Issue #13 : The Balkan Issue
Welcome to iCrates Issue #13. Over the next month, we will explore the farthest reaches of Balkan music, from the villages of the Carpathian Basin, to the underground clubs of 1980’s Belgrade. Defined by the region’s cultural diversity and a history at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the music which has come out of...
Moonlee Records: United Balkan Noise
Bernays Propaganda. Photo courtesy of Moonlee Records. Founded in 2004, Ljubljana-based indie/noise label Moonlee Records filled a gap in the DIY-scene of the Former Yugoslavian countries. Although there was already a big tradition of independent music in the region, there was no single label that released contemporary bands from the regional scene. The name Analena...
Shantel: Anarchy, Romance and the “Rebirth of the Uncool”
Shantel is quite simply one of the biggest names on the “Balkan pop” scene, but he doesn’t like to be classified as such. Although he already had a number of releases under his belt, Shantel first hit the big time with his Bucovina Club recordings, inspired by his family’s connection with the historical region of...
Balkan Electro: Origins and Branches
When electro was born out of the decline of disco in the late 70′s, it would have been hard to predict that it would, decades later, find a new bed-fellow in the mountain folk music of South-Eastern Europe. The truth is that electro has always been open to incorporate sounds from other styles of music...
Talking To The Animals: Monkey Safari
Monkey Safari are the latest DJ team to tackle the iCrates Vinyl-Only Sessions. Swinging their way through the musical jungle, the primate duo have gathered a reputation for eclectic mixes, drawing on influences as diverse as the animal kingdom itself. iCrates presents this short interview to compliment their fantastic mix! Can you tell us a...
The Vinyl-Only Sessions #07: Monkey Safari
Sessions #07 | Monkey Safari – Story of Haensel Y Crates With session number seven we made a one-time-only exception and uploaded this one from Monkey Safari from Halle, Germany well aware that it was not “Vinyl-Only”. However, this duo of relative newcomers remain shrouded in mystery and agreed to take us deeper and deeper...
The Chalga Experience
Chalga Excellence is a blog documenting one of the more bizarre corners of Balkan music: Chalga. Bulgarian in origin, Chalga mixes Greek, Arabic and Balkan influences, and has become increasingly popular despite criticisms of ‘questionable’ morality. It’s also unquestionably the kitschiest thing you’ll ever see. Curator of the site Ivaylo Spasov told us a little...
Tožibabe: Punk and Politics
The world was first exposed to Tožibabe in the early 80′s. From Slovenia in Former Yugoslavia, their bleak, harsh sound and often unconventional song structures made them not only one of the most interesting bands to emerge from the early 1980′s punk scene, but also the first Slovenian all-female rock band to write their own...
Django Reinhardt and The Quintet Of The Hot Club Of France – Swing From Paris
It is not often that one man comes to define an entire musical genre, let alone one as significant, influential and toe-tappingly buoyant as to cement itself into the musical consciousness of future generations. Known as Hot Jazz, Gypsy Swing, Gypsy Jazz or Jazz Manouche, Jean-Baptiste ‘Django’ Reinhardt brought together chromatic Romani rhythms with a...
Rhythms And Dances Of The People Of Jugoslavia – Calig 17701
Rhythem Und Tänze Der Völker – Jugoslawische Tänze is the Original title of this German Vinyl Ep: Calig 17701 This week’s Dig is like a documentary recording. This was produced in order to preserve the music of ancient Jugoslavia and is part of a series of recordings documenting the music and dances of the Balkans...
Music Works Record Shop, Athens, Greece
Representing Greece in the iCrates Balkan Issue is Thanos Arvanitis and his Athenian record store Music Works. Nestled in the Greek capital, Music Works belongs to a number of independent music retailers who have taken the route back to vinyl in the last few years. Selling only new records from a broad range of local...
Interview: DJ Šoko aka Balkan Beats
When Robert Šoko arrived in Berlin over twenty years ago he wasn’t into traditional Balkan music and he didn’t like the city much either. So how did he end up a resident DJ at Berlin’s Lido with one of the most successful Balkan-influenced parties on the planet? Sitting on a black leather couch next to...
