Punk rock meets techno on the band's 10th album!
From the lower east side of Manhattan, American punk rock band Gogol Bordello originally formed back in 1999 and have just released their 10th album ‘We Mean It, Man!’ on 13th February 2026 via frontman Eugene Hütz’s label Casa Gogol Records.
The album is co-produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Gang Of Four, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Amyl & The Sniffers, IDLES) and Adam “Atom” Greenspan (Amyl & The Sniffers, IDLES).
The album has 12 tracks and three of them include guests – ‘Boiling Point’ features Grace Bergere, ‘From Boyarka to Boyaca’ features Puzzled Panther, and ‘Solidarity’ is Nick Launay’s mix featuring Bernard Sumner.
Frontman Eugene Hütz says; “Gogol Bordello has always been a cross-pollinator. And ‘We Mean It Man!’ brings all our original inspirations together more than any other: punk, gypsy music, hardcore, and techno. I conceived this album as a collaboration with one of my favourite producers of all time, Nick Launay, who’s been so much responsible for the flourishing of post-punk as a genre. In terms of boiled down multimedia collage this is the best Frankenstein we’ve done since Gypsy Punks. This is our post-punk groove revenge.”
Meet Gogol Bordello:
Eugene Hütz – Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, and percussion
Sergey Ryabtsev – Violin and backing vocals
Pedro Erazo – Percussion and MC
Korey Kingston – Drums and percussion
Gil Alexandre – Bass and backing vocals
Erica Mancini – Accordion and backing vocals
Gogol Bordello released the title track from the album, ‘We Mean It, Man!’, on 9th September 2025:
Next up, their second track ‘Hater Liquidator’ dropped on 18th November 2025:
And third single ‘Ignition’ released on 13th January 2026, with the music video starring award winning actor-director Liev Schreiber. ‘Ignition’ is about lifelong friendships and was inspired by the band’s 2023 collaboration with Bernard Sumner (New Order, Joy Division).
Liev Schreiber says, “My brother from another mother. Ridiculously insane with the heart, mind, and voice of a poet,” while Eugene Hütz comments “‘Ignition’ is about the hardest currency there is: lifelong friendships and trust – the people who will come pull you out of a ditch at 5 a.m. I didn’t want musicians’ faulty acting to obscure that, so I called my friend Liev, who is exactly the kind of actor who embodies it effortlessly and powerfully, because he’s exactly that kind of person. I value our friendship tremendously, and with the 20th anniversary of ‘Everything Is Illuminated’, it felt like the right time for a meaningful celebration.”
Fourth single ‘Life Is Possible Again’ released on 13th February 2026, the same day as the whole album.
Fourth single ‘Life Is Possible Again’ released on 13th February 2026, the same day as the whole album. Frontman Eugene Hütz says, “The cyclical nature of time is a source of optimism. So, historically, is our ability to heal after catastrophes. We will need all of those sources of optimism combined once the current cycle of atrocities passes. Luckily, they are still there for us. This is what ‘Life Is Possible Again’ is about.”
Now on to the review! ‘We Mean It, Man!’ is very techno forward, but authentic punk rock creeps in. The vocals and music sound almost pirate-like in parts! Raw energy and punchy, with socio-political lyricisms. There are electronic layers with sharp, hard-hitting drum beats. Anthems you can easily get up and dance to – it’s like having a punk rock meets techno party. The guest vocals fit perfectly with the tracks they’re featured on, harmonising and standing out at the same time, giving it that uniqueness.
I’ve not heard this band before, so this was a little treat for me to experience for the first time! Really enjoyable and I will definitely be checking out all their other albums!
Go listen to ‘We Mean It, Man!’ if it sounds as intriguing to you! Available to stream and download HERE and on CD or vinyl HERE
Gogol Bordello have a North American tour coming up, starting on 19th February 2026, with support acts Puzzled Panther and Boris And The Joy. Dates and locations on the poster below, and tickets links are HERE
Main Photo Credit: ALISON CLARKE at CLIQMO PHOTOGRAPHY
- We Mean It, Man!
- Life Is Possible Again
- No Time For Idiots
- Hater Liquidator
- Boiling Point (ft. Grace Bergere)
- Ignition
- From Boyarka to Boyaca (ft. Puzzled Panther)
- Mystics
- We Did Good With The Good We Did
- Crayons
- State of Shock
- Solidarity (Nick Launay mix ft. Bernard Sumner)
Follow Gogol Bordello on Their Socials:
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