インスピレーション

Andrej Toplišek is a Slovenian musician at the forefront of experimental Slovenian and Alpine folk music in the ‘Oberkrainer’ style which was created over half a century ago by the Avsenik brothers from Slovenia. I’ve previously written about his projects Postkarte aus Slowenien and Tradicija in Umetnost as well as his accordion method book. I’d like to tell you about his new album “The Storyteller” because it pushes even more boundaries than his previous projects, and is again an album created with a specific intention and purpose. And like his other projects, this one can be listened to again and again, without it getting old. The Storyteller “The Storyteller” (“Pripovedovalec […]

I’m very grateful to have been offered the opportunity to contribute to Denis Novato’s second book, published by Musikverlag Bogner in Germany. This book contains 10 Novato compositions, in both Griffschrift notation for Steirische Harmonika (diatonic button accordion) by Hubert Klausner (zillertal-noten.at) and standard notation for accordion by myself. It is accompanied by a CD of these 10 polkas and waltzes. The book is available for purchase on bognermusik.de or directly through Denis.

There are some great books I’ve been reading (albeit slowly, in Slovene) that I’d like to share with you, about Slovenian popular folk music, and more specifically Slavko and Vilko Avsenik who started and shaped the entire genre of ‘narodnozabavna glasba’ (Slovene for popular folk music) or ‘Oberkrainer’ (German name of the genre derived from the German name for the Gorenjska region in Slovenia). This extends to other influential figures who further shaped and pioneered the music such as Lojze Slak, and I’ve included 3 accordion and guitar technique books at the end of the list as well. I’ve also outlined where these books can be bought, and whether they

The first new Oberkrainer/Narodnozabavna album on vinyl (since the end of vinyl pressings in Slovenia and Austria) has been released by Andrej Toplišek Septett, called Postkarte aus Slowenien (Postcard from Slovenia). It features top Oberkrainer style musicians and vocalists from Slovenia and Austria; Andrej Toplišek (formerly Okrogli Muzikanti, accordion), Sandi Jug (Quintett Juchee, lead vocalist), Mojca Bitenc Križaj (formerly Mitja Kvintet, vocals), Mike Orešar (Igor in Zlati Zvoki, guitar), Nejc Merc (Oberkrainer Power, baritone), Tomaž Zevnik (formerly Ansambel Saša Avsenika, clarinet). It was entirely produced in Toplišek’s studio. The compositions are Toplišek’s originals and are inventive, and the musicianship is full of heart and quality. The sound is very natural and