BEGNAGRAD

This record was recommended to me by a friend who knows my penchant for unusual folk music. I had misgivings since this is really considered an RIO band, but those were abandoned pretty quickly the first time I listened to the CD.

Begnagrad were a Slovenian band who start off with ethnic instrumentation and a world-music vibe, but within a few seconds on the first track it’s apparent the band had an awful lot of musical influences. The liner note listings of accordion, clarinet and mandolin might fool you into thinking this is a series of polkas and waltzes (“Cosa Nostra” for example, which sort of is a waltz). And I suppose there might be something in some of the arrangements that fit that description. But there’s also jazz here (albeit pretty free-form and neurotic), but also Balkan folk and occasionally the makings of some ethnic punk. Samla Mammas Manna comes immediately to mind, but I have to admit that’s partly because I don’t know too many other RIO bands.

One thing that’s surprising for someone like me who isn’t into avant-garde, experimental music like this is how approachable it actually is. There is a ton of discord in the music, but also plenty of melodic moments that sort of bind each disjointed track into something that makes a little bit of sense, even to the uninitiated.

Other than “Cosa Nostra” the tracks are pretty short, but considering the high-intensity tempo I suppose the band members couldn’t keep things going too long without losing their audience, so regular breaks between tracks seems like a good idea.

For a folk and world-music fan the wealth of instrumentation is fascinating. Besides the ones mentioned above there are a number of string basses employed, plus the stilting keys of a clavier, the Star Trek phaser-looking ocarina, and more percussion and wind toys then you can shake a stick at.

Like I said, this thing is high intensity, with driving melodies accentuated almost non-stop by the various ethnic instruments. There are no vocals, but some of the music comes from shouts, whistles and other mouthed sounds. Check out just the opening “Pjan ska” for a full menu of the dozens of sounds employed here. The slower numbers (well, just “Romantièna” really) sound more like county-fair folk but played by guys who are trying to amuse themselves instead of the audience. This is bawdy and fun music that defies detailed description, unless perhaps if you are a musician from that part of the world who has some insight into how and why the stuff was made.

Me, I’m a folk music fan and not a musician. But I know what I like, and this is one fun hour of music. Four stars and an uninformed but hearty recommendation.

peace