Balkan Beat Box

With the revolutionary spirit and beats of M.I.A., and the ideals of John Lennon, Balkan Beat Box steps forward with a cohesive new album that imagines a Middle East without borders and a healthy dose of New York energy. Balkan Beat Box blends electronic music with hard-edged folk music from North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Their 2005 eponymous debut on JDub Records was hailed by The Denver Post as “a sonic masterpiece” and has sold over 10,000 copies in the US. Having performed at Bonnaroo, Central Park Summerstage, Montreal JazzFest and having toured extensively with Matisyahu as well as on headlining international tours, Balkan Beat returns with Nu Med, a musical vision of what the Mediterranean would sound like if borders were removed.

BBB makes connections that politics often keep separate. Jewish, Gypsy, Arabic, and American are united by hip hop beats and dancehall toasts. BBB’s musical hitch-hiking continues as they mix things up with dub and electronics, juxtaposed with ancient Moroccan and Mediterranean melodies. The band’s uncategorizable sound gives equal weight to soulful acoustic timbres and digital rhythms creating a uniquely organic sound with electronic elements. Echoing his growing involvement in their live shows, MC Tomer Yosef is a dynamic presence on Nu Med, blazing his way through featured tracks “Digital Monkey,” “Mexico City,” & “Hermetico.”