CD Review: Kompania's 'Round Trip'

Kompania
Round Trip
CHARA

The Greek group, Kompania, releases an excellent new release aptly-titled Round Trip. The album touches on music beyond the traditional rebetiko fanfare with vibrant oud, baglama, zills, davul, darbouka, slide guitar, bouzouki, accordion, and guitar. There is still a good amount of Greek music here, but the instrumental repertoire opens up the tunes to influences across Europe, the Mediterranean, and parts of the Middle East. The Greek vocals are emotive, mournful, and happy throughout. In fact, the vocals are so powerful at times they tend to take on a life of their own. The vocal arrangements are diverse and appropriately match the instrumental sections. Vocals are attributed to Katerina Tsiridou, Sotiris Papatragiannis, and Dimitris Kranidas. The metallic bouzouki sounds are bright and cheery. The percussion is sparse, but precise. The entire package is enlightening and full of life with varied vocals and sounds that create a whirling atmosphere of sonic delight. Nothing is wrong here. Round Trip begins and ends with Kompania. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Andreas Aase's 'Tre'

Andreas Aase
Tre
Ora Fonogram

Norway's enlightening musical spirit, Andreas Aase, is a talented, eight-string, guitar bouzouki player. Tre, which means, "three," "wood," or "tree," is an album of a dozen, instrumental songs on solo bouzouki. There are no vocals throughout the album. Nine of the tracks are traditional, Norwegian tunes, while three other tunes are directly attributed to Andreas. The solo music is serene and acoustic without any other additional instruments. The solemn sounds are spritely at times. However, the music is largely folk-based and contemporary instrumental. The music is steeped in the traditions of Norway's craggy fjords and Scandinavia's historical presence throughout European music concoctions. The peaceful music is perfect for relaxing, cafes, bookstores, family gatherings, and other quiet, intimate, and personal occasions. Andreas hits high notes here with a glorious and highly-recommended release. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Txutxukan's 'Surf The River Lee'

Txutxukan
Surf The River Lee
Wild Boar Music

Hailing from France, Txutxukan (pron: tchoo-tchoo-ken) is a Balkan/Gypsy group named after the Basque phrase for "puttering about" or "doing odd jobs". However, Txutxukan shows no signs of puttering out or about on their latest release, Surf The River Lee. The group is comprised of Dylan Gully on clarinet, sax, kaval, and recorder; Bruno Hollemaert on guitar, bouzouki, accordion, and banjo; Eric Belot on upright bass and electric bass; Joachim Mouflin on percussion, drum kit, and bouzouki; and Joseph Detailleur on accordion. Special guest musician, Stella Rodrigues, plays the gamelan on "El Din." There are a few vocals for added effects. However, the majority of the album is largely instrumental. The instruments come together to form a Klezmer, Gypsy, and Balkan result that is edgy, dance-laden, and always moving. There is a bit of jazz, classical, and avant-garde influences, but nothing is too overt. The sauntering melodies, uppity percussion, and catchy rhythms are breezy, addictive, and richly-textured. Discover Txutxukan today! ~ Matthew Forss 

CD Review: Electric Balkan Jazz Club's 'Balkan Dogs'

Electric Balkan Jazz Club
Balkan Dog
Musique Estetica

From the Mediterranean to the Balkans, Electric Balkan Jazz Club presents an exciting mix of music inspired by Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, and German music traditions. The upbeat percussion, wailing brass, and whirling melodies are accomplished with the guitar, bass, accordion, bouzouki, oud, saz, mandolin, darbuka, sax, clarinet, and others. The twelve tracks contain energetic rhythms and melodies that are reminiscent of klezmer and gypsy songs, too. The mix of vocal and instrumental songs provides a great selection of danceable tunes. The emotive vocals and ballad-esque repertoire on some occasions, makes Balkan Dog nothing to 'balk' at! ~ Matthew Forss