Album Notes

The Polka Element is the culmination of more than three decades of discovery and experimentation through the musical innovations of Mike Surratt. He has long maintained that polka at its purest is a true American art form, and need not be constrained by boundaries established by culture, heritage or geographic location.

Surratt presents modern, original stylings of iconic American polka music, while still maintaining strong associations with their unique cultural origins. From the far corners of the desolate steppes of the Ukraine, to the dry and dusty plains of a south Texas border town, he revisits the close-knit neighborhoods of years gone by, gives a nod to the alpen rebellion movement and even dances in the waves of the Caribbean.

Not only does Surratt explore diverse ethnic heritages, each of whom claim the polka as their own, he does so while seamlessly mixing musical influences from classical to hard rock. In his pursuit he has combined genres from across the country and around the globe, and has reduced the international style of polka music to its most basic common denominator - the pure 2/4 time signature. In so doing, he has discovered The Polka Element.

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