Shooglenifty Review

Shooglenifty

‘Hullo’ says the Hagrid like lead violinist from Shooglenifty, the six man fusion of music which could only be vaguely described as traditionally Scottish. Indeed the sounds experienced are far more international than Scottish. I can only imagine how the group ever actually managed to produce the sounds they do.

It probably involved the violinist and bearded banjo player hoping onto a boat and heading east like a pair of Celtic holy men. Here they picked up Mediterranean sounds from the Aegean, as well as some eastern tones from the Levant. Then, getting lost, they travelled via India, the Caribbean and ended up in the gritty streets of L.A. At some point the mandolin player, who is straight out of Miami Vice, is rescued from a life of tracking down drug dealers in fast cars. He continues, however, to look moody.  

The resulting sounds Shooglenifty can produce are extraordinary and have been described as ‘hypnofolkadelia’. While there are no vocals, the music is a multilayered, syncopated and often psychedelic tapestry. You are as likely to recognise the gritty base line of Led Zeppelin as you are Scottish ceilidh music.

Shooglenifty provide an eclectic Odyssey of sounds whose inspiration reaches far beyond Scottish borders.

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