Balkan Beat Box – Nu Med
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/18/07
Balkan Gypsy/Klezmer horns, North African/Arabian beats, Dancehall/Hip Hop/Reggae, bits of Latin and Bulgarian… BBB’s first CD was mainly updated Balkan Gypsy, but this one has no one really predominant element – it’s literally all over the map, unique, and often unclassifiable and extremely hard to describe… But it’s damn good!
FCC: “bullshit” in chorus, track 2. My faves are 7 and 11, but it’s all good…
1. 1:14 *starts with live band announcement and applause, then low-key funky riddim, midtempo horns for a bit… Intro track.
2. 5:08 FCC – “bullshit” repeated in chorus ***very cool midtempo funky reggae riddim with hand claps, some Klezmer horns, quasi-Mexican stuff…
3. 3:52 ***starts with shouts and beeps and claps, then midtempo Middle Eastern guitars and Reggae horns, female vocals in Arabic.
4. 4:00 **drumline riddim with a touch of belly dance, Gypsy horns. Amazing clarinet solo.
5. 3:43 ***funky midtempo with slide whistle, hip hop vocals.
6. 3:32 **quirky little intro, then uptempo… god, what WOULD you call this? Lots of horns, cool beat… Odd processed vocals at end.
7. 5:42 ****slinky midtempo groove with just a hint of bullfight, male vocals in what sounds like Moroccan Arabic – there’s a hint of Gnawa, too.
8. 3:31 ***oom-pah hip hop. Amazing! Long low outro.
9. 3:45 **bit of guitar gets layered with slow beat and mariachi trumpets and low key hip hop vocals.
10. 3:12 **crickets for a second, then some drumline and cheers, electronic slide whistle… Undefinable…
11. 3:41 ****Bulgarian female vocals with whoops, then midtempo funky something. Slight Spaghetti Western tinge, mostly just unique and amazing.
12. 3:31 **Electronic shuffle with Gypsy horns.
13. 3:27 **a bit of the previous song runs over, so the intro is a bit odd. Winds up being a bouncy slightly downtempo romp with tuba, guitar, baby laughing, hip hop chanting.
14. 1:52 **sweet midtempo Reggae groove with slinky horns, North African chanting.