antimusic.com: On The Record: Balkan Arts 701 - Bulgarian Folk Dances Review

Balkan Arts 701 - Bulgarian Folk Dances

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Fans of Balkan Beat Box, Slavic Soul Party, Balkanarama or any of the other modern day acts playing Balkan dance music owe it to themselves to check out this pressing. The four cuts on this record, part of a 13-disc series, are compiled by ethnologist Martin Koenig; the first two cuts, "Zborinka" and "Ruka," are both lively fiddle-driven tunes taken from field recordings made in Bulgaria some 40-odd years ago. At under four minutes in length the songs are brief but so full of zip that if they were any longer you would probably get winded. The B-side holds two cuts recorded by the now defunct Balkaton Studios, also in Bulgaria; "Chukanoto" and "Dobrolushko Horo," have a more exotic sound achieved mostly through a frenzy of accordion and clarinet riffing. Whether Koenig didn't write it all down or maybe his notes from this era are no longer extant; individual bands or performers are not credited. This is definitely a party record guaranteed to liven up any gathering but if you're trying to clean house or do some other mundane chore, spinning this one will help you get the job done in no time with a smile on your face.

Each of the 13 records in this set come with a download code entitling the purchaser to MP3s or lossless digital files of the songs as well as audio liner notes and an extended PDF booklet.

More information here or purchase limited edition vinyl here.

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