Kolkhozoy Traktor

If you’re a fan of the great festival-pleasing, throat-singing Yat-Kha, then this should be on your radar. Shono's founder, Alexander Arkhincheev doesn't have the big personality of Yat-Kha's Albert Kuvezin, but the band he founded in 2014 has also shaped its sound on the rhythms and traditions of the Eurasian grasslands.

Arkhincheev comes from the Russian Republic of Buryatia which borders Mongolia. He's passionate about reviving the lost heritage of his country, particularly Buryat throat-singing, and he delves into songs he learned from his grandparents as well as his own compositions.

A big fan of Western rock music, Shono's sound mixes traditional zithers and horsehead fiddles with drums, guitar and bass to craft compelling music based on the galloping rhythms which underpin so much of the region's music.

The album's hit single is the title track whose video is a playful take on a tractor ride across the vast plains, while ‘The Praising of the Twelve Animal Symbols of the Year’ has all the ‘crowd goes wild’ elements of an encore on a festival stage. Shono know how to please an audience, as well as honour and preserve ‘the great heritage of Buryat culture.’