Balanescu Quartet

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The Balanescu Quartet is a London-based avant-garde string quartet founded in 1987 by Romanian-born violinist Alexander Bălănescu. The group achieved fame through the release of Possessed, consisting of complex cover versions of songs by German experimental electronic music band Kraftwerk.

The driving force behind the quartet has always been main composer and founder Alexander Balanescu.

The quartet are mainly notable for their very distinctive style of music, which encompasses odd time rhythms, sound dissonances and complex arrangements. The band has performed multiple works with a variety of other artists, including David Byrne, Gavin Bryars, Michael Nyman, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Kevin Volans, Hector Zazou, and Spiritualized.

They are the performers of the current arrangement of University Challenge’s title music on BBC2 in the U.K.

They are currently signed to Mute Records. Their early albums were on Argo Records (UK).

Tagged as:

contemporary classical, avant-garde, strings, classical, instrumental
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Possessed
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Luminitza
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Maria T
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Angels & Insects
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Top Tracks

1	Model	88
2	Computer Love	57
3	Autobahn	49
4	Pocket Calculator	46
5	Robots	38
5	No Time Before Time	38
7	Possessed	35
8	Want Me	34
9	Hanging Upside-Down	33
10	East	26
11	Democracy	25
12	Chain	23
13	Link Again	21
14	Luminitza	20
15	Still With Me	19

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MdmaPLS wrote:
September 2009

beautifull

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adelaynas wrote:
September 2009

mmm mmm m mmm

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CaideSin wrote:
June 2009

Mmmmmmmm~ delicious

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Odium75 wrote:
May 2009

Unbelievable! I am buying this right now! I would have never heard this without last.fm.

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Dajajas wrote:
April 2009

this is what I was recently looking for!!! It totally grabbed my heart!!!

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mistercreative wrote:
April 2009

great a discovery by recommendation of last fm

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zolxol wrote:
March 2009

hermoso 0_0

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gabriele55 wrote:
February 2009

delizioso;)

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chintones wrote:
January 2009

Just by chance I was browsing in a record store and heard a string quartet playing Kraftwerk! It turned out to be Balenescu's "Possessed".... Great (and unexpected) techno in a new set of clothes.

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shadow__myst wrote:
January 2009

to bad this guy is'tn known in his own country, Romania.

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creativityhurts wrote:
November 2008

Sweet

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kaisersozay wrote:
November 2008

"...you have made a hostage of my memory...paralyzed by fire..." ...Want Me & Luminitza...

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little-bluebird wrote:
October 2008

"Possessed" is d i v i n e, never thought Kraftwerk can sound like revelation! (the string effect:)

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trifibian wrote:
June 2008

Maria T., of course!

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Grindfucked wrote:
June 2008

nice

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wglmb wrote:
May 2008

Model is wonderful!

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Maruca_C wrote:
March 2008

I found a rip of Just can't get enough on the net. it's 45 sec long. Contact me, to know more

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Babs_05 wrote:
March 2008

The Chiller Cabinet

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Maruca_C wrote:
March 2008

sorry, me again :) If you like this you may like the Paul Schwartz project. Maybe not the Classical Crossover songs (with vocals) but his neo-classical Beatles album: http://www.lastfm.de/music/Paul%20Schwartz/Revolution especially the song Revolution is a lot like the Balanescu quartet

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Maruca_C wrote:
March 2008

sounds... interesting. I came across Balanescu Quartet because of the H&M-ad, where they covered Just can't get enough from Depeche Mode - unfortunately THAT title can't be found anywhere ;/

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