Reviews of new Turkish Progressive music

Face Music (Kamil Erdem's) Asiaminor : Along the Street (1991)***

Most tracks on this album combine the kanun, a zither like instrument with spare and tempered drumming, moody electric bass, reed tenorflute and some soprano sax, and I think also some ud. The group creates a strange combination of jazzy warmth often with the feeling of wide open space. In that way it expresses a mood which I recognised only in some Polish Ethno Jazz groups (like Osjan,..). The sound of Asiaminor is directly recognisable already after having heard one track. This style is their own interpretation or area of moods of a kind of Ethno Jazz sound. The kanun and flute are mostly the most ethnical part, the bass and tenor sax mostly play on jazzy tone scales, but not necessarily all the time. People who like a relaxed but moody ethnojazz to reside along on a kind of chamber music listening occasions should definitely check this group.

The leader of the group, Kamil Erdem, played also in Okay Temiz famous Oriental Wind before. This particular release was the group's first album, which was also reissued in Istanbul, Turkey as "Sokak Boyunca". Later Kamil joined the Egyptian group Sharkiat, a group which I never heard from before. He also was involved in a Flamenco/Sufi Music Fusion project, an item which is reviewed at next page.

Both "Cat's dream" and this "Along the street" are fine albums to play at the background during some mental work. (not in the same sense like New Age works. It is that nothing in it is "demanding". This can also be tasted without needing your full concentration to understand and apreciate).

Soundfiles : "Hüseyni Vals", "Boncuk"

Info on this release : http://www.cdroots.com/face-007.html

Picture and german info about the 'kanun' : http://www.sumerauer.de/early_patches/dokumentation/deutsch/kanun.htm

Sound at http://www.cdrehberi.com/sanatcilar/a/asiaminor/index.html

Review of "along the street" and of Sharkiat's releases :

http://www.greenmanreview.com/turkiskjazz.html

Review of "longa nova" http://ooz.tripod.com/cd/htm/6F0D2D0935264.htm

& "Cat's Dream" : http://ooz.tripod.com/cd/htm/7E0A35092D499.htm

Solo from kanun player Tahir Aydigdu : http://www.tulumba.com/icy_itemdesc.asp?ic=MU940399BE366

Kamil Erdem's solo release : http://www.kalan.com/scripts/album/dispalbum.asp?id=2591

PS. Eric Vaarzon Morel (the Dutch chamber folk band Flairck) toured with the kanun player Tahir Aydigdu :

http://flairck.alfanet.hu/mus/EricVM.html

Private2/5BZ : Ulonbay **°

(pronounced : "Eke Besh" BZ)

The 2/5BZ project group has been set up in 1986 by Serhat Köksal and has the look and effect of a punk-like underground group with audiotapes, chaotic photocopyzines, collage video films, badly handcut and printed punk like stickers, CDR's, flyers and posters. 2/5BZ perform concerts (sometimes as one person, sometimes playing tape, sampler, saz, darbuka, electronics (and programming), drums, (dubbed) speech and vocals. The overall underground feel remind me at the tape trading underground scene in the eighties in the rest of Europe. The music can be described as a combination of an 80's underground sound with tape collage combined traditional Turkish instruments, and a garage like playing of Western instruments. Interesting. Only a shame that the magazine is so chaotic. This release 'Ulonbay' is a compilation of earlier registered tracks. We can hear Middle Eastern Rock, even although some collages are slightly punk flavoured too this will makes an interesting combination of acoustic playing/percussion and tape collage with some electronics. The whole concept and mix has done musically interesting and experimental. Some mixes with sometimes aggressive media fragments and ethno rock works perfect and has done in complete balance with the ethno rhythms. For most of the tracks I think this works pretty good. The bonus tracks are somewhat different. There's one track in a dark experimental 80's style of tape collage of a traditional Anatolian singing. After that the style continues in an even more experimental underground tape-collage style, that would be recognisable for people who experienced this in the 80's. I personally never felt very close to these scenes in those days.

A shame I never experienced how such music would have been performed in combination with the video performances.

The Project 2/5 BZ exists since 1991. When John Peel once visited Istanbul he found it the most exiting project that was going on then (see Peel sessions LP here). 2/5 BZ played also with Tim Hodgkinson in Istanbul.

