Hungarian Speedfolk at its best!

Traditional elements rediscovered and revitalised with the power of rock and the freedom of punk.

The new CD from the Transsylvanians is called "Fél es Ègesz",which means: "half and whole". A musical term. But in this case taking on more meanings.

Half Folk, half Rock'n'Roll, half traditionally inclined, half in the musical here & now, half reflective and thoughtful; all that the Transsylvanians have long stood for. But lately their unmistakable sound has developed further and out of that has come two halves that make a whole: a double album.

Two years of work have gone into this, their sixth album, of which the two halves are differentiated by their pulse frequencies. CD1 is for stagedivers. CD2 is for slowfolkers. Alongside their original compositions and the typical Transsylvanians interpretations of the traditional kind, there are arrangements of classical music (Bartók, Rimski-Korsakow), an excerpt from a Hungarian rock-opera, the Jimi Hendrix rock-classic, Fire, and the infamously legendary film-song, Gloomy Sunday. Also the two greatest Hungarian poets of the 19th century, Arany János und Petöfi Sándor (only the good die young!), are invited to the party.Their poetry speaks directly to the Transsylvanians' collective soul of the fundamental things of life: love, freedom, death, nature and God. This you can hear in the angelic voice of Isabel Nagy as well as the infectious melodies and rhythms and the impassioned solos.

The trademark of the Transsylvanians is: traditional elements rediscovered and revitalised with the power of rock and the freedom of punk! - To be found on Fél es Ègesz. An album with a wonderful lightness but not a lightweight.