Add one more great DJ to the array of Balkans party sounds coming out of the region and updating the sounds for the dance floor. This time it’s Bosnian DJ Robert Soko, whose “Balkan Beats: A Night in Berlin” album collects mixes from his monthly showcase in German clubs, revealing that European youth have a unique way of embracing the past by snuggling it in with the future.

Soko’s work is filled with beats, to be sure, and it’s definitely got a 21st century imprint in the obvious technology that leads to its existence, but it’s fueled by the music. Soko doesn’t fall into the trap of forcing his own vision onto the sounds — rather, he walks alongside the work, propelling it into overdrive while retaining not just its essence but also much of its body.

What is most interesting about Balkan Beats is the success at creating melodies — in all honesty, pop melodies — that resonate with the American ear, while the Balkanisms often function as strong garnishes around the base.

As such, you can listen to a tune like “B-Style” and take it as a glorious mash-up of ska and Balkan styles — complete with fast-paced toasting — that works to bring out the similarities inherent in both. Once you hear it, you’ll notice just how much a Balkan brass tune can sound like a killer skank band.

On other songs, Soko offers similar juxtapositions. “Evo Me Narode” translates the form into a techno dance beat to reveal the traditional rhythmic element and tempo of the style to be one with the future, while “Marushka” takes a similar type of song and brings out the wacky, cartoonish qualities to create something entirely different.

What is clear is that Soko is having a lot of fun updating Balkan dance styles for modern movers and shakers — and in doing so, he helps keep a link to the parties of the past