Gogol Bordello - Pura Vida Conspiracy

Gogol Bordello return this summer with their sixth studio album Pura Vida Conspiracy due for release on ATO/Casa Gogol Records on 22nd July. "I've come full circle and I'm comfortable being a total outsider," says Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz, explaining the philosophy behind the band's new album, Pura Vida Conspiracy. Like everything they've ever done, Pura Vida Conspiracy is an uncategorizable blend of musical influences, anchored by the rhythms lead singer Eugene Hutz grew up with in Ukraine. "Most people are looking for a box to put stuff in," he says. "I try to avoid it. The message of this record is the quest for self-knowledge beyond borders and nationalities. Every culture is a useful mask, but it is just a mask. To get to know your actual human self, you have to get behind all the masks. With all the time I've been spending in Latin America over the last five years, I realized I'll never be Argentinean or Brazilian, just like I'll never be Ukrainian. If you have true human spirit, you can't fit into any genre, nationality or culture. To be a true citizen of the world, you can only be an ultimate outsider." The album's title is derived from a Spanish slang phrase for "pure life," which is a theme that resonates throughout the new material. Gogol Bordello shows its omnivorous mastery of music on tracks such as "I Just Realized," a contemplative love song that suggests a Russian samba; "John The Conqueror" a blend of spaghetti western twang and punk; and "Malandrino," a Neapolitan style tune that dips into Tex Mex, mariachi and reggae. The band's long time goal of creating a global style of music is fully realized with the heartfelt tunes on Pura Vida Conspiracy Record Label: Pias Coop/Ato Style: Rock