I included a picture out of one of 2/5BZ's magazines, a part of a poster based upon censored movie-posters by the police and government from the seventies. It's funny to see how (amateuristic and improvised) this was done (by the police/government). Look at this "censor-art"-project here.

Website at http://www.2-5bz.com E-mail : serhatkoksal@hotmail.com

Intro on 2/5BZ: http://www.sparwasserhq.de/Index/HTMLsep3/serhat.htm

Anouncement concert in Holland : http://www.extrapool.nl/200325bz.html

avant garde & middle eastern avant garde beats live recording for VPRO (real audio 41minutes-performance) :

http://3voor12.vpro.nl/3voor12/player/related.jsp?number=13669001

Kalan Ahibba : Matar U Nar (2011)***°/**°°

Ahibba is, according to a web description I found, “Turkey’s first Arabic-language rock group. They have released their first studio album, “Matar u Nar” (Rain and Fire). The band’s music combines characteristic musical formats of Middle Eastern music with the dynamic structure of rock music. There are 11 tracks on the album, which concentrates on immigration, war in the Middle East and love and separation amidst war and chaos in the region.” If I heard well there were Turkish songs too (especially the bonus track nr.10 is obvious. And the way the band plays is also more typical for Turkish rock. For the Arab tunes and even folk tunes this approach still is as far as I know unusual for Arab speaking countries, so the band shows them a very good example how these songs sound attractive in electrified versions.

The songs remain guitar based, with some metal guitar too. They more often include arabesque string orchestrations too, and elements with Turkish flute and Turkish hand percussion besides the guitars and drums. The third track has a more ska/dub-like rhythm. The singer has a rather operatic voice, which suits the music well.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/ahibba & http://www.ahibba.org/

Description : http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&newsId=227626

Doublemoon Rec. Ayhan Sicimoglu : Friends & Family (2006)**'

This project is big and is meant to be a big event and live experience. There’s a wish to be really big, open and part of the world, a wish to see the world, and to bring the world together in a group. Like a big family (with 25 musicians !!) featuring lots of Turkish musicians (of which Kaynana sings in Spanish), but also Columbian percussionist and rapper Rodrigo Rodriguez, Cuban trumpet player Amik Guerra, and Peruvian Cesar Correa, the expression is focused on the experience itself based upon several traditions for entertainment purposes. There are many Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythmic elements, obvious Turkish elements, a bit of rap, a jazz part and jazzy touches and a real new combination of reggae with Turkish music (on “Reaggaeturkatron”) as if this was meant for each other. There’s not any attempt to create new music, but the openness to other cultures in a typical Turkish/Istanbul way has moments which spontaneously reached new bridges, especially in energy and suitable on a sunny festival to be performed just anywhere in the world. The basic feeling is : let us just BE a big family…

Label info & audio : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_en.asp?album_id=59

Other reviews : http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=MU900024EF542

Demo Ayyuka : demo (2005)***

Ayyuka play a rather hard edged, relatively consciously simple and often instrumental “progressive” Rock with Turkish chords. Good from beginning to end. With a very direct live performance energy in the compositions. I heard they now evolved to a more Coldplay sound.

Voltay Ayyuka (2007)****

Double Moon Records seems to have a sub-label now, dedicated to alternative rock. Ayyuka seems to have recorded and published one of their first releases.

Ayyuka deliver a modern version of Anadolu Rock, which often has many leads from electric guitars. It surely is Turkish styled (chords/melodies), uses more often a deformed voice (or there’s a voice effect as if this is so), and of course the rock instruments like electric guitars, bass, drums. They show in most tracks a groovy and well produced sound, which always has a certain psychedelic rock effect. Such songs often go from a quieter start, to different parts that are either more psychedelic/heavy rock or surfpunk-like, which are thoughtfully arranged/improvised with interesting variations. Rhythmically this remains Turkish rock with some international influence ; a few times I notice a small vague influence of reggae on the calmer parts if I’m not confusing this with some different origin this might have. Not knowing enough of or from Turkish music, I wonder for instance where the tango-pop melody comes from on “Ümitsiz”. Rhythmically there are more often influences which I cannot always trace well. “Havada Bir Hinlik Var” is a ballad with moody guitars. “Sapasaglma” starts with the same warm voice, then ads parts of great building up new Anadolu Rock, mixed with calmer song moods. Also moodier is the last track, the great mood-psych instrumental with oriental flavours “Caca”. Well done !

