PASO & Victor Rice – Balaton Dub

Hungarian ska band PASO dropped a new single with Grammy Winner producer

Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra (PASO) is the traditional Ska ambassador to Hungary and one of the most energetic young bands with distinct Eastern European roots. In 20 years, they have played in almost 30 countries on venues such as the main stage of the Sziget Festival, Lowlands Festival, Iboga Festival, Pole Pole Beach, EXIT Festival, London International Ska Festival, Mighty Sounds Festival, Hodokvas, and Electric Castle.

The band has 6 full length albums (one of them being a double album), several singles, EPs, a live album, a remix album, a best of album, a concert DVD. Having many more members than an average pop band, PASO had several band member changes. However, the players in the actual line-up have been playing together since 2018, and the line-up contains 4 members who have been there from the beginning.

The latest album (released in May 2023) is Heritage, produced by the two-time Latin Grammy Awards winner Victor Rice. Victor Rice fell in love with the work of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók when he studied at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Since then, he has felt the urge to make some recordings that combine Hungarian folk music with Caribbean ska, reggae, and dub. The work for the long-awaited project took place in ’22 in Budapest.

Balaton DUB and Hillyer DUB are two follow-up singles to the Heritage (On Bartók’s Path) album, released in 2023 by Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra and Victor Rice. His admiration of Béla Bartók’s work motivated him to join forces with the Hungarian ska and reggae band Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra (PASO) to make a groundbreaking crossover record on which they fusion Hungarian folk and Caribbean music. On the unique concept album, the arrangements include traditional Hungarian instruments like violin, hurdy-gurdy or cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) and a female folk singer, Fanni Nádasdy, was also invited as a guest vocalist to join the usual members of the band.

Rice now revisits two of the tracks by making dub versions of ‘Balaton’ and ‘Hillye Skank’. Check out the videos to see the magic happening in real-time, as you can see Rice mixing the two tracks live.