Polkaholix
Polkaholix

Line up

  • Andreas Hillmann  (trumpet, voc)
  • Andreas Wieczorek  (saxophone, lead voc)
  • Iven Hausmann (trombone, voc)
  • Jo Meyer  (accordion, voc)
  • Mario Ferraro (guitar, lapsteel, voc)
  • Oliver Oltersdorf  (saxophone, clarinet, voc)
  • Thomas Depkat (drums)
  • Volkmar Grosse (bass guitar, voc)

They are men on a Mission, and the mission is Polka. They are in fact, to all intents and purposes, knee-deep in the Polka hoopla. "Brilliant POLKAHOLIX is the new live sensation from Germany. Excellent music, excellent show, go, polka go" [EKSTRA BLADET - DK]

POLKAHOLIX has done a dynamite job and drove the Ariano crowd wild" [FOLKBULLITINO - I]

The Danes adore 'em, the Italians want to put their collective hands down their trousers and the Finns are frankly bonkers about their 'Ska-Brass-Tornados' (and we quote - English does not come easily to your average Finn). "It isn't what you play, it's how you play it. POLKAHOLIX all night long and the main stage at the Kaustinen festival is burning" [AAMULEHTHI - FIN]

In their homeland, polka-starved Germans besiege the band wherever they appear, demanding instant polka-gratification. In Croatia they were partially responsible for the outbreak of peace, in Austria they brought down the rightist government of the day. In the Faroe Islands, gnarled fishermen feverishly knit jumpers to a POLKAHOLIX accompaniment, and in The Netherlands, at least one journalist was rendered speechless (temporarily). "Their music ranges from ska to cajun, from rock 'n roll to polka, from - words fail me. I'll just say that they're totally amazing." [GRONINGER DAGBLAD - NL]

After 300 concerts in 5 years, the POLKAHOLIX are red-hot (but not literally). Their new CD "The Great Polka Swindle" was recorded in the notorious Hansa Studios in Berlin, home to such famous polka-enthusiasts as David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Inspired by the polka-tastic results, 54 DJs in 16 countries voted this, their second CD, into the the World Music Chart Europe top 20 (divided by 4.3). This global formula has also been adopted in their homeland - the band is now RUTH-nominated for 2008 (RUTH is the German world music prize, and is not averse to a quick polka herself).

POLKAHOLIX are on a Mission of Polka. Is the Mission accomplished? We believe so