Audio : http://www.myspace.com/ayyuka

Other review : http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=92090

Separate webpage with info : http://progressive.homestead.com/AYYUKA.html

Double Moon Baba Zula : Üç Oyundan Onyedi Müzik (=17 music tracks from three plays) (1999)***°'

On their second album their sound came out of the remainders of the underground sounds, now increasing the attention to the professional producing even more, making it sound even more modern with a full quality stereophonic sound.. Also musically this is build up by not just a few psychedelic ideas any more but also some complex ethno jazz acid rhythms and even some techno new electronics refinement. Highly recommended to anyone looking for adventurous but pleasant new sounds. Hopefully they will get international recognition soon. I believe that with this release they are destined for it. Perfect release ! and highly recommended. Played with many Turkish folk instruments, bass,...

Video track : "El Filan Sallıyorum"

Very short audio fragments: "Korsan","Maduray'da Sabah", "Erotika", "Hıdırellez Gülleri","Bahar" "Kurabiye Dansi",

"Tohum","Anam","Dini Bütün Bir Gece","Çiçeğin Doğuşu","Çöl Aslanları","Mutfak Kazaları", "Çöl Havası","Adam"

Sound fragments were listed at http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/audio_tracklist.asp?album_id=18

and album with Mad Professor : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/audio_tracklist.asp?album_id=29

For sale with sound also at http://babazula.calabashmusic.com/

Click here for a picture of a performance. E-mail : doublemoon@turk.net

Contact group : m.ertel@turk.net and levent_akman@yahoo.com

One extra track from later date can be found on the compilation album Floralia 4 ;

for details on this album see http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/MIZMAZE.html)

next Baba Zula release ->

Double Moon Baba Zula & Mad Professor : Psychebelly Dance Music (2003)***'

no review

Audio : http://www.myspace.com/babazula

& http://www.emusic.com/album/10875/10875811.html

Info & audio : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_en.asp?album_id=29

& http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/news_detail.asp?news_id=220

Review : http://www.cdroots.com/moon-psyc.html

& http://exoticmusicshop.com/...

Double Moon Baba Zula & Mad Professor : Duble Oryantal (rec.2003 & 2005)***°

Early in 2006 I saw a concert of Baba Zula in Antwerp. It was the last concert of their tour. Although only two musicians were on stage they gave a great concert based upon Anatolian folk music with modern rhythms and keyboards and electric saz with effects. Murat Ertel showing himself to be a magician with his instrument, but also Levent Akman could conjure a complete rhythmically driven orchestra. Two girls added more visual effects : computer drawings beamed on a background screen, looked nice especially when in colour, and a dancer reminded me vaguely of belly dances.

Baba Zula’s latest release from 2003 is even when the band is smaller, very much an idea of the basic ideas where the new Baba Zula starts from. There were several moments that might have been similar or elsewhere even more impressive and creative. For this release Baba Zula had a larger line-up and many people cooperating : For this release it was Murat Ertel: Saz, string instruments, theremin, vocals ; Levent Akman: spoon, frame drum, def, conga, sampler machine ; Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubauten): bass, Emre Onel: percussion instruments, sampler, finger cymbals ; Hüseyin Ceylan: percussion, cajun, finger cymbals, davul, def ; Hüsnü Senlendirici (Laço Tayfa): clarinet ; Okan Yýlmaz : keyboards, percussion Oya Erkaya, bass, Mad Professor : percussion, Sly Dunbar, drums, Robbie Shakespeare, bass, Black Steele, rhythm guitar, Sky Juice, percussion, Özkan Ugur (MFÖ), vocals, Mehmet Güreli, Brenna MacCrimmon, Tugba Önal, Cagla Köseoullari, Görkem Yeltan : Vocals, Nermin Er, voice and sounds.

The influence of British dub producer Mad Professor is noticeable on a few tracks, and the music has been approached with respect. Last four bonus tracks are dub tracks, labelled as 'oriental dub'. They were mixed by Sly & Robbie, a popular Jamaican bass and drum reggae duo. At least one other track, "Children of Istanbul" was also influenced by reggae, but in a pure and entirely Anatolian way, as a kind of belly dance reggae. The contribution of clarinet by Hüsnü Senlendirici is very moody. In a similar way every participant adds his personal contributing element to the whole, making the music attractive and pleasant. The music documentary movie "Crossing the Bridge" done in cooperation with Alexander Hacke showed his interest in Baba Zula, and he also contributed on this release.

