Baltic Balkan feat. Banda Dzeta EP "Katapulta".
Date of release 03 August 2012. Maasto Records, Finland.

“Katapulta EP” is an unique collaboration between the two driving forces of Vilniaus alternative world music scene – the firesetting balkan / gypsy / klezmer DJ unit Baltic Balkan and the minimal post brass outfit Banda Dzeta. “Katapulta” lyrics tell a romantic story about the magic catapulta that delivers music that can break all musical and political walls.

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, was always the meltdown of the Baltic, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, Jewish, German, Tatar, Karaite, British and Gypsy cultures. The homeland of Jascha Hefeitz, where every yard was still listening to the klezmer music wind coming from the East and the South, it was also a starting point for the Baltic Balkan project. This musical and performance artist endeavor was inspired by listening to original Yugoslav punk rock, as well as countless musical festivals in Europe and movies with a true Balkan (and Baltic) spirits.

The driving musical force behind the “Katapulta” is Vincentas Lapinas – bassist, conductor and huge ethusiast of alternative folk music, who started the Banda Dzeta orchestra (which includes viola, bass, ukulele, percussion, tuba, trumpets and trombones) a couple of years ago in Vilnius.

The main singer on “Katapulta” EP is Linas “Lencas” Starkus – a Baltic Balkan member, who had a chance to remember his careless youth as the singer of one of the leading Lithuanian ska bands “Tai – Ką”. Contributing to the visual and sound design are also the other two Baltic Balkan DJs Linas “Namas” Masys and Marius “Marulis” Kneipferavičius.

The EP includes 5 different remixes, provided by DJ, bass musician and world music producer, otherwise specializing in new cumbia Canalh from Toulouse; a duo made of the Florence resident Ckrono and one of the fastest rising Lithuanian DJs Boyfriend; a true native of the Yugoslavia and Koromandija World Music Store chef DJ Tito from Ljubljana; as well as dubstep, kuduro, folkstep master DJ SuperStereo from Budapest based New Radical Arts label.

Having already visited important celebrations such as Krakow Jewish festival, Nuit Blanche Festival in Amiens and Volt in Hungary, Baltic Balkan shall play even more festivals in the Baltics, Finland and mysterious Belarus to promote their new record “Katapulta”.

“Katapulta” was recorded in spring / summer of 2012 at studio in Vilnius “Snapsounds.lt”.