One of Berlin’s most incredible live acts, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, has a new album out. From their Bandcamp site: “Big Crown Records is proud to present Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek’s latest album Yarın Yoksa. The show stopping intensity of Derya backed by the psychedelic soul of Grup Continue Reading
Turkey
Selen Gülün – Years
On this tenth album by Turkish pianist (and frequent visitor to Japan) Selen Gülün, she remains in fine form. She’s no stranger to our blog, and it’s been far too long since we had the pleasure of hearing modern jazz done right. From her Bandcamp site: “Selen Gülün’s tenth album, Continue Reading
Deben Bhattacharya – Behind the Scenes of ‘Ecstatic Dances of the Whirling and Howling Dervishes’
From the Youtube link: “Ecstatic Dances of the Whirling and Howling Dervishes of Turkey and Syria: http://store.arcmusic.co.uk/ecstatic-… The Mevlevi Order of the Whirling Dervishes was inaugurated in Turkey in 1273. This CD features dances of the Whirling Dervishes from Turkey and Syria. These are authentic field recordings by ethnomusicologist Deben Continue Reading
Saadet Türköz – Urumqi
Saadet Türköz is an international treasure. Born to Kazakh and Turkish parents in Istanbul in 1961, she has developed a style that comfortably blends Central Asian traditional music with free jazz. A very pleasant listen.
Yabancılar – Ağıt
No reviews today as I will be out and about, so I leave you with a haunting instrumental track by the Turkish band Yabancılar.
Sanr – Ramak (Şiddet Denetimi)
Sanr is a project out of Turkey who has released an album so drone-laden and so darkly ambient that it would have fit perfectly between a collection of Cold Meat Industry records and the Terminator 2 soundtrack. It’s heavy, foreboding and magnificent listening if you like a horror vibe.
DÜNYA – A Sacred Music Celebration: Greek Orthodoxy and Turkish Sufism
For my friends in the West, today is Good Friday, and I wish you a wonderful, blessed and prosperous Paschal celebration. I send you a gift in the form of the ensemble DÜNYA offering Christian and Islamic chants in celebration of Holy Weekend and Easter.
Various Artists – Les Disques Bongo Joe: Solidarity With February 2023 Earthquake Victims
The earthquake which has ravaged Turkey and Syria should not be forgotten about despite the blindingly fast news barrage we’re living through. The Swiss label Bongo Joe have offered this pay-what-you-like compilation featuring Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, Oldu O Zaman and Altın Gün, who have graciously given tracks to Continue Reading
Grup Doğuş – Grup Doğuş’tan Aranjmanlar
Don’t let the cover fool you – Grup Doğuş produce great Andalou music! The band hails from Germany but have Turkish roots, and bring the wild sound of Anatolian Rock and meld it to surf music, psychedelic rock and Hammond organ vibes.
Schola Cantorum, Ensemble Trinitas, The New England Mehterhane and five different DÜNYA ensembles – A Story of The City: Constantinople, Istanbul
Turkish-American composer Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol directs Schola Cantorum, Ensemble Trinitas, The New England Mehterhane and five different DÜNYA ensembles in a sumptuous history of Istanbul/Constantinople via music from the Byzantine and Ottoman periods.