Info on group : http://exoticmusicshop.com/sf-article_info-of-Baba_Zula-aid-11-tp-7_8.htm

& http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Zula

& http://my.opera.com/E.%20Driver/blog/show.dml/169027

Info : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_en.asp?album_id=49

& http://www.babazula.com/sf-index-of-Belly_Double-cp-446_457.htm

Audio : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_tracks.asp?album_id=49

& http://www.babazula.com/sf-index-of-Audio_Belly_Double-cp-429_467.htm & (with review) http://exoticmusicshop.com/... & http://www.audiomaze.com/world_baba_zula.asp

Homepage : http://www.babazula.com/ & http://www.myspace.com/babazula

next Baba Zula release ->

Double Moon Baba Zula : Roots (2007)****

Just before listening to this new album I had just experienced their 22nd of September gig with special guest Fred Frith, during the festivities and 25 years celebration of the concert hall Vooruit in Ghent. The new Turkish traditional percussionist was a welcome addition, and Fred Frith also succeeded to find some nice ideas to add. The concert showed me three aspects of the group. At times the heavy percussion and electric saz was between a very convincing wild psychedelic experience (when using pedal driven electric saz in combinations with certain electronic and acoustic rhythms) and a belly dance rhythmic dance (“trees branches go up in the sky, but they also have roots deeply grounded” Murat sung during the concert ; I was not sure if all people understood the depth of these simple words). The “roots” are also the foundations in traditional Turkish music, and to where the musicians live and to all that lives there. Also, people tend to repeat and continue all that happened before. If grandfathers kill, so will the sons and their sons. Things are repeated, and we must be aware and do something worthwhile with all the elements we are getting our roots from. Another drop-out is a dub aspect, noticed at the concert seemingly to spread a message and word. During the concert there was no effect on the voice, so this little part was lost a bit, or was just different than I expected it to be.

But “roots” for this album has more meanings. It seems that they go all the way back to the first Zen albums even, to where they all started making music, just by experimenting and improvising a bit while playing their traditional Turkish instruments. This is again exactly what happens here, with often very short tracks and ideas as if showing, with rather clean and sober and compact arrangements : tracks and ideas that function possibly as a core for further live explorations adapted on what brings the moment. From the other tracks are a few songs with traditional associations, just a few tracks with additional sparse electronic rhythms, and just a few others into a slight oriental dub appearance form, especially for the last few tracks, with use of birds sounds or horse neighing sounds just once or twice, as well as a Sufi singing sample on another track. Last rhythmic experiments are calm and moody and fit with the rest. A longer track like “Alexander” shows just something of a bit more psychedelic effect, of how you can experience the group live. With all its compact form, the result on this new album remains very attractive as a listening experience.

Audio : http://www.myspace.com/babazula

Info : http://www.babazula.com/roots/nm-roots-cp-496

Label info : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/English/KatalogDetay.aspx?Katalog=71

Article : http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20070315a1.html

Other review : http://www.womex.com/virtual/doublemoon_records/baba_zula/roots

next album-

Essay Rec.Baba Zula : Gecekondu (2011)***°

Baba Zula only gained experience during the years, their live concerts create a special, rather psychedelic dance atmosphere on its own, with a sound based upon electric saz or electric guitar in Turkish mode (with some wah-wah effects here and there), mixed with fast fingering bely dance rhythms on bells and hand drum. On several tracks the oriental resonance alone is already creating the mood,. The female vocalists respond with echoes, at a certain time with a small folklore harmony vocal theme. A sporadic zither or bass might have come from samples. Here and there subtle dub echoes can be heard and an electronic sequencer. The atmosphere is that of a belly dance for the mind. Often the band succeed to create a trance-alike effect, especially when repeating a certain theme in a certain way. Because there’s a different label involved this time, Titi Robin was guest, together with Alcalica, Serra Yilmaz, Cem Yildiz, Bugge Wesseltoft en ex-Asian Dub Foundation member Dr.Das, not forgetting the possibilities into a trance dub extension, in Turkish mode… The hypnotic feel from Baba Zula’s live concerts can be felt a bit better on a CD as well for a first time.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/babazula

Interview : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtkKZzCrtkc&amp

Webpage info : http://www.babazula.com/gecekondu/

Turkish label info : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/English/KatalogDetay.aspx?Katalog=105

Label info : http://www.essayrecordings.com/essay_babazulagk.htm

Links to other English reviews will be added later

German review : http://www.shz.de/nachrichten/...

