Music Shop

Links to where you can find all our albums + a list of recommendations and ressources with links to breton fest-noz music and breton language, to books about creativity and music management, to useful links to self-produce your own music albums, with limited and cheap studio essentials.

In this page you’ll find links to our albums and singles, that you can both stream and obviously buy, and if you scroll down, we’ve chosen for you a bunch of recommended links related to breton music and language, links to websites, gear and books find happily use to produce our music.

Music shop / Boutique >Here/ici<

Pour les francophones, si vous avez besoin d’aide à cause de l’anglais, n’hésitez pas à nous envoyer un message à l’adresse astrakanproject@gmail.com.

Want to take your time? Click on any cover for free full album streaming.

Full albums

  • Inês, 9-track studio album, 59′ epic music (Sept. 2018), includes a beautiful 96 full colour pages book, with all lyrics and their translations in English and French + MP3 immediate download. Digital version also available.

  • Astrakan Project, 9-track studio album (Sept. 2012), includes MP3 immediate download.

  • Live in Lebanon, 4-track live EP (June 2012), digital edition, free download on “pay-what-you-want”.

Singles and more

Ressources and links

Breton music albums essentials.

Links are amazon affiliated, if you decide to buy any of these based on our recommendations, please, do use our links, you will pay the exact same price, but we’ll receive a little percentage that can help us producing more music and share more useful links and stories about Breton music and folk european music.

Also, this list is based on our personal musical journey, on what made a difference to us, and also on our personal tastes! This ain’t meant to be a chart, or any “ultimate” listing! Get inspired, enjoy our story sharing, but create your own story and connection with breton music.

Fest-noz & modern breton music

From late XXc – 80’s and 90’s power!

From 00’s on

  • Karma – fest-noz, fest-noz by the Diwan generation.
  • Plantec – a band around two brothers, and in the beginning quite influenced by Ar Re Yaouank, then experimented also with some live electro.

Experimental, world, cross-over, others

  • Bugel Koar – Ar solier, with the singer Marthe Vassalo. A very interesting project, with a lot of gwerz (Breton type of lament) from Trégor (and we love gwerz from Trégor!). N’ebaon the second album by the duet is also really good (and more likely to be available).
  • Any album by/with Erik Marchand worth it! His collaboration with the French oud player Thierry Titi Robin in the 80’s: chants du centre Bretagne and An Tri Breur deeply and profoundly inspired and nourished our musical experiences. He’s also famous for his fusion world music with musicians from the Balkans. Our favourite ever is Pruna (although Unu, daou, tri easily available or Dor are totally worth it). Another favourite of ours is his collab with the French indie musician Rodolphe Burger which resulted in the unexpected album Before Bach.
  • Norkst and Kreiz Breizh Akademi. It sounds weird to add an album in which we personally performed, but when it was released in 2005, it was quite a unique project, both artistic and pedagogic, upon an idea from Erik Marchand. The project still goes on with several albums released by different KBA bands, but Norkst being the very first one, it certainly would be the one to listen to as it opened the road to all the later ones. (let us know if you’d like us to elaborate on the project!)
  • Au Café Breton by Rolland Becker and Regis Huiban. A project around Breton music as played in the 20’s 30’s and influenced by Parisian accordion musette style (it has influenced a few fest-noz bands like Le Bour / Bodros )
  • Jacques Pellen – Celtic Procession. A project that started in the 90’s, with loads of versions, guests, etc, but generally with a jazz flavour.

Gwerz, kan ha diskan and a cappella albums

  • Dastum Marie-Josèphe Bertrand. the best bits from the iconic singer that inspired many singers, including Erik Marchand, the late Yann-Fañch Kemener and us 🙂 songs like Ywan Gamus, Skolvan are part of our performances and/or albums.
  • Dastum Gwerzioù ha Sonioù Bro Dreger old full a capella songs of all kinds from our area (Bro Dreger). we’ve recorded a few of them, got inspired by others, this particular album and repertoire is also along with Marie-Josèphe Bertrand highly influential on Simone’s own singing path.
  • Kan ha Diskan by Loeiz Roparz. A collection of kan ha diskan with several singers and Loeiz Roparz, known to be the “inventor” of fest-noz in its actual form.
  • Kan ha Diskan – Yann-Fañch Kemener. Kan ha diskan from Yann-Fañch Kemener with most of big names from the Breton kan ha diskan scene, both old and new scene: Erik Marchand, Annie Ebrel, Patrick Marie, Valentine Colleter, Claudine Flohic, Marcel Guilloux, Ifig Troadeg. A must-have!
  • Tradition Chantée En Bretagne – Les Sources Du Barzaz Breiz Aujourd’Hui . More specialised, this is a collection of gatherings from the XXth century from songs that were previously to be found on the XIXc book “Barzaz Breizh”. Raw a cappella singing, but a treasure if you fancy authentic traditional style. The booklet is quite thick and very useful and contains all the lyrics with French translations. (not always available, watch out for second hand copies!)
  • Fest-Noz en Poher. Not very often available, but pay close attention to the name and picture, so far there isn’t any re-edit, but if it at some point would show up on the second hand market, be quick! Simone has practically learned all the basics from Kan ha Diskan with this excellent very traditional album. Features gavotte from Annie Ebrel with Noluen Le Buhez (excellent and brilliant energy!), from Fustec/Le Corre and Les Frères Dilasser – both huge favourites and role models for kan ha diskan when Yann was a child (and also probably the only recording available from the Dilasser Brothers).

Books

  • To learn Breton Brezhoneg
  • Barzazh Breizh the most famous collection of Breton songs from the XIXth century, highly famous, there are several editions, this one is currently available. One day we’ll make a full video about it !
  • Carnets de route Ifig Troadeg texts with 2 CDs from a famous singer from Tregor that we really enjoy. Totally sold-out, but the link will show you a picture in case you come across it second hand or if a re-print would happen. It has plenty of stories, facts, details. In French only.
  • Carnets de route Yann-Fañch Kemener also, out of print, but a re-print is not impossible.
  • The Artist Way – Julia Cameron. An essential classic book for any aspiring or established, to keep creative and overcome doubt and failure. Because that sometimes happens, right? Very practical, with lots of advice, testimonials and concrete exercises and practices.
  • Big Magic – Elizabeth Guilbert. Motivational thoughts about creativity.

Links & online resources

  • Etienne Tremblay, la Machine à Mixer – Yann’s go-to YouTube channel for studio/sound tips (in French).
  • https://www.dastum.bzh/ the organisation that “harvests” (dastum translation) Breton music and culture for decades, some of the database is available online. They also edit plenty of collections of unique original material. You’ll need to register, but it’s free although a donation is always possible.

Gear for stage, studio and video.

  • Microphone Berhinger B-1 : very good, basic, cheap microphone Yann uses in the studio for… everything!!! Vocals, drum, violin, oud, etc!
  • Camera JVC everio GZ used by Simone since 2012 (link goes to equivalent actual model). Strong, cheap, small, very stable to film from the car/van (yeah! Road-trip videos!). Also, the one generally used for art-work videos. Real good first camera for around 200€. Unfortunately not very good for night shooting.

  • Sony HDR-AZ1VR Mini Action Camera. Used by Simone since 2016 as a secondary camera for road-filming.