ALPKAN

Musical heart-openers between the Alps and the Balkans

ALPKAN are more than just a band – they are musical border-crossers and heart-openers who captivate audiences from the Alps to the Balkans with their unique sounds. With a combination of humor, irony, tragic realities, and virtuoso music, they create a compelling and entertaining musical experience.

Musical style and influences

The music of ALPKAN is characterized by an unusual mix of alpine folk music, Balkan sounds, and powerful brass, combined with satirical and sometimes silly lyrics. Their pieces are a loving but mean reinterpretation of well-known genres – they make the slow faster, the predictable unpredictable, and the sweet cheeky.

As they say themselves: "Our ambition is to trigger mutations in the alpine sound that further develop the spectrum. We play it, but not in the way you know it."

Press reviews

Peter Grubmüller from the OÖN praises the band for their "entertaining artistic velocity" and the unique mix of dirty and virtuoso sound that brilliantly connects the Balkans and the Alps.

(Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, July 2024)

The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger describes an ALPKAN performance as "musically really getting down to business," with flamenco sounds followed by powerful brass elements that cast a spell over the audience.

(Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, January 26, 2024)

In an interview with the OÖNachrichten, the band explains their approach: "We make the sweet meaner and the slow faster." This drive for innovation is the trademark of ALPKAN.

(OÖNachrichten, May 5, 2023)

The music magazine Concerto celebrates the band as the "discovery of the spring" and praises their humor, their hearty brass sound, and their silly lyrics that offer an exciting reinterpretation of folk music.

(Music magazine Concerto, June 2021)

Albums and releases

With their debut album "Hoas is!", ALPKAN have proven that they shine both on stage and in the studio. The 15 tracks of the album are characterized by a mix of satirical lyrics and virtuoso musicianship and provide excitement from the very first beat.

Music critic Alexander Kochmann describes the album as "an original and independent mix" that impresses with its wit and high entertainment value.

(MICA-Music magazine, May 26, 2021)

Live performances and success

Whether at festivals or in small clubs – ALPKAN provide a rousing live show that makes the audience dance, smile, and marvel. With their mix of alpine and Balkan influences, they have quickly made a name for themselves in the music scene.

The OÖNachrichten reviewer gives the album "Hoas is!" a proud 5 out of 6 stars and praises it as a debut stroke of luck, characterized by "a perfect mix of dirty and virtuoso."

(OÖNachrichten, May 12, 2021)