Modern world fusion? Globalized dance pop? Old World hip-hop? With Balkan Beat Box, it’s best not to try.

As likely to layer a klezmer melody over a hip-hop beat as to set eastern European brass band horns against an electronic dancehall framework, the trio have an aesthetic that’s both infectious and uncategorizable.

“It’s a real mashup of different cultures and sounds,” explains drummer/producer Tamir Muskat over the phone from his home base in Tel Aviv.

All first-generation Israeli citizens, Muskat, vocalist Tomer Yosef and saxophonist Ori Kaplan (formerly of Gogol Bordello) grew up absorbing a plethora of musical influences, often side by side and without context.

“We grew up into that mashup,” Muskat says. “It wasn’t uncommon for us to be listening to, for instance, Romanian music at home and Michael Jackson on the radio. It’s all within us.

“This group found its sound once we allowed our whole selves to be in the music. Deciding to stick to punk, klezmer, hip-hop or any other genre would be extremely limiting. Things like that just stick in the wheels.”

But to dwell on the seamlessness of Balkan Beat Box’s juxtaposition is to miss its main appeal. What’s impressive isn’t that the elements work together but that they combine to create something so danceable.

Renowned for their high-energy live show, the band earns as many invitations to modern, “popular” festivals like Lollapalooza and SXSW as to “ethnic” music events like Ashkenaz. Combining theatrics with a message of universal cultural harmony, the band’s concerts are adaptable to just about any stage.

Those questioning Balkan Beat Box’s authenticity need look no further than their latest album, Blue Eyed Black Boy (Crammed Discs), for which the band travelled to Belgrade to record an actual Gypsy brass band, despite the challenging language barrier.

“I’m sure some people think we’re killing the music,” says Muskat. “But usually even the most conservative fans of Roma and Gypsy music can tell that we have a lot of respect for those traditions even though we’re taking them to new places.

“We’re not about labels. We just like to be positive and have a good time.”