Mèraque

Mèraque was born from passion and curiosity. A passion for the Balkans, and a curiosity for what might happen when you mix these sounds with influences from Latin America and the Middle-East. Allow your body to fly on their energetic percussion, lively electronics, Turkish guitar and the melancholic accents of clarinet. These elements merge into enchanting live sets full of improvisation, where the souls of the inevitably dancing audience and musicians connect. The collective was founded by Jorick Bronius and Martin Grozdanoski, who had previously played together in several musical settings. They were both raised with a love for Oriental and Balkan folk music. The adventure of Mèraque provides a fresh canvas to express this passion and explore its synergy with electronica. Jorick, an experienced sound artist and percussionist, creates sophisticated rhythms and psychedelic sounds. As a clarinet and saxophone player who loves improvisation, Martin forms the melodic structures of the compositions. Onur Kaletas on guitar brings in virtuosic solo’s and brightens-up pads and harmonics as well. In the past Mèraque performed at mystical places as Wildeburg (NL), Amsterdam Open Air festival (NL), Chateau Perchê (France), and Ruigoord (NL). Mèraque released their music previously on Ohxala Records, Oriental Deep and Krooks Records. The collective of Mèraque is based in Amsterdam, but their musical roots lie across the world.