the energy of electro. Finally.
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EBM 020CD
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A spectre is haunting Europe -- swing is not dead. In London, Paris and Berlin, people are swinging again. But as the youth of today has exchanged the gramophone for the turntable, the DJs are the new masters of this material and now they proffer electro swing. With tribute paid to the classics and masters of their art like Duke Ellington, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald or Bing Crosby, who are getting sampled and dusted, you can also hear the odd klezmer clarinet or guitar licks à la Django Reinhardt -- Jewish and Gypsy swing. The players are not necessarily from Eastern Europe, though. Many Western European DJs and producers, especially in the fields of electro and house, now spice up their beat patterns with homemade samples and burlesque beats. Thanks to virtual networks, there is a busy exchange of new productions going on almost every day and electro swing parties are being thrown every weekend. Similar to Balkan music conquering the clubs a few years back, swing is now hitting the dancefloor. The masterminds behind that come from all over the place: Kormac from Ireland, Nôze from France, Imam Baildi from Greece, and as with the Balkan boom, a lot is going on in Germany and in Eastern Europe, of course! Shazalakazoo in Serbia, Matt Kowalsky in Poland or Mo Fun in Russia -- the DJs are discovering swing and glamour is returning to the techno catacombs. Swing Diskoteka presents a wide spectrum of this new phenomenon, ranging from club sounds by Eldoko and cinescope scores from Smokey Bandits up to rather handmade songs by the likes of Jewdyssee. Many of the tracks here are exclusive to this compilation. From a music history point of view, it's exciting to see how the different scenes are mixing now. This is even educational, as marginalized or half-forgotten music styles like klezmer, gypsy and now swing are playfully being woven into 2011's sound carpet. Old school stylers meet rave kids in the Swing Diskoteka. The joie de vivre of swing meets the energy of electro. Finally.
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EBM 019CD
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Lyapis Trubetskoy is agitpop from Belarus, filling venue after venue in Russia and countries around. They are conquering audiences both with their heavy ska flair as well as with their addictive punk-pop hits. In 2009, they won the RAMP (Russian Alternative Music Prize) and won the Best Alternative Band award. Contagious rock melodies together with lyrics that are filled with dark humor have charmed even Western music critics who, up until now, had rarely given Eastern European rock music a second thought. Lyapis' video for "Capital" won Best International Video on MTV Portugal, where the band slams the current obsession with wealth and war and portrays defiant dictators Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Saddam Hussein and, of course, Belarus' own Lukashenko as pseudo-religious icons. The clip was banned from airplay in Belarus and Russia, of course, but won numerous awards everywhere else and is a real hit with the YouTube masses. This is what Ingo Petz, renowned German journalist and Belarus expert writes in the liner notes to this CD: "Lyapis Trubetskoy are balanced well between commercial success, underground credibility and unique expression, which is also accompanied by visually sophisticated video clips and an original image and design brand. The lyrics are still ironic, but now they often boast a new socially critical and political dimension. Capital was the first of three albums, which can be understood as a trilogy, in which Lyapis made agitpop their new trademark. Hence the title of the album, which is a compilation of the best songs from this triology. Their wild concerts have now developed into performances with frontman Mikhalok at their center, a magniloquent ball of energy and creative brain, who agitates and recites poems and slogans, using the language and symbols of Constructivism or Socialist Realism as part of a cultural heritage. I have been hoping for a long time that Lyapis Trubetskoy, one of the most powerful, creative and interesting bands from the former Soviet Union, would finally release an album in the Western world. Now it has finally happened. The fact that Berlin label Eastblok Music has done it makes me even happier, as they explicitly see themselves as musical mediators between East and West. As someone who has been travelling to Belarus for over 15 years, I am even happier that for the first time, a Belarusian band has made it onto a Western label, as Lypais is a band from a European country with a very lively music scene, which we still don't know much about." Digipack release with 24-page booklet of translated lyrics and color photos.
