The Grammy-nominated Turkish psych-groove quintet from Amsterdam return with a stylish and expansive sixth LP — a heartfelt tribute to the work of the legendary Turkish folk bard Neşet Ertaş (1938–2012), a legend of Anatolian music. Ertaş was gifted singer, lyricist and bağlama virtuoso who carried the spirit of the ashik folk tradition into the modern era. Garip (meaning “Strange" in English) features 10 of his compositions intepreted via Altın Gün’s distinctive style, weaving lush Arabesque string arrangements, bursts of saxophone, glimmering synth balladry and flavours of rock. Altın Gün's vocalist, keyboardist and bağlama player, Erdinç Eçevit, remembers Ertaş from his childhood: “Both of my parents are from Turkey, from the same area he is from,” he says. “It's the music that I grew up with. When I was five, six years old, my grandfather always had cassettes by Neşet Ertaş and I used to listen to it all day long. Then I was too young to really understand the lyrics and the meaning, but I really liked the melodies.”
Among the highlights is Gönul Daği, which is about the pain of love, the storms of the heart and the loneliness of longing,” confirms Eçevit. “He’s expressing what rural Anatolia has always felt – that love is both sacred and sorrowful, a force of nature.” Musically has a slow, romantic delivery, a thrumming funk-rock crawl with wobbly, watery effect guitar, a loping bassline and luxuriant string arrangements provided by the Stockholm Studio Orchestra. The album is rich in influences from Egyptian popular music, Bollywood soundtracks. Such rich dynamic explorations from the start – opener Neredesin Sen is led by throbbing bass, a rock number and with strong early-80s indie flavour with a catchy riff, and a strong chemistry between drummer Daniel Smienk and percussionist Chris Bruining, all the way to The closer Bir Nazar Eyeldim, gorgeous ballad with Eçevit’s pleading vocals playing out over lush synth arpeggios and a sparse electronic rhythm. Other gems include the syncopated synth funk and passionate delivery of Öldürme Beni, the catchy, bendy Tuareg-style grooves of Benim Yarim, and the tasty pace of Zülüf Dökülmüş Yüze. Inspiring, fun and exotic - it’s a not only a great listen, but also inspires investigations of Neşet Ertaş. Wonderful. Out on Glitterbeat Records.
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