We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.
supported by
janoshsamson
janoshsamson thumbnail
Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart thumbnail
Michael Daniel
Michael Daniel thumbnail
Miguel Dans
Miguel Dans thumbnail
/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      €7 EUR  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    57
    releases

    Get all 57 Monkey Records releases available on Bandcamp and save 80%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of To the Forest, Back on Track, The Universe is a Strange Place, Where I Belong, Unfolding, In the Beginning, You'll Never Know, In Love With These Hills, and 49 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      €50.60 EUR or more (80% OFF)

     

  • Limited Edition CD
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Includes unlimited streaming of Polkapocalypse via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out
1.
Polkapocalypse 04:49
buy track
2.
The Crack of Doom 03:48
buy track
3.
Black Eyes 05:08
buy track
4.
Attack of the Desert Sharks 04:17
buy track
5.
Cigarette Juice 02:55
buy track
6.
Tanzt Tanzt 03:28
buy track
7.
Too Drunk to Fuck (explicit) 03:31
buy track
8.
Nabakov's Wandering Eye 05:28
buy track
9.
Dance of Death 05:28
buy track
10.
Chusidl 10:40
buy track

about

The Polkapocalypse is nigh!

In April 2008, The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band officially released their first ep, Danse Macabre. Since then they have been busy whipping audiences around NZ into frenzies with their crazed gypsy/East European sounds performing at Prana, Jambalaya, Parihaka, AK09, Cross St Carnival, Fleetwaters and Splore as well as undertaking three highly successful national tours which saw them playing to packed houses all over the country. During this time, the Benkas have also supported many popular NZ acts including The Hot Grits, The Mamaku Project, An Emerald City and The Jews Brothers and in March 2008 they had the honour of supporting international act Beirut in Auckland. Danse Macabre was in the Independent NZ top 40 for several months upon release and the riotous energetic video for the single, The Dance of Death, has been in the top five most watched videos on New Zealand music site Amplifier for the better part of a year.

On May 11th, 2009 they released their highly anticipated album ‘Polkapocalypse’ followed by just one final Polkapocalyptic show in Auckland before the band relocated to Berlin for six months to tour Europe.

The new album fully captures the unique and thrilling experience that is a Benka performance and contains 3 originals, 5 traditional songs and two covers: ‘The Crack of Doom’ by the Tiger Lillles and ‘Too Drunk To F**k’ by The Dead Kennedys. Seven of the songs were recorded at Balckbridge Studios by Jamie Newman during a hot, steamy weekend in March and three are sizzling live recordings made by Andre Upston for Radio New Zealand at the Monkey Magic compilation launch at Galatos in May 2008.


REVIEWS

Imagine Spike Milligan jamming with gypsies over a crate of vodka. That's a vague approximation that really does the manic appeal of Polkapocalypse a disservice.

The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band (from Auckland) marry whimsical traditional eastern European arrangements with the type of macabre, obscure and amusing lyricism that will either impress or repulse.

Scare your neighbours, frighten the kids, and petrify the pets with a high-volume dose of Polkapocalypse. Bizarre Balkan beats, ruthless Russky rhythms and a Dead Kennedys cover.

Mark Orton, Otago Daily Times


This Auckland gypsy polka party band, led by the bearded, mostly shirtless, and always enigmatic singer and clarinet player Benka Boradovsky (real name Ben Cragg), have injected the Romani spirit and a fair amount of vodka into the local music scene in the past few years.

It's not surprising, then, that the band's debut album is often rambling and shambolic, with moments of poetic poise like on the meandering and manic Crack of Doom and the instrumental jig of Cigarette Juice.

As a singer Benka is part storyteller and part village drunkard. His spoken rantings on The Attack of the Desert Sharks ("They are not just sharks, they are shark men and shark women"), are made more nerve-racking by the chaotic mess of instruments behind.

With a sound based around accordion, clarinet, electric guitar, and lashings of laughs (they do a beautifully inebriated cover of the Dead Kennedy's Too Drunk To F***), Polkapocalypse is theatrical, rebellious and fun party music. It's a hoot, although it might verge on novelty value for some.

The band play a farewell show of sorts on Saturday at Auckland's Kings Arms before heading off to Berlin for six months. The live tracks included here give some indication about how crazed the gig is likely to be. As Benka says before Chusidl, "If you do not dance to it, you will die."

Scott Kara, NZ Herald


The Benka Borodovsky Bordello Band take accordion, clarinet, flute, violin and electric guitar and create a whirling dervish, a wild good-time combination of klezmer, gypsy music and punk-rock energy. They're sound like they aspire to be an Eastern European version of The Pogues. Their 2008 E.P. included many traditional tunes but it's stand-out track was a very good original, 'The Dance of Death' so it's nice to hear more originals on debut album Polkapocalypse alongside five traditional tunes and two covers, including one of The Dead Kennedy's.

Counting the Beat

credits

released May 11, 2009

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Monkey Records image

Monkey Records Berlin, Germany

Monkey Records is an eclectic boutique independent record label founded in New Zealand in the year 2000 with offices in Wellington and Berlin.

contact / help

Contact Monkey Records

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Monkey Records recommends:

If you like Polkapocalypse, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Beans joins the show to discuss his album release, "ZWAARD".

listen now