Gogol Bordello

“I’ve come full circle and I’m comfortable being a total outsider,” says Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, explaining the philosophy behind the band’s new album, Pura Vida Conspiracy. Like everything they’ve ever done, this outing is an uncategorizable blend of international influences, anchored by the gypsy rhythms Hutz grew up with in Ukraine. “Most people are looking for a box to put stuff in,” he says. “I try to avoid it. The message of this record is the quest for self-knowledge beyond borders and nationalities. Every culture is a useful mask, but it is just a mask. To get to know your actual human self, you have to get behind all the masks. With all the time I’ve spent in Latin America, living and loving, I realized I’ll never be Argentinean or Brazilian, just like I’ll never be Ukrainian. If you have true human spirit, you can’t fit into any genre, nationality or culture. To be a true citizen of the world, you can only be an ultimate outsider.” Hutz chose Pura Vida Conspiracy as the title because it represents everything the band has been moving toward since they first formed over a decade ago. “We’re not a whimsical band with a whimsica... more...