Altın Gün

Since the phrase Netherlands based Turkish rock band doesn’t tumble out of your mouth every day, it perks up the ears when one hears it. Following their formidable debut, On Altın Gün bumps up the label chain to ATO for a follow up that’s expanding on their excavation of the Anatolian rock canon. They continue to take inspirational swipes at the venerated catalogs of Erkin Koray and Selda, but the band begins to shift from their ‘60s rooted sounds while bridging the psychedelia with a disco shuffle and cocaine strut of the late ‘70s / early ‘80s bent to create a whole other era that hangs between the years. The bulk of the songs (save for “Şoför Bey”) are interpretations of older folk songs and Turkish traditionals – a practice that was common among the psychedelicists of the ‘70s in the area. This leaves the band room to mold the classic melodies into their vision. The melding of eras brings to mind the outdoor market tapes of bands from the Anatolian scene as well as African bands who’ve long interpreted their region’s traditional songs with modern arrangements.

When the band amps up the fuzz they’re still at their best. Occasionally the genre melting pot gets a little too full with their ‘80s visions, as on closer “Süpürgesi Yoncadan,” which strips away more of the psychedelia and goes for a straighter disco element, though this is perhaps the only instance where the tonal shift overhelms. Impressively, the band makes pretty much all the eras fit together like a tapestry woven through the changes without much friction. In most cases the shift from drums to electronics barely registers until the dance is upon you. The blare of the keys overwhelming the guitars is all just more of the band’s ecstatic approach. If you’re a fan of Turkish psych, this should already be in your basket, but if you’re simply a fan of blistering guitars, polyrhythmic beat, and slinking bass that can’t help but incite the itch of dance, then this is equally your best bet.

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