Robert Soko

Balkan Beats Soundlab

An album’s worth of ass-shaking Balkanised beats from the genre’s originator – and the reality is every bit as good as the blurb!

Ion the last few years the Balkanisation of dance music seems to have generated some fine tunes but this collection of remixes is absolutely joyous. He has taken numbers from Watcha Clan, Ziveli Orkestra, Boban I Marko Markovic as well as western acts such as Gypsy Hill and turned them into a complete collection of dance numbers and thrown in groove elements from all over – you will find ska and hard rock in here as well as gypsy beats and Balkan horns.

My personal favourite is Berlinskibeat’s ‘Sex Drums and Berlinskibeat’ with a Germanic chant alongside deranged trumpet and accordion – utterly mad but sooooo danceable – but this is chased close by the Hebraic sounding Besh O Drom and their Csango Leany. The producers have seen fit to add a 'bonus' trackl of 'Georgian Lessons 1-6', Deladap's take on language lessons - hilarious and worth every second of its 3:42.

The Antwerp Gypsy Ska Orkestra are the most intriguing name here but probably the most straight musically and Robert Soko’s own ‘Kad Ja Podoh Na Bembasu’ the closest to Eurovision style but these are minor quibbles – this could be the dance album to be heard everywhere this Xmas – makes a hell of a change from Nat King Cole and Slade!