DJ Shantel (aka Stefan Hantel from Germany) is the Balkan pop mix master of the moment.
Best known for his blend of gypsy tunes that he called Bucovina Club, Shantel just released his first solo album in seven years. Disko Partizani incorporates sounds from Greece, Turkey, Middle Europe and beyond.
Though the cover of this CD makes Shantel look like a serious thug, the music is light, bouncy and humorous. Hard core gypsy rock music (a la Gogol Bordello) does not appeal to me, but Disko Partizani is just too much fun to ignore! I can envision myself in a European club mixing it up with the locals (kinda like this video), hands in the air and hips moving to the brassy sounds. Alas, I’ll have to settle for car dancing for the time being.
My friend Kim once told me that when she listens to music, she keeps her ear open for the most complicated rhythm and the simplest one. This is a great CD for that as there are so many layers to it that your mind will be engaged trying to uncover exactly what’s going on where and when.My favorites from this disc are:
Disko Partizani – title track and the epitome of the energy behind the entire disc.
Koupes – I’ll Smash Glasses – probably the most “disco” of all the songs, you’ll be shaking your booty fer sure.
Fige Ki Ase Me – the horns bring down da house with this arrangement of precision mouthwork.
Immigrant Child – syncopated rhythms and multi-levels of horns, guitar and vocals make this entertaining and danceable.
Dubstar Bugarskji – quite different from the rest of the songs, this features female singers singing in English and…. well, I’m not sure what other language. But it doesn’t matter!
Marko i Shantel – I can imagine an American high school marching band swaying down main street playing this tune. Or a sexy troupe of Rio trumpeters.
Suffice it to say that this one will stay in my car’s CD player for a long time.
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