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EBM 018CD
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Markscheider Kunst is a Russian band with a German name that plays tropically hot music. Rather odd. Or maybe not. Translated as "Mine Surveyor," as most band members were studying surveying when they met in the early '90s, they are one of the most prominent bands in Russia today. Their concerts often run for up to three hours, and they're on the road with at least eight, often 13 musicians all at one time. By touring and playing festivals all over Europe from Finland to Austria for the last 10 years, they have made a name for themselves and gathered a faithful following. BBC's very own world music guru Charlie Gillet as well as Berlin's Russendisko team around Wladimir Kaminer have been fans from the very beginning. Brothers in mind like Manu Chao and The Skatalites have asked Markscheider Kunst to open up for them. Their melodic, infectious, and most of all irresistibly danceable music effortlessly crosses borders and charms smiles onto everybody's faces. On Utopia, their fifth album since 1997, they get everything right and capture all the sunniness of their live performances. Positive vibrations -- that's the key to Markscheider's work. This is fuelled by Latin ska, cumbia jazz, reggae, rumba or Afrobeat as well as Russian folk melodies and Russian vocals. The brass section pumps while the Hawaii guitar opens the Buena Vista Russian Club. As Boris Grebenshchikov, Russia's uber-musician and poet put it: Markscheider Kunst is the only band in Russia that plays happy music. As an ensemble they play in a virtuoso manner, but luckily this doesn't come across as academic or stiff, but as passionate, humorous and almost punk. There is also the odd drop of Russian melancholy and longing in some songs, mixed in with diverse experiments: there is meringue, bossa nova, and even some gypsy jazz. This is timeless music that has transformed St. Petersburg into a land of surf and sun.
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EBM 008CD
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2007 release. Every kid knows Little Cow in Hungary. There is a very popular animation series with this little yellow cow figure. This release was thought up and produced by László Kollár, Little Cow's frontman and mastermind. He also composed a few songs for the films, which became very popular. So he gathered some of Budapest's best musicians and the band Little Cow (in Hungarian -- Kistehén) was born. The group -- as it is now -- was formed in 2005 and that was also the year of the incredible Hungarian success of their song "Cyber Boy." Thanks to this, they were invited to festivals, village days, town cultural celebrations and TV shows -- and in the meantime have grown into a great live band. By 2006, they became one of Hungary's most popular bands and have played major festivals and big cultural events. The song "Cyber Boy" and its video (included here) made the band well-known and popular in Hungary. The clip was distributed through e-mail and internet by fans. No commercial channels wanted to play the song (apparently, it was too alternative) or the clip (which cost about 1,000 Euros to make), and it had a marketing budget of zero -- but the whole country was singing the song all year. The album went gold in Hungary in August 2006. "Cyber Boy" broke the ringtone records and the clip became #1 on the video chart of Hungarian VIVA television. The song was eventually chosen by the audience as "Song Of The Year" in Hungary at the Fonogram Awards. Their second beautiful video "Virágok A Réten" (also included here) was made together with members of the gypsy band Romano Drom. In Hungary the band call their music the "cultural wedding sound" -- which sounds strange in English, as well as in Hungarian. They also refer to it as crazy listening or "Village Beatles." Little Cow handle genres and rhythms as they wish -- gypsy, Balkan, rock, ska, pop, brass, and dance rhythms are all mixed and matched. The music and the words are fun -- simple and naive, but not necessarily light-hearted. These are timeless tunes somewhere between melancholy and joy.
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EBM 003CD
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2006 release. When the first grenades were fired in the disintegrating Yugoslavia of the early '90s, a young Bosnian named Robert Soko came to Berlin to start a new life. He didn't care if his neighbor was Bosnian, Serbian, or Croatian. Robert began to throw parties with like-minded emigrants and played the old yugo hits -- a symbol of long-gone, peaceful Yugoslavia and vital survival training of emigrants trying to regain a lost past, their own history and identity. After over 10 years, the "BalkanBeats" parties are "legenda." Twice a month, Balkan beats are blasting in Berlin's Mudd Club: Gypsy grooves, tribal beats and Balkan ska. "BalkanBeats" became an international cult affair. Now, Soko plays New York and L.A. on a regular basis. Balkan beats are highly addictive -- it's in their savage energy, the colorful, fresh timbres, and passions. The inexhaustible diversity stems from Slavic, Oriental, Jewish traditions, and from the culture of the Roma people. The music's natural openness enables an easy and exciting transfer to modern times. Fresh Balkan bands pick up those traditions and process them into an individual cultural amalgam. Artists such as Let 3 and Magnifico spoof their own Balkan roots, fuse them with rock, ska, or metal, and nevertheless pay respect. Fanfare Ciocărlia, Karandila, and the Boban Marković Orkestar radicalize classic Balkan brass music with maximum virtuoso skill, thus renewing an old tradition to something sounding fresh and exciting. Many of the bands are inspired by completely different traditions; for example, Mahala Raï Banda throw you out of the Bucharest slums into the heat of New Orleans. BalkanBeats presents the greatest hits from the Mudd Club -- traditional and urban sounds -- diverse, explosive, and over-the-top. Includes a 20-page booklet and 2 bonus videos. Other artists include: Magnifico & Turbolentza, Besh O Drom, Yugoton & Kazik, Legen, Kultur Shock, Kayah & Bregović, Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars, Maya, Ssassa, Sanja & Balkanika, and George Dalaras & Goran Bregović.