& http://www.stern.de/kultur/musik...

Dutch review : http://muziek-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/12/cd-review-gecekondu-baba-zula-2010.html

More links later

Private Bonus Track : demo 1 (2000)*** demo 2 for "lost in nowhere" (2003)***°

1. I received a rough but very promissing demo with hard edged progressive middle eastern acid hard rock : heavy drums and el. bass, el. guitar and on the other hand electric violin and flute. An interesting combination... They are going to release this item soon in the US. More about it later...

2. Later I heard the first "rough" release of this recording through the MP3 tracks on the net. The sound of the band and the quality of the recordings have improved even more since the earlier demo from 3 years before. The style is mostly quality middle eastern hard and heavy rock / hard rock, sometimes more "rough" edged, but also with progressive elements, with an additional violin as a middle eastern / improvisational accompaniment. In one track, "Hyperspace jazz" we even hear a jazzy element. There has been some caretaken to create interesting instrumental music. And I am glad they used plenty of Turkish scales for composing the basic melodic part. This kind of combination I have not heard before until now.

The second demo version is still in the mixing stage. On the "meyzen" for instance still has to be added some Ney (= Turkish flute)-.

Now the group changed their name into "Hazerfan". Review of full release see next page.

Other audio files (other favourites) : "Black Spirit", "Impeller", "Neyzen on the Road", "Orientation"

(from http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/HAZERFAN/)

More information at http://www.angelfire.com/band/bonustrack/

Ada MüzikBulutsuzluk Özlemi : Bulutsuzluk Senfoni (rec.1997,iss.2004)*°°

This is a fine attempt to create a Turkish “classic rock” release with symphonic orchestra, in a follow up of some early 70’s examples. We have recognisable rock melodies, with heavy electric guitars, and orchestrations. The songs are mostly more straight forward “rock” but the combination of rock with orchestra is worth hearing and successful, with some over the top hardrock electric guitar outbursts, greatly arranged with the orchestra creating a very "powerful" effect. Only one track is with a Turkish rock theme. All others are more western rock styled. Last track concludes like a rock-"opera".

Within its straight forwardness I really enjoy this release. I think it will appeal especially to 'classic rock' fans.

Audio : "Tepedeki Çimenlik", "Özgürlük Emek Ister","Kaybolan Sehir","Dede, Baba, Ogul","Yine Düstük Yollara"

Homepage : http://www.bulutsuzluk.com/

Webpage (with some pages) : http://www.anadolurock.com/bulutsuzlukozlemi/index.php

Turkish entry : http://www.bigglook.com/biggistanbul/roport/bulutsuzlukozlemi/cover.asp

Double Moon Rec.Burhan Öçal & Jamaaladeen Tacuma : Groove a la Turca (2001)***°

A monster project from which I expected much, but never the less it asked much time of me to fully understand. I'm used to several kinds of crossovers but this item crossed that line. What puzzled me at first was the high contrast mixing with some more attention to the high registers where the bass seemed to have has been used for contrast. For getting beyond that first attention I listened to the CD on different installations and occasions. Where at first I wondered if this effect had taken out some warmth I had to admit with each listen that the music had indeed a "cool" effect, and that it was pretty groovy too. And I happened to like this groove more and more after each listen.

On "Nihavend Longa" the bass line of Jamaladeen Tacuma (former bassist of Ornette Coleman) is most effective. The jazzy part is taken by the brass, mostly accompanying with a live energy like a jazzclub or ballroom orchestra with an that extra ethnical spirit for joy. Some Turkish beautiful orchestration is over layered with the jazz instruments. Here all ideas and individual approaches (good percussion / composition / etc.) are perfectly balanced and the music is high qualitative.

