Altin Gun – Garip (Opaque Sky Blue LP Vinyl)
Review
At their core, Altin Gün are the ultimate modern fusion band—not in the Miles Davis sense, but by the very literal definition. Emerging from Amsterdam, the Dutch-Turkish quintet specializes in a sublime form of psychedelia, revitalizing traditional Anatolian music as they spiderweb out into prog, disco, funk, and synth-pop. And for their first eight years, they also relied on a particularly captivating fusion behind the microphones, with singer Merve Daşdemir blending her mellifluous tones with the more somber, ruminative voice of Erdinç Ecevit. For their sixth album, they face a unique challenge—carrying on without that distinctive sweet-and-savory hybrid, Daşdemir having left the lineup in 2024. That shift alone makes Garip more of an obvious grower than any of their previous work, including their pair of divisive, electronic-leaning pandemic projects, 2021's Yol and Âlem. At first, it's hard to shake the feeling that something's missing—you can't help but autofill Daşdemir's haunting timbre into "Öldürme Beni," a funky groover with handclaps and spacey-as-hell synthesizer leads. But once you let reality take hold, you start to notice all of the subtle ways they've yet again tricked out their songs. Here, reimagining the work of Turkish folk artist Neşet Ertaş, they add cinematic drama through the Stockholm Studio Orchestra (see: "Gönül Dağı"), add sexy saxophones ("Suçum Nedir"), slip in a blissful space-rock slide-guitar solo ("Gel Kaçma Gel") and reach peak synth-wave on closer "Bir Nazar Eyledim." What Altin Gün has lost in immediate charisma, they've made up for in curiosity.
— Ryan Reed, Relix
Product Details
Neşet Ertaş spent decades carrying the Anatolian folk tradition on his back, his bağlama and plainspoken poetry connecting rural Turkish life to something timeless. Altin Gün have always understood that psychedelic music is roots music at its core, and bringing Ertaş's songs into their hypnotic, groove-locked framework feels less like reinvention than recognition, a long-overdue conversation between generations.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with their debut album, On, Amsterdam-based Altin Gun have been at the vanguard of the 21st century revival of Turkish-influenced psychedelic grooves. Now, the Grammy-nominated quintet return with their sixth studio album Garip — their most ambitious and diverse release to date, and a heartfelt tribute to Neşet Ertaş - a revered and much-loved Turkish singer, lyricist and bağlama player who recorded more than 30 albums and wrote hundreds of songs.
Tracklist
- Neredesin Sen
- GÖNÜL Dagi
- Öldürme Beni
- Nigde Baglari
- Benim Yarim
- Suçum Nedir
- Gel Yanima Gel
- ZÜLÜF DÖKÜLMÜS Yüze
- Gel Kaçma Gel
- Bir Nazar Eyledim
UPC: 880882684419
Label: Ato Records
Release Date: 2.20.26
Format: LP Vinyl