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EBM 004CD
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2006 release. Everything began in 1920, when a young Russian physicist named Lev Sergeyevich Termen presented a highly unusual musical instrument that produced eerie, otherworldly sounds -- The Theremin. This was actually the birth of electronic music. In 1957, the successful launch of a small ball-shaped satellite happened to be the starting shot of the Space Race between the USSR and the USA, which led to the notorious Sputnik Crisis in the U.S. Maybe it's no mere coincidence that in the same year, Soviet Radio founded an institution producing the Space Age's soundtrack: Vyacheslav Mescherin's Ensemble of Electro-Musical Instruments. Inspired by the success of Soviet space programs and the conquest of the universe, visions of the future dominated Soviet films, literature as well as music in the 1970s. Remarkable science fiction movies with fantastic soundtracks merging easy listening, electronic psychedelia and beat were shot. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible nowadays to get hold of this kind of music. This past sonic world full of dated imaginations of the future is a seminal source of inspiration for a new generation of Russian electronic musicians. A both ironic and affectionate retrospect to their childhood in the Soviet Union is paired with present-day sampling and crossover techniques, which results in surreal collages. Igor Vdovin sends Russian sailors to Brazil and a gypsy band to outer space. Dima Vikhornov and Snegopady demonstrate what Russian folk music might sound like when played by Martians. Veteran DJs Krugozory confront pompous military marches with nursery rhymes, refining the melange with a bit of light Soviet jazz. Messer Chups pass Tchaikovsky's nutcracker into alien hands, where it is deconstructed and reassembled. This highly individual kind of music, located somewhere between lounge, easy listening and radical experimentation is most of all cultivated by Moscow labels Snegiri/Legkie and Solnze Records. This scene's creativity is getting more and more recognition. Igor Vdovin has been hired as a producer by Russian superstar Zemfira. Bands like Messer Für Frau Müller and Messer Chups are gaining popularity in the Western world. This mix of old and new, mysterious East and modern Europe makes this music so unique and fascinating. Features two bonus video tracks. Other artists include: Netslov, Kim & Buran, Oleg Kostrow, Andrei Zuev, Dzuma, Nezhnoye Eto, Notkin, Our Man From Odessa, and Ensemble Mescherina.
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EBM 005CD
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2006 release. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Ukraine started to breathe the fresh air of independence again. At that time, during the early '90s, a group of students set up the band Aktus, which quickly made itself a name in the underground Kyiv music scene. Aktus turned to the sounds of reggae, ska, and punk. With the addition of vocalist Olexandr Yarmola and accordionist Ivan Lenyo, both well-known and respected in folk circles, the band increasingly incorporated elements of Ukrainian folk music into their compositions. At the start of the new millennium, the band realized it was time to establish an even firmer tie to their own culture, and changed their name to Haydamaky, in honor of the historical Haydamaky's rebellion, which took place in Ukraine in the 18th century. The music of Haydamaky is inspired by various ethnic sounds from around the world, especially from various regions of the Ukraine. The band calls their music "Carpathian Ska." Haydamaky's hope is to forge an inherently Ukrainian popular music style, which looks back on its own heritage and traditions as a source for inspiration. Their self-titled debut album was released in January 2002. Since the time of the album's release, the band has participated in various festivals and also played a club tour in Western Europe. Their colorful live shows are unique, displaying bright costumes, special lights and, of course, the pure mountain energy and musical mastership of the band. Haydamaky play a unique mixture, which has not been heard so far on these shores. Haydamaky manage to build bridges and combine Ukrainian roots, which spring in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains, ska, dub, reggae, punk, and of course, Ukrainian melodies and Western production standards. They fit this mixture into tight arrangements, which are only let loose in their fierce live experience. Their music live and on record is characterized by turbulent energy and a rollercoaster of tempo and moods. Even if you can't understand the lyrics, you will be filled with the music from top to toe. Includes one bonus track.
