Spațiul Offbeat

Tulnic: A Mediator Between Oral Traditions, Authority and the Performing Arts
Lector: Dragoș Rusu / The Attic

"In 2019 I curated a project for Belgium's Europalia Arts Romania festival. This project formed an ensemble of traditional Tulnicărese (women from Alba county who play the traditional Tulnic instrument) who performed alongside an original electronic composition by . The performances took place in Brussels and Leuven during the festival days, and in Bucharest and Brașov in 2024.

To illustrate how the nationalist discourse of traditions is also reflected in Tulnic culture, I apply Hobsbawm’s concept of invented traditions. Many traditions that »claim to be old are often quite recent and sometimes consciously invented« (Hobsbawm and Ranger, 1992) by identifiable historical actors. My research used qualitative sociological methods: interviews, focus groups, participant and non-participant observation, field recordings, walking ethnography, photographic elicitation, and the snowball technique. The organological documentation was based on studies of the tulnic and its related instrument, the Swiss alpenhorn.

The tulnic has evolved from a communication tool to a musical instrument and is now a handcrafted object. Since studies on the tulnic are quite limited, I highlight certain sonic traits and capabilities of this instrument through the anthropology of sound. Following sound as the supreme authority, I emphasize deep and thick listening (Schulze 2023) as a research method. Using the Europalia Arts Festival Romania in Belgium (2019) as a case study, I argue that technology can continuously question and transform oral practices and traditions. What are the implications and outcomes of transforming invented traditions into performing arts through experimental means? The risks relate to perpetuating colonial and hegemonic practices, where a central entity borrows and transforms cultural features from an entity located at the semi-periphery. Since the centre cannot exist without the periphery, these risks can turn into opportunities when power dynamics are overturned through translation and decentralisation."

OFFBEAT 3.6. Dragoș Rusu
Lecture & Listening Session
Tuesday, 30.06.2025, 19:00
Goethe-Institut Bucuresti
Free entry!

Lecture: 'Tulnic: A Mediator Between Oral Traditions, Authority and the Performing Arts'
The tulnic, a woodwind instrument specific to Romania's Apuseni Mountains, evolved from a signaling tool to a musical instrument. This lecture will apply the anthropology of sound and Schulze’s “deep and thick listening” to explore its unique sonic traits, addressing the scarcity of research through a sound-led methodological framework.

Listening Session: Deconstructing Romanian folklore
This listening session invites you to travel a century back in time to re/discover various forms of early Romanian folk from different regions of the country. This session highlights treasures from Romanian folklore featured on the American record label Ethnic Folkways, Alan Lomax's compilation from his series ”World Library Of Folk And Primitive Music”, Romanian record label Electrecord, and the French label Ocora.

Blending roles as DJ, journalist, sound researcher (with a keen interest in the anthropology of sound), and cultural curator, Dragoș Rusu is co-founder of The Attic platform, where he also serves as editor-in-chief. His DJ sets are famously eclectic, moving seamlessly across genres and regions—from gritty techno and acid house to African, Arabic and contemporary Roma rhythms. Between 2015 and 2020 he programmed the Outernational concert series and the Outernational Days festival.
https://soundcloud.com/dragos_rusu

The Attic (est. 2014) is an independent, ad-free online music magazine exploring global cultures. By transcending genres, it investigates the socio-cultural contexts of music through empirical listening, interviews, and podcasts, pursuing timeless sounds that resonate regardless of era or geography.
The Attic has nomad offices in different parts of the world with permanent bases in Bucharest, Romania (editorial/events) and Oslo, Norway (technical/editorial).
https://theatticmag.com/

An Alternative History of Music

OFFBEAT 3.5. Andy Votel
Lecture & Listening Session
16.06.2026, Goethe-Institut Bucuresti
Photos (1): Petre Fall

We took a quick breather, and now we’re back with a great batch of photos!

Looking back, we are so grateful for the chance to finally meet and for the unique experience we shared together—putting aside the professional differences, disagreements, and petty things that sometime divide us.
And yes, we were completely united by Finders Keepers Records & Andy's 'sounds of wonder' and his insightful stories!

A big thank you to Andy Votel—your passion and curiosity are inspiring! Thanks also to our wonderful host, the Goethe-Institut Bucharest, for all the much-needed support, patience (thank you, Dan!), and for creating such a relaxed atmosphere. And finally, thank you all for choosing to be with us—it was really special!!!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 30 at 7 PM:
Dragoș Rusu / The Attic

An Alternative History of Music

Better late than never, or rather, better now than never! I’m a bit late with this post as I've had a lot on my plate, and I'm sure you all do too. Still, just a reminder:
you can catch Andy Votel today only!

Tuesday, June 16 at 7 PM, Goethe-Institut Bucuresti

presents:
Moving Pictures For The Ear
Finders Keepers Records lost and liberated film music

'Previously referred to as “an accidental world music label with a punk attitude”, Finders Keepers strive to continue to cross pollinate strains of music from genre-less pop cultures, constructing new vantage points and even trying to right some of the wrongs made by the archaic music industry the first time round. Assuming the role of the librarian, the janitor and the music teacher, while keeping a close eye on the lost property box. A decade later, Finders Keepers has learned that it’s nicer to share.'
www.finderskeepersrrecords.com

Free entry! Don't miss it!

An Alternative History of Music

Next week, An Alternative History of Music series continues with vinyl addict and music adventurer !!!

Andy Votel (Andrew Shallcross, UK) is a DJ, music producer, artist, graphic designer, writer, radio presenter, events organiser and record label wizard: — 'Manchester's very own homemade and house-proud, singular minded and independent non-record label', founded with Damon Gough (1997-2012 -> https://www.twistednerve.co.uk/), and Finders Keepers Records — seminal reissue and archival record label, founded with Doug Shipton (2005-2025, UK - > https://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/).

