Choban Elektrik

by Choban Elektrik



"The band's divergent tactics waver between progressive rock, psycho-rock, jazzy inflections and other genre-crossing factors that fluctuate on a per-track basis. A compelling artistic statement, modeled with a clear-sighted vision that sustains interest via a highly entertaining form factor." -
All About Jazz

"If Weather Report had blown in from the Eastern bloc, they might have sounded something like Choban Elektrik." -
Shepherd Express

"This is one of the most exciting records I've heard this year...a stunning debut album that captivates the heart and soul with its inspired improvisations" -
Splinters & Candy

"Choban Elektrik's album is creepy and intense and like nothing that's been made since probably the late 70s, maybe earlier. Music doesn't get much more original than this. While the tempos here are sometimes cruelly tricky, Kester keeps it steady. Eva Salina Primack lends lush, otherworldly vocals to the echoey, dub-flavored second track " -
New York Music Daily,

"wild, world beat for those who have wide open ears and love B3 no matter where in the world it turns up under whatever guise. Left leaning world beaters will have a gas with this set of party music that sounds like what they would play after hours at the Star Wars Cantina. Check it out. " -
Midwest Record

"folksy, psychedelic, and funky dance grooves that eloquently bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary...Choban Elektrik's uncanny ability to use different rhythms, styles, and instruments in their creative purposes for a meaningful and memorable result." -
Inside World Music

"Every song here is taken from old origins but given a brand new set of feet to dance on, resulting in a hybrid that's extraordinarily captivating, lively, and cutting edge...the acumen of the ensemble is more than a little jaw-dropping..each composition dripping with the kind of chops most can only dream of. -
FAME Magazine

"By making Balkan music feel right at home in the house of progressive rock, Choban Elektrik reminds us that prog rock is more about how it's played than what is played. Having both the attitude and the know-how to create this unlikely hybrid makes Jordan Shapiro's idea not only believable, but also quite embraceable, too." -
Something Else Reviews

"one of those recordings that automatically hooks you if a Canterbury band like Hatfield and the North had spent some time in Albanian and Greek villages digesting their folk music." -
Progressive Rock Central

"...mesmerizing and exciting, hypnotic and occasionally hilarious. It is one of the most entertaining discs I've heard so far of 2012, and stands a good chance at a spot on my year-end best-of list. It's wildly inventive yet true to its roots. Highly recommended." -
Sleeping Hedgehog


released May 18, 2012


Jordan Shapiro
Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes,
electric guitar, accordion, piano

Dave Johnsen
Electric Bass

Phil Kester
Drums, kanjira, marimba, riq,
pandeiro, tuned bronze alloys

Eva Salina Primack

Jesse Kotansky


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Choban Elektrik New York

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