Back in December 2012 we brought you the “Sounds of the unheard” from our Romanian ambassadors Future Nuggets. The compilation gained plaudits from across the globe and was even named by Andrew Weatherall as one of his compilations of the year. Steaua de Mare featured heavily and the band was instantly noted for their Smokey psychedelic sound. Their unique sound comes from many directions. They bring elements of Prog, dub, psychedelic rock and contemporary gypsy music (Manele) mainly from Romania and Bulgaria into the mix. If you then add that they are irreversibly contaminated in analogue and early digital sounds then maybe you have a passing image of this hybrid sound. Manele ("manea” originally meaning “Turkish song” in Romanian) is a musical genre (already known worldwide) that has engulfed the whole Balkans in the past twenty years and is just about to produce even more new hybrids. It has already spawned mature voices and local hero’s such as (Dan Armeanca, Adrian Minune, Florin Salam, Vali Vijelie and Dan Draghici).Manele goes under different names in countries around Romania and with delightful differences for each Balkan region, it is associated with contemporary gipsy wedding music but this is a style that has already breached the borders. Steaua de Mare add a unique twist on local standards with the help of Roland Juno 60, Yamaha CS-5, Elektronika EM-25, Junost-21, Poly 61 and their beloved Wurlitzer electric Piano. A wide range of influences from Can to Ork Universal, from psychedelic attitudes, kraut adventures to outer national delights like Bulgarian Chalga. We truly believe that there is no other sound like Steaua de Mare right now.