Funk Shui

About

" A rollercoaster of music styles with a sturdy safety belt "

A common thread that goes through the music of North Macedonian band FUNK SHUI is a link between funk and ethno-techno that flirts with dubstep vibes. Their sound blends melancholy ballads with cheerful, danceable tracks on their 2023 album ‘Nikogash Pak‘ (which translates as ‘Never Again’). The song entitled ‘Fu_k Shui’ brings a more aggressive alternative rock energy to the table. The band do describe themselves as being more about “the feeling” than sticking to any particular genre, and there is indeed a particular feeling of going with a technically perfected flow.

The lightness and joy of ‘Krik‘ almost has that playfulness of ‘Salmon Dance‘ by Chemical Brothers. However, the lyrics are way more existential than that of the English duo: “When the world becomes a place too heavy for the mind / I fly away, light as helium […] Dark glasses precise views / Eye to eye with / Your fears”, they sing. Despite being inspired by mostly western music tendencies, FUNK SHUI keep their authenticity by writing lyrics in their mother tongue, adding to the charisma.

The band formed in 2010 and released their debut album ‘Aether’ in 2012 followed by the album ‘R.E.M.’ in 2015, and between that and the comeback in 2023 there was only the EP ‘Impuls‘ in 2018. Meanwhile FUNK SHUI took part in showcase programs like MENT Ljubljana, Athens Music Week, and PIN Music conference, and became HEMI Music Award 2021 finalists. There’s quite a substantial group of people combining to produce all that funk: Luka Gjorgievski (vocals, piano, guitar), Dragi Ivanov (guitar, vocals), Stefan Momik (percussion), Mikhail Namichev (bass, piano, vocals) and Martina Barakoska (drums, percussion).

In an interview with ‘Слободен печат’ following their show in London in April 2022, Luka and Mikhail acknowledge the fact that it’s only logical that a decade of hard work pays back with international recognition. They sound like they appreciate it, rather than take it for granted, but with such a happy blend of influences and consistently strong output, it only seems fair.