Balkan Versatility

Various Artists

Balkan Grooves (Eastblok Music EBM 016CD2010)

In recent years, Berlin has become the gateway to the music of the Balkans and other parts of Eastern Europe. On the CD Balkan Grooves, the Eastblok label has collected some of the finest musicians and remixers involved in the hybridization of Balkan music.

Lower production costs allowed electronic musicians and Balkan DJs to interact and record with traditional musicians from the Balkans. A lot of music out there is never released officially although some of it occasionally makes it to vinyl for specialists and collectors. Balkan Grooves introduces the listener to some of the most exiting fusions, where brass bands meet drum’n'bass, and traditional Gypsy folk meets electronic ambience. The album includes four exclusive pieces.

The cutting edge artists featured include Vienna’s dunkelbunt, Stefano Miele (aka Riva Starr) from Italy, Bosnian-Danish project Fagget Fairys, Berliner Valentino Valente, Dobranotch from St. Petersburg (Russia) and DJ Click from Paris (France) who exchange files between East and West, Watcha Clan (France) remixed by Shazalakazoo (Serbia), Kiril (Macedonia) with rocker Hi-Fi, Leni Kravac from Ljubljana (Slovenia), and Kottarashky of Sofia (Bulgaria).

Balkan Grooves is a powerful collection by the trend makers in the new Balkan music scene.

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About ARomero

Angel Romero is the founder of World Music Central. He has been involved with the music business and media for over twenty years. Angel was a producer for Musica NA (TVE), an eclectic music TV show. In the mid-1990s he produced three boxed sets: Duende (flamenco), The Big Bang (world drums and percussion), and Planet Soup (world fusion and cross cultural collaborations) for Ellipsis Arts. He later founded world music label Alula Records. Alula's roster included flamenco guitar master Gerardo Núñez, kora virtuoso Mamadou Diabate, Hassan Hakmoun, Susan McKeown, Jamshied Sharifi, Tim O'Brien, Akira Satake and many more. Angel later founded World Music Portal which eventually became World Music Central.