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2LP
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EBM 012LP
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Gatefold 2LP version. 2008 release. Eastblok Music presents the third volume in their BalkanBeats compilation series. More Balkan hits from DJ Robert Soko, straight from Berlin's Mudd Club -- again compiled strictly from a dancefloor point of view. Nothing smoothed out, everything fresh and steaming, single-handedly dug up and turned into trans-cultural, genre-crossing hits. Many of these tracks are making it to the West for the first time and are truly Eastern European gems -- a burning amalgamation of Balkan brass, beats, rock, reggae, traditional Balkan stomp, and just about everything else you can imagine. Artists include: Slavic Soul Party, Magnifico, Kiril (feat. MC Wasp & RUCL), Watcha Clan, Shantel (feat. Boban Marković Orkestar), Friends Of Boban, Goran Bregović, Ot Azoj Klezmer Band, Streamer & MPS Pilot, Max Pashm, Parno Graszt, Slonovski Bal, Damian & Brothers, Äl Jawala, Figli Di Madre Ignota, The No Smoking Orchestra, and Romengo.
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CD
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EBM 011CD
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2008 release. Eastblok Music presents the third volume in their BalkanBeats compilation series. More Balkan hits from DJ Robert Soko, straight from Berlin's Mudd Club -- again compiled strictly from a dancefloor point of view. Nothing smoothed out, everything fresh and steaming, single-handedly dug up and turned into trans-cultural, genre-crossing hits. Many of these tracks are making it to the West for the first time and are truly Eastern European gems -- a burning amalgamation of Balkan brass, beats, rock, reggae, traditional Balkan stomp, and just about everything else you can imagine. Includes a full color 20-page booklet with pictures and notes on the artists. Artists include: Slavic Soul Party, Magnifico, Kiril (feat. MC Wasp & RUCL), Watcha Clan, Shantel (feat. Boban Marković Orkestar), Friends Of Boban, Goran Bregović, Ot Azoj Klezmer Band, Streamer & MPS Pilot, Max Pashm, Parno Graszt, Slonovski Bal, Damian & Brothers, Äl Jawala, Figli Di Madre Ignota, The No Smoking Orchestra, and Romengo.
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CD
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EBM 009CD
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2007 release. Eastblok Music presents the second album by Romanian act and electro-dance band, Shukar Collective. The collective idea was born when DJ Vasile and Dan Handrabur heard the original Roma songs of the Shukar original band. Immediately after, the musicians from these different generations met and decided to try and create a new project with a new and contemporary sound. "We wanted to bring together Roma singers and a group of musicians and DJs to form and create a unique sound, the Shukar Collective sound," explains Dan Handrabur. The final result was the highly-acclaimed debut album Urban Gypsy, released in 2005. And now, to prove that Urban Gypsy was no flash in the pan, the Collective are back with their second effort. The album's title Rromatek is a pun, combining the two words that define this album: Roma and technology. Having moved on from the rewarding but often awkward integration phase, when two very different cultures were making music together for the first time -- the rural Ursari singers, stemming from a long line of bear-taming street performers, and the urban musician. Now, the DJs have unearthed the roots of what bear tamers do best -- making people dance. Whereas the previous album took shape in the studio, Rromatek captures the spirit of the band in motion, with vocals being recorded in hotel rooms, backstage at concerts or during jams in buses. With the addition of a drummer and a horn player, a more organic sound is evident throughout the album, although the band has lost none of its electro-spice. This is a world-music idea, an audio-visual project, a mix of generations of musicians, a re-arranging of traditional Romanian and Roma sounds, and an eclectic mixture of spoons, wooden barrels, violins, accordions, bass, roots vocals, samples, sequencers, loops, scratches, turntables and beats. Shukar Collective's mission remains that of exposing the brilliant traditional vocal performance of the Ursari Roma (incorrectly called gypsies) while working towards total acceptance of this minority into a tolerant, modern day society.
