Escadrill: Finding a Global Sound in the Heart of Sarajevo

For Alen Mulović, better known as Escadrill, Sarajevo is more than the city he calls home. It is a source of inspiration, emotion and identity a place capable of making him happy one moment and frustrated the next, but one he remains deeply connected to.

“I was born here and I love my country,” he says. “The people here are special irreplaceable.”

That connection to Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina has helped shape Escadrill as both a person and an artist. But while his roots remain close to home, his musical vision reaches far beyond borders.

A Connection to Music From Childhood

Escadrill is the only person in his family who pursued music, but for him, the connection has always felt natural almost as if it was something he was born with.

Music has been part of his life since he was around three years old. Even as a child, he found himself drawn toward rhythm, particularly drums, although he jokes that the “wrong instruments” somehow kept ending up in his hands.

As he grew older, that early fascination developed into a passion for creating. Escadrill began researching sounds and experimenting with different genres, eventually discovering the styles that felt most natural to him: Afro House, Afrobeats and Amapiano.

Although he continues to listen to and appreciate music across genres, the rhythm, energy and creative freedom found within African-influenced sounds have become central to his artistic identity.

For Escadrill, making music is about more than building a career. There is a sense of purpose behind it.

He believes he has been given a gift that allows him to bring happiness to others through music and he intends to use it.

Bringing World Sounds to His Roots

Traditional music remains deeply embedded in the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Escadrill wanted to explore how those roots could coexist with something more contemporary.

Rather than abandoning traditional influences, he became interested in finding a modern sound capable of carrying that same cultural spirit.

He found the answer in Afro-inspired music.

The combination opened the door to what he describes as a more modern World Ethno sound a meeting point between cultures, rhythms and musical traditions that might initially appear far apart.

It also reflects Escadrill’s broader philosophy toward creativity: following his own direction instead of simply moving with everyone else.

“Everyone goes right, I’ll go left,” he says.

It is a simple statement that captures much of his personality. Escadrill doesn’t feel the need to fit neatly into expectations or follow an established formula. To him, being different isn’t necessarily something an artist consciously forces it develops naturally through how someone chooses to position themselves in life.

That individuality extends beyond music. Asked which skill he would be willing to give up, his answer is unexpected: goodness. Whether serious or playful, it reflects the unconventional personality behind the music.

Even his style inspirations come from outside the traditional music world. Looking at contemporary fashion, Escadrill points to Jason Momoa as someone whose style stands out to him.

Creating in the Moment

There is no strict formula behind an Escadrill record.

Inspiration can appear anywhere.

Sometimes an idea arrives while he is driving. He might notice something, hear a sound or suddenly imagine a musical idea and quickly record it on his phone so it isn’t lost before he reaches the studio.

Other times, inspiration comes from an image, a person, a place or an unexpected moment.

“It can be any sound, image, people, place,” he explains. “Spontaneously.”

That spontaneity is an important part of his process. Rather than forcing creativity into a rigid routine, Escadrill allows ideas to develop naturally and follows them wherever they lead.

Creating music also provides him with something personal: relaxation. It is the form of expression that feels most comfortable to him and the place where his creativity can exist without restrictions.

Without music, Escadrill isn’t sure exactly what path he would have taken, but he is confident about one thing he would still want to be doing something useful.

Fortunately, music found him early.

Looking Toward a Bigger Stage

Escadrill isn’t interested in predicting exactly where his career will take him. His outlook is simpler: keep moving in a positive direction and allow the journey to unfold.

But there is one image that remains part of the vision.

A festival.

A lineup.

His name on it.

For an artist whose musical identity brings together Sarajevo, World Ethno influences, Afro House, Afrobeats and Amapiano, the festival stage feels like a natural destination. His music is built around rhythm, movement and the shared experience that happens when a crowd connects with a sound.

For now, however, Escadrill continues creating one moment at a time collecting ideas from everyday life and transforming them into music.

His story begins in Sarajevo, but his sound isn’t designed to stay in one place.

And perhaps that is the best way to understand Escadrill: rooted at home, inspired by the world, and always willing to go left when everyone else goes right.