L'orient est rouge (1997)

Recorded for Crammed Discs, this milestone North Macedonian Romani brass album highlights the distinctive Turkish and Middle Eastern modes underpinning the Vardar valley tradition. Centred on the brilliant trumpet of Naat Veliov and sinuous clarinet runs, the arrangements breathe through languid cocek grooves and asymmetric 9/8 rhythms. Slower passages showcase astonishing microtonal shading and vocal-like slides, capturing a melancholic poignancy that thunderous festival sets rarely reveal.