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EBM 007CD
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2006 release. Eastblok Music presents the second volume in their BalkanBeats compilation series. What DJ Soko started in the Berlin-Kreuzberg underground has now become an established trademark and a party burner for fans and admirers. BalkanBeats Volume 2 widens the range again: here you'll find artists from 10 different countries; Indian and Asian influences sit next to electronic music and classic gypsy tunes, and so on. DJ Soko seeks to project these new style-crossing trends as well as to acknowledge the purist Balkan sound, just as it is being celebrated at his parties in Berlin. Due to the ever-widening popularity of Balkan beats, masters of their art, like Fanfare Ciocărlia, are by now not only regarded as just another Roma brass ensemble but are respected as internationally-acclaimed musicians. Young DJs and producers in Croatia and Serbia are now more aware of their roots and mix this with crazy new sounds. The Balkans are torn apart, wild and romantic, but able to be a part of modern Europe again, with many talented people who have emigrated to the region. That is why you also find on this compilation artists from the States or from Belgium bringing their own new influences. Some artists have probably not even heard of each other before. Some come from remote villages while others are fully linked up in the capitals. As the borders in Europe disappear and the cultural exchange spans world-wide networks, the music contains less clearly-defined genres. You can find this in abundance in the Balkans. BalkanBeats does not preserve this culture like a museum piece; rather, it puts it on the dancefloor to keep it alive. DJ Soko (Bosnia) and his partner-in-crime Marko (Croatia) don't give a damn where the people on the dancefloor come from. BalkanBeats tries to capture this mix of passion, delicate melancholy, and its very own unique craziness. Includes a 20-page full-color booklet with photos and notes on the artists, and a bonus video. Other artists include: sevdahBABY, Mitsoura, Azis, Karaván & Boban Marković, Kal, !DelaDap, Biber, Besh o droM, Postolar Tripper, Kirill (feat. Vlada Divljan), Romashka, Boban Marković Orkestar, Va Fan Fahre, and Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra.
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CD
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EBM 015CD
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2009 release. Subtitled: Beats, Dubs, Mixes & Future Folk From Poland. Poland was the only country behind the Iron Curtain with an active reggae scene in the early '80s. Now, dub and electronica assume their place alongside the deeply-rooted culture of folklore in Poland. What you get when you combine the two is an exciting musical genre that Eastblok Music calls Polska Rootz. The deep folk roots of Polish culture connect with the skills and sounds of the here and now on this compilation. "Roots and culture," often used in a reggae context, also have a high value in Poland. Taking into consideration the background of their painful history in centuries past, this idea stands for a return to cultural roots as a sign of resistance against the oppressors and occupiers and the attempt to survive by means of cultural resistance. Polska Rootz provides an overview of this variety of dealing with traditional music culture, which you find in Poland these days, where musicians actively absorb these traditions and make them their own, creating new bastard hybrids for the globalized sound cosmos. The influences on Polska Rootz go back to the end of the '70s, when reggae and dub made their first impact on stylistically-open Polish punk bands like Kryzys and Brygada Kryzys -- leading to the development of an original Polish reggae scene. Another example of a first fusion of folk songs from the Polish mountain regions and post-punk was the band De Press, whose experiments led to more Polish cross-disciplinary development throughout the '80 and '90s. On this compilation, Masala (Soundsystem), which usually mixes Asian sounds into their modern tracks, covers a song by '80s political punk band Dezerter and creates a drum'n'bass track with vocals from the Warsaw Village Band, who are internationally-renowned for their revival of Slavic music traditions. The band Habakuk performs the famous song "Mury" by Jacek Kaczmarski, an '80s protest song, re-made into a groovy reggae track. Reggae and dub get mixed up with Tatra folk when Trebunie Tutki meets Jamaica's Twinkle Brothers with an extra added shine by On-U-Sound mastermind Adrian Sherwood. Meritum gives us klezmer matched with improvised street music and skillful scratching. And the singing of pop icon Kayah reaches a whole new impact when it is embedded in relaxed ambient dub with an Arabic flavor. There are loads of such original mixtures to be discovered on Polska Rootz. The Poles not only master current beats and good songwriting, but also connect their own historical material to a wholly other adopted culture for the 21st century. Other artists include: Studio AS One, Orkiestra Swietego Mikolaja, Psio Crew, Zakopower, Vavamuffin, Perch, Warsaw Village Band, Lao Che, Strachy Na Lachy, Przedzskole, Mesajah, Activator, Kosmosfski, and Żywiołak.