'Initially cutting his teeth as a teenage Mancunian beat-maker and club DJ, Votel’s growing commitment to maligned multi-lingual music soon placed him as one of the first-detectives-at-the-scene when re-contextualising lost pop, jazz and folk music from Turkey, Thailand, Pakistan, Iran whilst celebrating minority languages like Welsh And Occitan amongst others. His Finders Keepers label subsequently became a renowned go-to sample source for a wide range of major Hip-Hop artists such as Mos Def, Jay Z, Nas, Action Bronson, Madlib and Erykah Badu...

Consistently evolving and evading music industry norms Votel’s unquenchable penchants are best savored via his regular long running radio shows, documentaries and appearances for outlets like NTS and BBC which compliment his work as a writer of multiple books, sleeve notes and magazine features (as a published authority on selected works by Serge Gainsbourg, Jodorowsky, Robert Downey, Jean Rollin). Whilst still holding down a daytime job as a trained designer of over 250 record sleeves for the likes of David Holmes, Gilles Peterson and the identities of various returning independent labels, Votel’s artistic zeal and intercommunal outlook has also seen him curate a long list of stages and festival events at the request of Jarvis Cocker, Festival No.6 The Green Man,The Barbican Theatre and other international institutions. Driven by a fastidious self-sufficient DIY attitude and exploratory infatuation there is little evidence that Andy Votel’s foot will find the break pedal any time soon.'

Credits:
2 - https://www.nts.live/shows/andy-votel
5 - https://blog.superflyrecords.com/guests-top-5/andy-votel-finders-keepers/

OFFBEAT 3.5. Andy Votel
Presentation, Listening & Talks
Tuesday, 16.06.2026, 19:00 h
Goethe-Institut Bucuresti
Free Entrance!

Presentation: Moving Pictures For The Ear
An informal vinyl presentation of the Finders Keepers Records label covering its 20 years of activity with a focus on lost and liberated international film music and the musical journey of its founder, artist and record producer Andy Votel.

Listening: Don Cherry track

For over 30 years Andy Votel (Finders Keepers / Twisted Nerve) has built a global reputation as a DJ, music producer, artist, graphic designer, writer, radio presenter, events organiser and record label boss whilst successfully packing more multi-task mayhem into a day at the office than most other workaholics can write on their annual calendars. Impossible to pigeonhole, Votel has amassed hundreds of discography credits in varying capacities over multiple genres. From the late '90s his remix work ran like a breadcrumb trail through British independent pop history, while his production folio for Gruff Rhys, Travis Scott, Badly Drawn Boy and Jane Weaver conceals at least two platinum-selling albums in contrast to his endless one-off limited art projects, compilations and coveted mixtapes which have allowed him to relentlessly tour the world as a DJ. His own record collection has been the subject of multiple book features and film articles.
https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/artists/andy-votel/

Finders Keepers Records (2005-2025, UK) — an independent archival collective that recontextualized global pop history by liberating unreleased music and integrating lost artists into a modern milieu. Founded by experienced vinyl archivists, Doug Shipton and Andy Votel, the label spans six decades of sound from over 40 countries while fostering a "family" of creative collaborators, artists, and fans.
www.finderskeepersrecords.com

An Alternative History of Music

OFFBEAT 3.4. Rui Pedro Dâmaso
Presentation, listening & talks
2.06.2026, Goethe-Institut Bucharest
Photos: Petre Fall

We’ve taken a quick breath after a wild three-week marathon of 'An Alternative History of Music' sessions: from the unique sonic endeavors of the Emanuele Carcano / Alga Marghen label, to screening one of Hisham Mayet's great documentaries for Malmaison Open Doors and later meeting Hisham in person to explore an upcoming SUBLIME FREQUENCIES release, and finally—welcoming Rui Pedro Dâmaso, the mind behind the fascinating Unearthing The Music project.
Three weeks in a row, three distinguished guests, and hopefully, three deeply meaningful experiences for local music lovers, record collectors, and curious minds looking to go far deeper than a social media feed.

A huge thank you to our guest, Rui Pedro Dâmaso (and his colleague Miguel), to our dear host Goethe-Institut Bucuresti, to Petre Fall who captured these moments, and to everyone who joined us!!!

Mark your calendars for the next week:
Tuesday, June 16 at 7 PM
Andy Votel / Finders Keepers Records

An Alternative History of Music

Short reminder: tomorrow is your chance to meet Rui Pedro Dâmaso — music & sound curator, author and manager of Unearthing The Music, and co-founder and co-director of OUT.RA - Associação Cultural from Portugal.
We will explore the European research and editorial project Unearthing The Music focused on experimental and underground music in “non-democratic” Europe (1950–2000), listen to the 2018–2022 discoveries of the five involved organizations, and much more.

An Alternative History of Music
Tuesday, June 2 at 7 PM
Goethe-Institut Bucuresti
Presentation & Listening Session
"Unearthing the Music: Listening With a Map (and Getting Lost)"
Free entry!

See you tomorrow!!!

Photo credits/sources:
1, 3 — https://www.facebook.com/Unearthingthemusic
4 — https://www.facebook.com/berlinarkaoda
https://www.facebook.com/ruipedro.damaso.5/photos
5, 6, 7, 10, 11 — Rui Pedro Dâmaso
8,9 — Photos from Unearthing the Music's live event in Bucharest, Romania—Umscene 1 | „Medium V” by Iancu Dumitrescu for Zach Rowden—organized by project partner Asociaţia Jumătatea plină / Octav Avramescu (https://www.facebook.com/Unearthingthemusic).
14 — https://www.facebook.com/ruipedro.damaso.5/photos

An Alternative History of Music