Foltin () is a Macedonian band active since 1995. Their name comes from Karel Čapek's last novel Life and Work of the Composer Foltýn.
Their music is a blend of many genres including indie, alternative, world music, funk, electroacoustic, and jazz Foltin's live performances are theatrical and in a "pseudo-immigrant" cabaret style. Journalist Nenad Georgievski describes their music as gravity defying and "dynamic, full of surprises, and humorous—and they blend all sorts of influences together: jazz, improv music, funk, bossa nova, chalgia, klezmer, ambient, and film music." Although rooted in jazz, he states, their music "is not strictly jazz per se, as Foltin frequently blur genre lines, experimenting with a variety of styles and sounds." Singer Branislav Nikolov in a 2009 claimed that his mayor musical influences were Björk, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits.
They have also worked on theatre and film music productions since 1998/1999, including the score for the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film and Sundance 2019 awards winner Honeyland. The lyrics of the band's first three albums are a mixture of phonetic imitations of languages including Macedonian, Spanish, French, Romanian, and Portuguese. Over the years, it became a blend of Macedonian and English.
The band has appeared at music and theatre festivals in Macedonia, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Belgium, England, Germany, Russia, Lebanon, Turkey, the Netherlands, and France.
Band members Pece Nikolovski - clarinet, harmonica, percussion, effects Branislav Nikolov - voice, guitar Pece Trajkovski - Brada - guitar, accordion, keys and percussion Goce Jovanoski - bass Slavco Jovev - drums Marjan Stanic - percussion
Discography Outre-Mer (1997) Archimed (2000) Donkey Hot (2003) Lo-Lee-Taa-Too (2005) Ova Transplantirana masina za čukanje dosega ne tipkala ljubovno pismo (2008) Penelope X (2011) - joint project with Goce Stevkovski, Emin Dzijan & Nikola Kodjabashia Antitelo (2012) Pijan slavej (2015) МОМÓМА (2019) Theatre Miniatures (2020) Simultan Baknezh (2021)
Theater music 2018 – Arabian Night, directed by Zoja Buzalkovska, National Theater 'Voydan Chernodrinski', Prilep, Macedonia 2017 – Les Misérables, directed by Martin Kocovski, National Theater 'Voydan Chernodrinski', Prilep, Macedonia 2015 – Lepa Vida, directed by Miha Nemec, SNG Nova Gorica, SSG Trieste, PG Kranj, Slovenija 2015 – The Good Person of Szechwan, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, MGL, Ljubljana, Slovenija 2014 – Živio Harms, Čuda Postoje, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, Kerempuh, Zagreb, Croatia 2013 – Schweik in the Second World War, directed byMartin Kocovski, National Theater 'Voydan Chernodrinski', Prilep, Macedonia 2013 – Misterij Buffo, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, SNG Drama, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2012 – Ulysses, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, Ulysses Theatre, Brioni, Croatia 2012 – Spring Awakening, directed by Martin Kocovski, Народно Позориште, Uzice, Serbia 2011 – Leksikon of Yu Mitology, directed by Oliver Frljic, NETA 2011 – Baal, directed by Martin Kocovski, Dramski Theater, Skopje, Macedonia 2010 – Cirkus Destetika, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, HNK Rijeka, Croatia 2010 – Causasian Chalk Circle, directed by Martin Kocovski, National Theater Voydan Chernodrinski, Prilep, Macedonia 2010 – Peer Gynt, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, Gavella, Zagreb, Croatia 2009 – Boat for Dolls, directed by Aleksandar Popovski, SNG Drama, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2009 – Swan Song, directed by Branko Stavrev, Dramski Theater, Skopje, Macedonia 2009 – The Other Side, directed by Martin Kocovski, Neta 2008 – Drums in the Night, directed by Martin Kocovski, National Theater Voydan Chernodrinski, Prilep, Macedonia 2002 – Family Stories, directed by Aleksandra Kovacevic, National Theater of Bitola, Macedonia 2002 – Don Quixote in a Dutch Discoteque, directed by Sasho Milenkovski, National Theater of Kumanovo, Macedonia 2001 – Bakhi, directed by Sasho Milenkovski, National Theater of Bitola, Macedonia 2001 – Comme Moi Le Piaf, directed by Natasha Poplavska, National Theater of Bitola, Macedonia 2001 – Macedoine, Odyssey 2001, directed by Ivan Popovski, Ohrid Summer, Ohrid, Macedonia 1999 – Macedonian Blood Wedding, directed by Ljupcho Georgievski, National Theater of Bitola, Macedonia
Film soundtracks 1998 – By Foltin, directed by Ljubcho Bilbilovski 2001 – Se Javi!,Se Javi! directed by Jane Altiparmakov 2002 - Okno (short), directed by Petra Seliskar 2005 – Turkish Tea (documentary), directed by Petra Seliskar 2008 – Dance With Me, directed by Sasha A. Damjanovski 2008 – Cash and Marry, directed by Atanas Georgiev 2010 – This is Not an American Movie, directed by Sasho Pavlovski 2012 – The Balkan is Not Dead (actors), directed by Aleksandar Popovski 2016 - Lake of Apples,Lake of Apples directed by Lubomir Stefanovski 2017 - Secret Ingredient, directed by Gjorce Stavreski 2017 - Avec L'amoure, directed by Ilija Cvetkovski 2019 - Honeyland, directed by Ljubomir Stefanovski and Tamara Kotevska
References
External links Foltin's Facebook page Foltin's Instagram page Foltin at YouTube Foltin at Bandcamp Foltin at Discogs