Gastarbeiter

Gordan fuse the artistic vocal tradition of the Balkans with abstraction, energy and minimalism. With their third album, the band draws on the nascent tradition of Balkan Gastarbeiter songs, placing them in new musical correlations.

Using the tools of noise and pure sound, Gordan portray personal fates from the perspective of “guest workers.” The stories these songs tell call for openness and empathy. They are invitations to shift perspective.

This album radically recontextualizes traditional Gastarbeiter songs alongside Gordan’s own reflections on labour migration. These songs are bound to Western Europe’s economic success, but also to resentment and xenophobia, reflecting contemporary attitudes to migration and dehumanising isolationist policy.