The self-description of Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha’s music as “ethno-chaos” was certainly accurate.

Rooted in the traditional folk music of their homeland, their sound incorporated blues, hip hop, Arabic styles, as well as African-sounding rhythmic elements.

Their performance was a journey from the rousing Karpatskyi Rep to the soothing and hypnotic Baby, with the underlying sense being that this is music that infuses every fibre of ones being.

Multi-instrumentalists all four, incorporated into DakhaBrakha’s performance were drums, accordions, keyboard, cello, whistle, as well as an impressive range of vocal percussion including bird sounds.

Then there were the vocals themselves ranging from breath-taking harmonies to the arresting polyphonic arrangements that are a core part of folk music from many Eastern European countries.

Worth a special mention was the impressively pure falsetto of the male band member Marko Halanevych, who took the lead for a couple of songs.

All four were clearly natural performers in their element, and the magic flowed as a consequence. With frequent changes in rhythm and musical style between and throughout the songs, it was a band impossible to second guess and folk music that is in no way stuck in the past.

Four stars