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Gypsy music and culture is finally receiving long overdue credit. Many new bands are coming through; established bands feel like they’ve won the lottery and fantastic, previously undiscovered, bands are latterly seeing the light of day. Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello is making his second film with Madonna, The Kocani Orchestra are headlining the Big Chill Festival and Mahala Rai Banda have played Glastonbury. Borat hooked up with DJ Shantel and everybody is grooving to the happy, happening sounds of the Balkans. Folk dancing and spontaneous large circles are breaking out in clubs from Berlin to Canada, Sydney to Switzerland, New York to London and beyond ......
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Helping this musical phenomenon on its way was the first volume of Gypsy Beats & Balkan Bangers, which was the surprise summer hit of 2006. It was all over BBC Radio 1 championed by the likes of Annie Mac and Rob da Bank. Time Out said: ‘Just go buy it now,’ and it was covered by all the major national press in the UK.
With this sort of reaction and the knowledge that we were only just scratching the surface there had to be a follow up. Gypsy Beats & Balkan Bangers Too comprises 14 tracks of 'Balkan beats, breaks, punk, funk, dub and ska' plus two remixes courtesy of The Basement Jaxx and DJ Beam Up from Melbourne. It truly is music that just makes you want to get your party 'rocks' off. The first edition had some big name hard-hitters from the traditional through to the next big thing. This time round things are slightly more left. The artists might not be household names but the tracks are well and truly road-tested by the gypsy beats DJ community and will leave none disappointed. From hip hop to jazz, dancefloor beats, traditional songs, dub, ska and rock n roll, all bases are covered.
Geographically the music comes from a wider span. From The Balkans and Eastern Europe hail Kal - straight out of Belgrade with Roma heritage. Hadaymaky are from the Ukraine, politically aware and full of angst. Gipsy.cz is the original Roma hip hop bad boy. Having already turned out Kruder and Dorfmeister, it is no surprise that we have several acts from the Austria region. Dunklebunt contribute two great numbers, including La Revedere, an Inspector Gadget-esque hot stepper. Binder & Krieglstein is actually a one-man band of aristocratic heritage. Dela Dap provide a gypsy stomper with some great modern production. Russia delivers us Russkaja, who represent the worldwide phenomenon of Jamaican ska (adapted in Coventry, for example, as 2 Tone). Leningrad have a live show like no other 15 piece gypsy, punk, and ska orchestra.
Another fine gypsy band is found in southern Italy. Having received many accolades, Municipale Balcanica turn the traditional Hava Nagila into an avant-garde gypsy jazz workout of monstrous proportions. From Israel via California we find Boom Pam taking surf guitar klezmer to new levels. Finally, a bonus track from DJ Beam Up of The Good, The Bad & The Balkan club night in Melbourne is included. He has rinsed out an excellent drum and bass version which is set to be a club classic. These are not strictly Balkan, but contain the all-embracing, creative, gypsy spirit that reflects where this scene is at. So stick it on your CD player, listen, savour, party and jump on board.
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