Mesmerising. Hypnotic. Enchanting. The dramatic way this song builds, layer upon musical layer, is really something to behold. The Hu are Mongolia’s biggest rock band and they’ve had a busy year, promoting the acclaimed album ‘The Gereg’, completing a pre-lockdown world tour (after being stuck in Australia for months when the pandemic started) and performing a homecoming gig in Ulaanbaatar to raise money for Mongolian Covid-19 relief.
The Hu’s sound is absorbing and distinctive, combining the features of western rock with traditional instruments, such as the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), and Tumur Khuur (jaw harp). They are certainly developing a global audience and their videos have been viewed almost 100 million times online.
A deluxe version of ‘The Gereg’ has just dropped, accompanied by a special film ‘The Hu: Road to the Gereg’, which follows the creation of the album. The album features three acoustic tracks, including ‘Shireg Shireg’. The video, here, gives an insight into the Hu’s recording process and traditional instruments. Something a little different for Americana UK. Brilliant stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O7mJwuSyVA&feature=youtu.be
Well, some might say this ain’t Americana, but I don’t care what you call it, it is indeed brilliant stuff, and thank you for bringing it to our attention. I’ve been a fan since their two singles of last year, and readers might also be interested to hear their “Sugaan Essena”, especially written for the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game. And if you want a touch of throat-singing-meets-Americana, check out Kongar-ol Ondar’s collaborations with Béla Fleck on his Xmas disc “Jingle All The Way”.