The natural cultural crossroads of the Caucasus region collides all sorts of culture into a hotbed for unique dialects, ancient folk forms, and a rich sense of tradition. Projects such as Mountains of Tongues and Ored Recordings have started working hard to document the many folk musics of the region, bringing together melodies and languages from disparate origins in Turkey, Iran, Russia, Europe, and so on.

I also did an interview with Georgian Azeri-Turk bard, Asiq Nargile over at The Quietus

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1. Amirani Nekerauli – Tush Melodies on Balalaika, Recorded in Zemo Alvani, Georgia, March 2013 (Winebox Press)
2. Timur Zagazezh & Tembolat Tkhashloko – Kafa (Death Is Not The End)
3. Asiq Nargile – Yaniq Keremi (Otoroku)
4. Pankisi Ensemble – Song in Chechen (Midheaven)
5. Marie Bagdasarian – Qanun Melody (Midheaven)
6. Racha Ensemble – Recorded in Oni, Georgia 2013 (Winebox Press)
7. Molokan Cousins – Recorded in Ivanovka, Azerbaijan (Winebox Press)
8. Asiq Nargile – Orta Saritel (Otoroku)
9. Shirzad Fataliev and His Balaban Band – Untitled (Death Is Not The End)
10. Iynar – Golloo (Ored Recordings)
11. Pankisi Ensemble – Recorded in Jokolo, Georgia, 2013 (Winebox Press)
12. Ensemble Gunda – To Achandara (Ored Recordings)
13. Kadir Yilmaz – Recorded in Kemalpaşa, Turkey, 2013 (Winebox Press)
14. Kazachka Ensemble – It’s Not a Good Day on Saturday (Ored Recordings)
15. Miqayel Voskanyan – Eshkhemet (Midheaven)
16. Nurulakh Dzhurulaev – Lezgi Medley (Ored Recordings)
17. Abbas Zafar Mohammadi – Recorded in Tbilisi, Georgia, 2013 (Winebox Press)