Live at TUSK 2019

Recorded at the eclectic TUSK Festival in Gateshead, this live set captures the last night of the first ever UK tour by a group performing southern Albanian iso-polyphony, a form of traditional folk singing that originated 3,000 years ago. These ancient shepherds’ songs centre on the brisk, husky bark of group leader, the charismatic Golik Jaupi – a national hero who was officially titled ‘Artist of the People’ during Albania's 50-year dictatorship.

While Jaupi delivers elemental tales of love and sorrow, his six group-mates unfurl an astonishingly rich, thick and powerful supporting drone (known as the iso), seeded with extraordinary vocal effects that mimic the natural sounds of the Albanian mountains – the chirrup of crickets, the distant hooting of an owl and so on. At other times, another singer will step forward and take the lead role, while Jaupi melts into the group drone. In truth, the voices meld so beautifully that it's hard to keep track of who's doing what: it's best simply to let the sound wash over you. Be prepared to keep hitting fast forward, though, to skip through the spoken commentary between each song. The music speaks for itself, loud and clear.