The first release of the year for this young but oh so prolific Dutch band, this short opus succeeds in building hybrid music as innovative as it is inviting.
Led by Nicola Mauskovic, former drummer of Altin Gün, this latest project requires an unfurling of the world map. While his previous group successfully reintroduced psychedelic Turkish music from the 1970s, The Mauskovic Dance Band draws on the findings of a much wider range of international research. Without ever sinking into pastiche, the four tracks of this recent EP reveal obvious inspirations of Nigerian disco pop, Ghanaian highlife, Afro-Colombian cumbia, Jamaican dub and even no wave through the saturated echo of the guitars.
Multicoloured pulses between the past and the present, combining hand percussion with ’80s drum machine, the vintage sonorities become more precise here in a disconcertingly efficient reformulation. A cleverly orchestrated buffet where the enthusiasm of the five musicians is contagious. Each track of Shadance Hall leads to a new destination with an irresistible groove. In short, a must listen for fans of Tom Tom Club, Cymande and William Onyeabor.
