Gypsy Hill

Gypsy Hill – “The Beast from nearby the Middle East” – proudly declare themselves to play ‘an intoxicating mix of balkan brass, mediterranean surf rock, ska and swing’. I’ve always been a bit suspicious of anything that smacks of ‘world beat’ or ‘global fusion pop’, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when the demo of the South London punsters’ latest album – even more hippyishly titled Our Routes – appeared in my inbox last week.

Good thing, then, that I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I plugged in my speakers, turned up the bass a couple of notches, and put on the first track. As unlikely as it sounds, the combination of Balkan brass, ska, and scratch turntables actually works. Perhaps it’s not actually so surprising after all: trumpet flourishes transplanted straight from Guča replace the standard stabs and shout choruses of the horn section, while the simultaneously super-tight but langorous trombone glissandi punctuating numbers such as ‘Afrita Hanem’ bring to mind Rico Rodriguez’s contributions to The Specials’ hits from the early ’80s. The Balkan-brass-plus-beats combo is pretty tried and tested as well: it’s just like Boban Markovic, O.M.F.O., or the whole Belgrade turbofolk scene, except that these guys have brought it back via Brixton and taken it a couple of steps further.

Just when you start to think the whole assemblage was running pretty smoothly but in danger of turning into (albeit superlatively good quality) party background music – a criticism I’ve always had about Ukranian/Dutch producer O.M.F.O.’s album Trans Balkan Express, which I’ve never been able to listen to with a completely straight face since I was first exposed to it as a teenager as the soundtrack to Borat – in comes something completely unexpected yet somehow never gratuitous or out-of-place. Take, for example, the folk singer interrupted by grungily overdriven solo guitar at the opening of ‘Pachupa’, the electroswing-esque walking bass (tuba) line which kicks off ‘Swing 78-81′, or ‘that’ vocal sample (“The music just turns me on…”) which nobody on earth can remember the source for.

So while I wasn’t completely won over by the album’s title or the accompanying blurb, and while I could quibble if I wanted to about the fact that the mix highlights the guitars and DJ samples a little too prominently at the expense of letting the brass bite through sufficiently, this has to be one of my best finds of the last year. If we’re being really pretentious, we could maybe describe Gypsy Hill’s style as something like ‘post-Balkan’ or ‘post-electroswing': the result of a new generation of musicians who’ve absorbed all the niche musical genres that have been floating around on the London music scene for the past ten years, and produced something which pays homage to them while being totally fresh and new. Perhaps more importantly, though, Our Routes is a brilliantly put-together album, intelligent and original, and riotously good fun while still managing to be more than that.

O. Hubbard

Anyone who’s in London later this week should definitely make it to the launch party at Passing Cloud in Dalston on Thursday 11th September (free entry); if you’re not able to make it, the album is available for download or to order on CD. - The Oxford Culture Review

Now although I'm aware of their label mates Balkan Beat Box and despite a number of releases under their belt, I've not come across Gypsy Hill before but from the intro the fusion of loudhailer samples, Balkan/Hip-Hop Breaks and low frequency bass caught my attention immediately. So strictly speaking it's not Dub or Chill but I feel with it's global fusion stance it's still an apt album to review on here.

Although the album has an overall Gypsy/Klezmer approach it takes a journey along various avenues 'Balaka' for example switches seamlessly between flutes, guitar and horn maintaining that Balkan sound while the horn section of 'Jimmie Jam' has more of a old New Orleans Jazz edge and 'Pachupa' transports you from the Balkans to the Mexican desert with the feel of a Spaghetti western soundtrack not unlike Calexico for those of you who remember them.

I've often felt the Balkan sound works well with Ska giving that knees up feel. But Gypsy Hill prove it can work with a variety of fusions along a variety of tempos, with the dj throwing in a scratch in suitable places and twitching low bass accompanying a few of the tracks. I have to say it works for me and I'd imagine they would be great fun to see live. Anyone in the Dalston area of London on September the 11th can catch the album launch free at the Passing Clouds.

Review by Woodzee. - Sun Is Shining Dub n Chill

Q's act of the weekend: Gypsy Hill
An outside bet but a gem of a find in the smaller and more traditional Roma tent. This multi genre collective seem to delve into anything that gets the party started and not only put on a show that lifted the roof off, but also got a small boy on stage to play a kazoo. And who doesn't like a kazoo? - Q the music

“Shambala Festival // 25-28th August, 2011 // Market Harborough ...I was also delighted to see that the brilliant Gypsy Hill, a favourite from a previous festival, had been gifted with a prime-time Saturday slot on the main stage, and they did not disappoint...”
Stef Mo - Never Enough Notes e-zine

“Playgroup Festival // Near Brighton // 5th – 8th August ...In terms of bands, my two breakout stars of Playgroup 2011 would have to be High Rankin and Gypsy Hill. The latter are a seven-piece fusion of beats, bass and brass, combining two guitarists, a drummer, a brass section and a scratch DJ who looked like something from a Mexican remake of Interview with the Vampire, and their indecently bouncy gypsy-meets-Mariachi-meets-surf-rock-in-a-Transylvanian-discotheque stylings were a highlight of the Sunday afternoon. It was a tremendous shame that they were scheduled at the same time as the more well-known Correspondents’ main stage set, as in my opinion Gypsy Hill were the far superior act, and deserved a much bigger crowd....”
Stef Mo - Never Enough Notes e-zine

“Notable inclusions come in the form of a decks and all reworking of a fifties yiddish favourite, ‘Babyschlep’, by North London based Ghettoplotz and South Londoner’s, Gypsy Hill, who open the album with Balaka incorporating a flute solo from Besh O Drom’s Kanna Solo.”
Jill Turner - Gondwana Sound

“There are a number of tracks on the album that Seb’s got hold of as previously unreleased tracks like the opener, ‘Balaka’ by Gypsy Hill (now that’s clever, see links below) and features the flute expertise of Hungarian Besh o droM. Whilst this is new, if you ever found yourself bopping away to Gypsy Beats And Balkan Bangers, ‘Balaka’ is the start you’re looking for.”
Fly Global Music - Fly Global Music
- reverb nation

Best Unsigned Act - Gypsy Hill. Played on the Sunday evening into the early hours on the Gaymers stage. A really enjoyable performance to watch or dance to. A very energetic sound, falling into a Spanish, swing, brass genre. Normally a 7 piece, however they played as a duet on this occasion, definitely something to look out for. myspace.com - Dont Stay In