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CD
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EBM 013CD
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2008 release. This is the third release from Figli Di Madre Ignota, a band from Milan, Italy who play an energetic mix of Balkan music, evil polkas, and klezmer with a twist. Mean swings and breathless tarantellas are all made up with surf guitars and a compelling horn section. Beginning in the late '90s, they found a natural inspiration in Balkan brass bands and klezmer melodies, and like every good self-declared rootless artist, they picked up the spirit of the dance-or-die and mixed it with a powerful rock combo. The Italian side of Figli draws its inspiration from roots music of their homeland -- music that was played live for the people to dance to -- humorous, funny, and at the same time cool and exciting. Their Balkan side adds spice and powerful brass winds. The occasional sevdah and longing in their timbre unites both cultures. Fez Club contains a cover of the '80s hit single "Paradise," produced by and played with the famous Sicilian trumpeter Roy Paci (Aretuska, Manu Chao, Radio Bemba, Mau Mau, etc.). Fez Club also features a collaboration with Circus Contraption, a dark circus band from Seattle, as well as with Italy's acclaimed parody theater company, Banda Osiris. Their songs here mix different languages (Serbian, English) besides the Italian used by the band. "Figli di madre ignota" literally means "unknown mother's sons," which used to be the legal term in Italy for orphans of women who couldn't or didn't want to recognize them. Such a proud bastard is Italian powerhouse Figli Di Madre Ignota. It's music to dance to wildly to -- a Balkan brass section playing with a cool rock band, ready to make any monkey dance. Figli Di Madre Ignota ask the question, "can a bunch of nutty people raised on fog, pasta and hoaxes in Northern Italy play klezmer/Balkan/polka/swing without having to disown aglio e olio e peperoncino spaghetti?" Listen and find out. Includes two bonus videos, including the video for "Paradise," directed by Cosimo Alemà, already on rotation on MTV Italy and MTV Turkey.
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EBM 014CD
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2009 release. Founded in St. Petersburg in 2000, La Minor invites you to a glass of wine as well as to dance. The bayan (the Russian button-accordion) pumps, the saxophone flutters and singer Slava Shalygin tells his lyrical gangster stories: backyard songs about bad boys, love, passion, alcohol and prison. La Minor comes from St. Petersburg, but do have a partiality for Odessa. Indeed, the alleys and bars of these two cities are similar with their European charm. La Minor plays so-called street chanson, Russian folk, jazz and klezmer (Odessa style). They resurrect part of the atmosphere of the Odessa of the '20s to '40s, and their songs sound like musical detective stories about little rascals and tragic loves -- joyful and melancholic at the same time. Thieves and policemen, whores and undercover agents crowd the urban underworld of La Minor's songs. The gentle/tender maternal nature of the Russian language makes the tough stories touching and timeless. Slava's hero is the Soviet underground singer Arkadi Severny, whose style, not quite appropriately named Russian chanson, stems from the Soviet subculture of the '70s. La Minor now develops Severny's ideas further into their own repertoire with sophisticated arrangements and deadpan delivery. Russki Chanson has become an annoying genre in Russia and pounds out of every taxi there these days. Refusing to wear golden chains and add corniness to their music, La Minor are the black and thus likeable sheep of the Russian prison and camp chanson. Therefore, the band performs rather in rock clubs and doesn't get aired on Radio Chanson in Moscow. They call their music "underground chanson with a human face." Folk music rarely ever sounded so tight and cool. Includes a bonus video.
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