An eclectic Canadian roots/world fusion collective based out of Toronto, Beyond the Pale draw from a wide array of cultural influences and genres. Employing a spirited blend of klezmer, jazz, bluegrass, Balkan, Romanian, reggae, funk, and classical chamber music, the group was founded in 1998. The earliest iteration of the outfit featured the talents of mandolinist Eric Stein, bassist Bret Higgins, guitarist Joshua Engel, and violinist Anne Lindsay, but by 2000 Engel had departed and Dutch clarinetist Martin van de Ven had joined the fold. Serbian-born violinist Bogdan Djukic took over for Lindsay in 2001. That year also saw the release of the group's debut album, Routes, which was issued via Borealis and brought home a Canadian Folk Music Award for Instrumental Group of the Year. Arriving in 2004, Consensus also received critical plaudits, and introduced fans and audiences to the group's newest member, Serbian-born violinist Aleksandar Gajic. The next several years saw the group touring heavily, releasing an acclaimed third album (2009's Postcards), and collaborating with a wide range of artists, including legendary singer/actor Theodore Bikel, Canadian rapper and producer Socalled, the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir, vocalist Vira Lozinsky, the Creaking Tree String Quartet, and L'Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio. In 2017 the group issued its fourth studio long-player, the Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated Ruckus, again via Borealis. ~ James Christopher Monger