The second track "Habibi" adapted also elements of some of the popular new Arabesque Pop, with a more commercial beat without much complexity but it sounds again pretty "cool" : yeah. Although it still is fusion here is definitely Pop Fusion or Fusion pop. The orchestrations enriches the coolness to something really nice. The percussion on the title track, "Groove a la Turca" gets a somewhat woody echo in a knocked up high register. "Groovy" (funk,..) ideas bring any of the eventual thought over project ideas to a more bodily existence. In our society we survive in so many influences and cultures but it's "hip" to feel this embodied to some kind of spiritual effect like the way how Öçal Burhan plays percussion. The drumming itself is only just fitting, and is not particularly outstanding on this track. Any of the other arrangements are great. Beautiful Coltrane moods come just after that. Noticeable is that most of the brass section are musicians come from the NY and Philadelphia scene (,like Jack Walrath, long time associate from Mingus, with Art Barron and Ben Schachter). Did I recognised a small theme of Bach in the Arabesk orchestrations of "El Nino" ? If so that's really wonderful adapted ! Burhan Öçal won some prices with other recordings with this Istanbul Oriental Ensemble gefore. Egyptian singer Natacha Atlas happened to be in town and sung along as if she indeed was intended to be there.

On "Two by two" beautiful bass playing again from Jamaaladeen, with Turkish percussion from Burhan sounds here as if a bigger group is stealing the show. With a much more warm sound production this time. On "Kismet" the interventions between the moody bass, the exotic instruments and percussion, some violin are a quiet opening for a beautiful outburst in the brass section, which end up with some original spontaneous intuitive singing by Jumaladeen (at "I can feel it"). At "Katilim" we hear some Arabian rap by Natacha over the arrangements, combined with a hint to American rap,more cool jazz and Turkish percussion(like mostly on the darbuka). This too is a new area for me. This ends with a very percussive ethno-jazz. "Saz çaz" combines saz with electric guitar tickling. And "Gene Gel" repeats all discovered combinations once more with much arabesk orchestration.

A very good project indeed. And an enriched world to discover as something extra openness to hopefully adapt in live too. (Production with rhythms is sometimes hard !)

Afterwards I heard the show combined with concerts of Groove alla Turca (in cooperation with DJ Arkin Allen (aka Mercan Dede) must be / have been spectacular (see picture next to the cover of the album).

Contact for Europe : contact@jfdproductions.com

Label info : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/artist_en.asp?artist_id=8

with this album entry (including soundfiles): http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_en.asp?album_id=21

Review : http://www.barcelona2004.org/eng/eventos/espectaculos/ficha.cfm?IdEvento=1219

German review : http://www.jazzdimensions.de/reviews/worldmusic/2001/oecal_tacuma_groove.html

French review : http://www.sefronia.com/Recherche/Chronique.asp?AlbumID=3414

Information about New York artist Jamaladeen at http://www.jazzvalley.com/musician/jamaaladeen.tacuma

Page about Burhan Öçal : http://www.pasionturca.net/ENG/BURHAN/burhan_ocal.htm

Interview with Öçal at http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/intervie/rheburhanocal.html

Other very good Jazz fusions from Turkey which I have :

Vapurlar : Blues ***(Ada M.,VG) moody piano and fusion chamber orchestration

Okay Temiz : Zikir **°(Kent El.,1979,VG) with some outstanding tracks.

Okay Temiz in Europe ***(Yanki Plak,1988,VG-EX) percussion,flute,jazz fusion. Unique.

See separate page for Okay Temiz

Asia Minor : Cat's Dream ***(Kalan M.,1997,VG) quiet chamber fusion

Senem Diyici Quartet : Tell me trabizon ****'(Kalan M.,1998,EX) genially beautiful Indian/Turkish music/Jazz Fusion combination with beautiful female voice. Highly recommended.

See seperate page for Senem Diyici Quartet

next Burhan Öcal release ->

Doublemoon Rec.Burhan Öçal & Pete Namlook : Sultan Orhan (TÜ/?,2004)***'

For this third cooperation it took Burhan öçal & Pete Namlook 5 years to complete this new album. And it’s worth the effort and the waiting. Pete Namlook before mostly worked in ambient trance fields while Burhan as a percussionist cooperated mostly with many jazz and fusing styled artists.

The music style and arrangements improved since ‘Sultan – Osman’. The music sounds better produced and arranged, with a slightly rounder fuller production sound, and interesting layers.

