'Circus C-Mon & Kypski'
Take two loathed musical forms -- klezmer and techno -- and you get ... this.
By Morgan Wells
Photograph by Daniel J. Ashes
What's the hot shit in Europe right now? No, it's not a Drakkar-soaked dirtball dancing to a techno song sung by a cartoon frog -- it's klezmer music! That's right. This traditional Ashkenazi musical form is spreading through hip European dance parties, creating a new sound that's like Paul Oakenfold remixing selections from Fiddler on the Roof.
The pairing of two high-energy (and extremely divisive) music forms might not be your cup of tea, but the movement already has a theme song, thanks to the Amsterdam collective C-Mon & Kypski. Sure, the name sounds like a Southern rap duo, but this Dutch foursome has already crafted a monster cult hit, mashing the sounds of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band into a tune from their third studio album, Where the Wild Things Are.
"The strange thing is that the Amsterdam Klezmer Band is not really klezmer music," says Simon Akkermans, C-Mon & Kypski's sample master and live production specialist. "Traditional klezmer is more dark and moody. This song is actually a mixture of all kinds of Balkan and Gypsy music. It comes from a tradition of songs people write when they're in prison, songs about robbing banks, having sex with prostitutes. It's really not as sweet as it sounds, and we were really charmed by it."
Think you've heard it all? You haven't heard "Circus C-Mon & Kypski" yet. This frenetic trip will either have you scooting around in your office chair while juggling paperclips -- or you'll be bleeding from your ears. Available now for a limited time.
This song is no longer available, but please visit C-Mon & Kypski's Website.
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