BALKAN BEAT BOX

For the uninitiated, Balkan Beat Box first burst out of New York City’s underground music scene in 2005, with a self-titled debut that introduced the world to their Mediterranean-inflected, globalized electronica sound. Founded by Israeli-born ex-pats Ori Kaplan (ex-Gogol Bordello), Tamir Muskat (ex-Firewater), the band built their reputation on explosive live shows. BBB soon added frequent collaborator Tomer Yosef as frontman – his wild onstage energy galvanizing live audiences ever since. The three emerged as a cohesive songwriting trio on 2007’s Nu Med – Tamir crafting hard-edged beats, Ori orchestrating melodies and Tomer writing the hard-hitting lyrics – and took their sound to Belgrade and other points East on 2010’s Blue Eyed Black Boy. Inspired by last year’s people’s protest movements across the globe – from the Arab Spring, to Occupy Wall St., to Israel’s own massive social protests Balkan Beat Box's new album Give captures the cautious hope and re-energized spirit of our time.