In “Part 1” we hear lots of percussion, in various layers, and some rhythms with some nice slightly macho-bass vocals (in a positive & musical way) and singing by Burhan. “Part 2” builds up with saz and Turkish percussion by Orhan, with additional bass, percussion and effects by Pete, continued with just keyboards and saz in the more quiet "Part 3". On "Part 4" I assume a part of the story of the sultan is told. Here the music became a kind of ambient soundtrack with slow percussion with small bass echoing and slightly droning effects. “Part 5” continues this sphere and mood with saz and keyboards. “Part 6” with the earlier used bass voice raps in a percussive vocal style with lots of percussion, alternated by some acoustic percussion with Turkish clarinet by Ahmet Elbazan. Last part, “Part 7” concludes nicely with some oud, and more upbeat Turkish percussion mixed with some backwards percussion, repetitive rhythmic vocals and singing.

A fine and enjoyable album.

Audio : "Bolum 1" (or here), "Bolum 2" (or here), "Bolum 3" (or here), "Bolum 4"(or here), "Bolum 5", (or here),

"Bolum 6", "Bolum 7"

Info : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_en.asp?album_id=42

& http://music.hyperreal.org/labels/fax/info/sultan-orhan.html

& http://2350.org/pw47

next Burhan Öcal release ->

Doublemoon Rec. Burhan Öçal & The Trakya All Stars featuring Smadj : Trakya Dance Part (TÜ/TU,2006)****

Always with a feeling for old and new rhythm, Burhan Öcal, in cooperation with Turkish Roman gypsies, the Trakya All Stars, completed the sound, this time, of bringing old and new together, by inviting Smadj, a French-Tunisian sound programmer. While new Turkey has a new tradition of electronica with old instruments, the sounds of Smadj can’t but give the music at its most arranged, a slight North African (Rai electronica) touch, with an even bit more contrasts in the rhythms, especially successfully on “Kara Cali”, and perhaps “Karabiber”. In some way, most of the, well assembled traditional arrangements, related with the area of Thracia, do not really need anything extra, so (luckily) also most of the tracks were not given many more extra effects. More often a deep electronic bass can be heard, (-not absolutely necessary but a still comprehensible arrangement. The more rhythmical “Limoncu” has an extra layer of electronic beats. “Smadj’la Sohbet / Conversation with Smadj” improvisation of percussion (by Burhan Öcal) with Smadj's electronica, works well. The last track is a remix by Smadj of an earlier track by the group.

Audio : "Kara Calı", "Karabiber ", "Kayinço", "Opaz", "Hovarda Mustafa", "Sülo", "Süpheli Ask", "Zigos", "Limoncu",

"Isirgan Otu", "Smadj’la Sohbet", "Opaz (Smadj Mix)" & on http://www.myspace.com/burhanocal

Label info : http://www.doublemoon.com.tr/en/album_en.asp?album_id=69

Info : http://www.biletix.com/webbiletix/wtsEvent.do?eventCode=HBAB6

& http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=65221

Smaj homepage : http://www.myspace.com/jeanpierresmadj

Atlikarinca Film MusicAhmet Kenan Bilgic : Merry Go Round / Atlikarinca (TÜ,2011)***'

This EP by Ahmet kenan bilgic from Gevende band fits with a soundtrack from a movie, but I am not even sure if there is a real movie involved. We hear some stretched cello (?) tones in a keyboard fashion mixed with the resonating strings of an amplified or electrified guitar, some trumpet solo over it on a soft and enfolding rhythm. The dynamic space between instruments is something I recognise from some ECM related releases. Several layers are recorded on top of each other with some harmonic resonance between them, like a generally produced sound, fitting very well like this as the intro for a soundtrack. The second track has also resonating and slowly played guitars, a slow rhythm with simple piano. The slow rhythm breaths itself further on the third track which is arranged with picked cello, also in a keyboard-like fashion of arrangement, with slow textured notes of guitar, playing a simple melody in sad chords. Only the last track the rhythm is becoming faster, a harp and violin improvisation are added, the general rhythmic mode becomes happier. From here the EP could easily start all-over, like an endless loop.

Audio : http://www.amazon.com/... & http://itunes.apple.com/...

Homepage : http://cargocollective.com