Egschiglen, Gereg

Egschiglen are a six-piece band from Mongolia whose haunting ballads have an epic quality and sweeping sense of history that matches the vast, empty plains and deserts that make up much of their homeland. They play dulcimers, fiddles and percussion and are remarkable for their stirring, atmospheric instrumental work and their rousing vocals, with deep, growled male "throat singing" matched against equally grand female harmonies. Their songs cover anything from praise to ancient empires that existed nearly 2,000 years ago, through to a galloping song of horse-racing from the time of Genghis Khan, a lament for those sent off on military service back in the 17th century, or a more European-influenced piece from the 20th-century socialist era. They are treated to contemporary arrangements that make the ancient music both engaging and accessible.