American musicians have been experimenting with Balkan-esque rhythms since at least 1959 when Dave Brubeck brought the 2 + 2 + 2 + 3 pulse back from a folk song he heard in Istanbul and composed Blue Rondo à La Turk. Since then, unusual note groupings have become standard fare in jazz, fusion, and art music, and are practically the bread and butter of “progressive” rock and metal. However, there is a very different type of flow and authenticity to their works when these odd meters form the artists’ mother tongue. EYOT’s 557799 (Ropeadope, 2020) is a perfect example. Though the seven pieces making up the release are a veritable smorgasbord of rhythmic creativity, the masterfulness with which Ilijic, Stojiljkovic, Milenovic, and Vojvodic handle time ensures that the record’s melancholic yet hopeful atmosphere and enticing melodies never take a backseat to the complex rhythmic structures which evoke the turbulence of the Balkan region.

The record opens with “Dodola,” an unforgettable nine-minute ride that wonderfully sets the record’s vaguely lugubrious tone. Atmospheric guitar chord swells usher in a 12/8 groove, which even the most novice listener can tap their foot to, along with a very hummable melody. The main theme develops over the first few minutes of the track, with some incredibly scenic detours, until horns enter at the well-earned climax after an exciting piano solo breakdown. The clouds part and the last few minutes of the piece are absolutely joyous, leading directly into the moody “Linen,” which borrows harmonies from Serbian composer Stevan Mokranjac’s 1901 composition, “Biljana platnobeleše.” Here, EYOT flexes its rhythmic chops, weaving an elaborate texture of complex syncopation atop a 4/4 groove, glued together by a guitar ostinato that keeps reappearing, as if obscured behind trees. Halfway through, everything momentarily stops, and Ilijic explores the harmonies as the band holds down some post-rock-esque chord strikes, again obscuring the deceptively simple rhythmic underbelly of the tune. 

What sets Balkan musicians’ treatment of unusual meters apart is perhaps the region’s embracing of such forms as dance music. Baffling drum patterns often pair with highly hummable melodies whose innate catchiness eschews “complexity.” 557799’s third entry, “Rite,” is a superb example. As a side note, it also does an excellent job of featuring Stojilkovic’s incredible bass tone and feel. A simple folk melody dances over an intense polyrhythmic tapestry, culminating in an all-out chanting of the melody, which listeners will undoubtedly find themselves singing later. The chanting, in particular, is indeed evocative of a pagan “rite,” which brings the “Rain” of track four–– a sensitive, emotional release of tension. The easy rock groove (interspersed, of course, with some 5/8 + 6/8 bits… foreshadowing) is a warm bed for some perfectly placed solos and a harmonically satisfying bridge. The piece truly does flow like rain, even when the latter part of the composition develops into shifting odd meters, building to another climactic restatement of the original theme and dissolution into the groove. 

“Heartbeat” is one part melancholic sonic exploration, reminiscent of Brad Mehldau’s treatment of 90s grunge hits, blossoming into an exciting second act, reaching maximum frenzy with a distorted synth solo across the album’s most rock and roll moment of all. The mercurial piano ostinato never lets up and maintains the song’s sombre feeling even through the raucous climax. 

EYOT really flexes its metrical abilities on the last two tracks, but that doesn’t take away from the continuing ethereal vibe of the record. Don’t give up, even if it takes a few listens to hear how the drumstick count-off is literally an instruction on how to hear the groove on “Odd.” This composition in particular is, at times, reminiscent of Avishai Cohen’s Gently Disturbed (Razdaz Recordz, 2008) and Mehldau’s Highway Rider (Nonesuch, 2010) if either had a bit more of a rock-oriented sonic approach. Jaga Jazzist’s earlier works come to mind as well. But that is not to detract from the originality of the work. EYOT are masters of abruptly stopping a piece and introducing a secondary theme or development after a momentary complete silence. They do that a lot on “Odd.” But, even then, it never interrupts the band’s overall flow, as it culminates in a synth-string expansion reminiscent of 20th-century classical music, or perhaps the prog-metal influences the group has absorbed. 

The title track, “557799,” is, as you may have guessed, based on 5/8, 7/8, and 9/8 meters, which are, “the basics of the Balkans’ traditional music.” But for EYOT, “there’s much more than that to the number– it is the epitome of life and history which has always been turbulent” in their part of the world. Don’t let the numeral-centric title of the piece fool you; the meter changes don’t get in the way, but rather do an incredible job of evoking the aforementioned turbulence with a catchy but emotionally wrought melody. Typical of most of the record, everything changes about midway through as an enormous guitar melody slowly unfolds behind a cascade of piano, drums, and bass. In the album’s final moments, EYOT’s emotional thesis crystallizes, as the chants reach a pitch worthy of Kurt Cobain’s rawest moments. 

557799 is not only chock full of memorable melodies and complex grooves, but it also has deep, raw, and sophisticated emotional expression at its core, which sets it apart from many metrically oriented releases. 

557799 is now available on Ropeadope Records.

Tracklist: 1. Dodola; 2. Linen; 3. Rite; 4. Rain; 5. Heartbeat; 6. Odd; 7. 557799.

Personnel: Dejan Iljic (piano, Moog); Marko Stojilkovic (bass); Sladjan Milenovic (guitar); Pete Judge (trumpet (1)); Jake McMurchie (sax (1)).