heimlach

17 Hippies is a prolific outfit ... their polyglot style has evolved to take in dozens of genres, and here they've chosen to mix an Eastern European odd-metered rhythm, played on bass and accordion, with a plaintive, gentle reading of the `Apache' melody on the clarinet. It's very simple, and effectively makes an old classic new again." -- Pitchfork
"17 Hippies sounds like someone used a warped blender to mix an accordion, ukulele, banjo, saw, clarinet, violin, trumpet, trombone, flute, a Jew's harp, an Indian tampura, an Irish bouzouki, an assortment of other string and wind instruments, a Zydeco band, Luminescent Orchestrii, and a circus sideshow from somewhere in Eastern Europe. In other words, their sound is quite bizarre and absolutely fantastic." -- Murúch

"17 Hippies are one of the most exiting bands that exist in Germany today. And if you miss them, it's your own fault." -- Rolling Stone [Germany]

"17 Hippies are ridiculously underrated. They should be in the front rank of European world music artists." -- Charlie Gillet, BBC London

"The musical idioms are ... disparate, yet the mix is never incoherent. 17 Hippies have learned how to fuse sundry musics into one." -- Washington Post

"The renegade sound of 17 Hippies--captured on the new disc Heimlich-- is an engaging blend of pop sounds and traditional eastern European folk melodies." -- Chicago Sun-Times

For the past 12 years, Berlin's very own "special orchestra" 17 Hippies has been playing a whirling, crashing, diving, bobbing, weaving mixture of music from around the world. Imagine a mix of Eastern melodies, Balkan rhythms, French chanson, Anglo songwriting, and Cajun tunes, all perfectly blended together to create a unique pop style.

Starting in Spring 1995 as a trio playing mainly instrumental music, the band mutated into an ensemble--now numbering 13 musicians--that displays a vast range of musical creativity, ranging from their French radio hit "Marlène"" to the soundtrack for Andreas Dresen's award-winning film Halbe Treppe(Silver Bear, Berlin Film Festival).

With their new CD Heimlich, 17 Hippies have set a milestone. On this intoxicating album, most of the tunes are vocal--sung in German, French, and English. From a wild dance inspired by a Romanian melody to a Zydecogoes- Bollywood tune, 17 Hippies have created another masterpiece.