Yedi Kedi

Hailing from Eastern Europe and elsewhere, the members of Balamuc joined forces in London where they have produced this musical tour of the Balkans and surrounding areas. Starting off with a Ukrainian wedding dance, they move through Macedonia, Albania, Hungary and Romania, taking in Transylvania along the way. Throughout the album there is a strong Gypsy aesthetic signposted with a version of the Romani anthem, ‘Gelem Gelem’.

The overall sound Balamuc conjure is one combining traditional Eastern European horas (dances) and songs with rock band instrumentation and influences from ska-punk, grunge and symphonic rock in a similar vein to Goran Bregović or Balkan Beat Box. Guitars and drums sit alongside scrappy fiddle and wailing clarinet. This rough and ready party vibe is convincing if a little relentless and occasionally going somewhat further than charmingly messy. They seem at their best on the more soulful numbers, such as ‘Ki Zandana’, a Romani song in which a mother locked in a dungeon prays for her children; or ‘Lule Lule’, an old Albanian love song with a classic accelerating chorus guaranteed to get the dance floor whirling.