Between July 1st and 5th, hundreds of national and international acts from a range of musical genres will be descending upon beautiful Sopron, for the immense VOLT Festival. Before you pack your tent and flip-flops, though, it’s obviously worth taking a look at the lineup… before the Soproni sets in! So, because the main stage and headline acts aren’t always where it’s at, we’ve put together our very own selection of less obvious acts not to miss… Check out the links at the bottom of the article for info on Sopron and how to get there, the full lineup and the festival itself.
Balkan Beat Box (BBB)
Balkan Beat Box are Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan, combined with eight gifted musicians alongside local guest acts and VJs Billy Levy and Alma Hareland. Both Tamir and Ori have been active for a decade in NYC’s premier underground bands, including Firewater, Gogol Bordello, J.U.F, Big Lazy, Shot’nez, Victoria Hanna, and in 2003, BBB was born. The group aimed “to erase political borders” on dance floors from NYC to the Middle East, and with a deep knowledge of their own Mediterranean roots, as well as other cultures, in collaboration with artists from Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain, Israel, and Palestine along with storming visuals, BBB deliver a magical show. Expect a semi-circus, multi-disciplined stormer of a show.
ŽAGAR
Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra (PASO)
If PASO’s sound and energy don’t make you get up and dance, we’re fairly sure nothing will, as this is ska spiced up with a taste of Hungaria! With distinct Eastern European roots, the group have pretty much singlehandedly led a ska revival, taking it from Hungary to wider European stages. Expect deep-rooted traditional ska combined with a violin, fine-tuned with reggae riddims and jazzy melodies. Lord Panamo’s vocals combine with acclaimed Hungarian ska drummer Lipi Brown’s beats and a nine-piece orchestra (often joined by guest performers). PASO’s lyrics condemn discrimination, as well as taking stands on other social issues, whilst retaining a raucous, fun-loving face. We promise they’ll get you beaming and bouncing!
Fatima Spa and The Freedom Fries
Dubbed Austria’s best export and import, Fatima Spar and the Freedom Fries have, over the past few years, really crystallized their own individual sound. The band’s six members originate from almost as many countries, which goes some way to explain the immense diversity of styles teeming and cracking with energy on-stage. They’ve instinctively succeeded in finding their place between alternative, world and jazz, whilst managing to combine energy-filled dance rhythms with New Orleans swing, gypsy brass, calypso and Oriental pop… and all that, using nothing but acoustic instruments and an irresistibly smoky voice.
See the full lineup here, more on Sopron (including how to get there) here, and more about the VOLT Festival here.