VA - Hava Narghile: Turkish Rock Music 1966-1975

Similar to the [now out of print] Turkish Delights compilation is this great collection of vintage psychedelic rock music from Turkey. With 22 tracks, spanning the years 1966-1975, this collection is a great introduction to the fanatastic, long-lost Middle Eastern acid rock scene. These bands raved it up in Istanbul nighclubs, blending the Western garage-psych rock of the era with Turkish folk influences (electic fuzz saz!), bellydancing beats, and all manner of "exotic" flourishes. Of the 17 artists on here, only a few names were already known to us, mainly from that aforementioned Turkish Delights lp or as the Turkish entries on the fab Love Peace & Poetry: Asian Psychedelic Music compilation. Those would be the amazing Mogollar (two tracks), guitar hero Erkin Koray, Mavi Isiklar, and Baris Manco. And none of their tracks are duplicated between this comp and those other two [and there's no overlap with anything on the more recent Turkish Love, Peace & Poetry volume either]. Of the many cuts on here, everyone will have their own favorites, certainly there's many killer ones. Dionysus' Bacchus Archives imprint has done a colorful job with the packaging, illustrated with promo photos and 7" sleeves. And every track gets a good paragraph of information, so by listening and reading you'll become hip to the history of the whole Turkish psych happenin'. Highly recommended!

1 Silüetler - Lorke-Lorke
2 Kaygısızlar - Sasirdim
3 Mavi Işıklar - Iyi Dusun Tasin
4 Haramiler - Camlica Yolunda
5 Yabancılar - Agit
6 Apaşlar - Gilgamis
7 Moğollar - Hard Work
8 Erkin Koray - Anma Arkadas
9 Barış Manço & Kaygısızlar - Flower Of Love
10 Erkut Taçkın With Okan Dincer & Kontrastlar - Muhur Gozlum
11 Çağrışım - Divane Gonlum
12 Barış Manço & Kaygısızlar - Trip (Fairground)
13 Moğollar - Berkay Oyun Havasi
14 Bunalim - Basak Saclim
15 3 Hür-El - ...Ve Olum
16 Erkin Koray & Ter - Hor Gorme Garibi
17 Barış Manço - Ben Bilirim
18 Koray Oktay - Vefasiz Dost
19 Ersen - Sor Kendine
20 Melih Faruk Serdar Saygun - Gurbet Acisi
21 Erkin Koray - Saskin
22 Gökçen Kaynatan - Pencerenin Perdesini

download.

Current 93 - Of Ruine or Some Blazing Starre (Reissue), 2007

‘Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre’ is the latest re-issue from Current 93’s highly impressive and startlingly diverse back catalogue. Originally released in 1994, ‘Of Ruine..’ saw Tibet and his stripped back assemblage of musicians delivering an album that was awash with simplistic charm and character, yet was as deeply and emotionally charged as anything that had come before it.

Aided by the ever-present Steve Stapleton, the multitalented Michael Cashmore, and Phoebe Cheshire who provided occasional vocal accompaniments, Tibet managed to skilfully construct an album brimming with subtle sounds and ideas which come together to produce an immensely dense and complex framework of lyrics, music and atmosphere. On initial listens ‘Of Ruine..’ seems to be simply an expansion of the folk-esque sound that Current 93 had started to be renowned for, and in simplistic terms this could be correct. And yet this album is so much more than that. It sees a true coming-of-age for Current 93. Tibet seems immensely comfortable with himself and his music, life and beliefs and this is projected through the immensely compelling essence of ‘Of Ruine..’.

(read more)

download. buy.

Akron/Family - Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free, 2009

1 . Everyone Is Guilty

2. River

3. Creatures

4. The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen

5 . Set 'Em Free

6. Gravelly Mountains of the Moon

7 . Many Ghosts

8 . MBF

9 . They Will Appear

10. Sun Will Shine (Warmth of the Sunship Version)

11 . Last Year

buy.

myspace.