ALTIN GN – Garip – LP – Black Vinyl [FEB 20]

LP – Standard Edition Black Vinyl.

Altn Gn, the Grammy-nominated Turkish psych-groove quintet from Amsterdam, return with their sixth studio album Garip their most ambitious and diverse release to date, and a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Turkish folk bard Neet Erta.

Neet Erta (19382012) was a beloved icon of Anatolian music; a gifted singer, lyricist, and balama virtuoso who carried the spirit of the ashik folk tradition into the modern era. Garip (“Strange”in English) features ten of his compositions, each reimagined and richly expanded through Altn Gns distinctive lens.

An electrifying live band with an ever-growing global following, Altn Gn push their sonic boundaries even further on Garip weaving in lush Arabesque string arrangements, bursts of saxophone, glimmering synth balladry, and a fresh surge of tightly wound rock n roll.

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Since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with their debut album, On, Amsterdam-based Altn Gn have been at the vanguard of the 21st century revival of Turkish-influenced psychedelic grooves.

Coming straight out of the gate with a wah-wah and organ heavy sound that effortlessly captured the spirit of Anatolian 70s psych-funk masters like Bari Mano and Erkin Koray, they deepened and expanded their palette with 2021s Yol, which brought synths and drum machines into the mix for a more 80s-influenced dream-pop vibe.
But no matter how far out theyve gone, theyve always maintained a strong link to the same Anatolian folk traditions that inspired those early pioneers. Founder and bassist, Jasper Verhulst says: Were doing the same thing a lot of those artists were doing, which is playing Turkish traditionals and songs written by folk artists.

Now, with their sixth album, Garip, theyve brought that connection to the folk source front and centre, showcasing a collection of songs all originally written by Turkish folk legend Neet Erta.

Erta (1938-2012) was a revered and much-loved Turkish singer, lyricist and balama player, and a modern-day embodiment of the ancient ashik tradition of the folk-bard-troubadour. Throughout his long career, he recorded more than 30 albums and wrote hundreds of songs some of which were famously recorded by the likes of Bari Mano and Selda Bacan.

For Altn Gn’s vocalist, keyboardist and balama player, Erdin Eevit, interpreting a suite of Ertas tunes is a chance to get back to his roots.

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 Neet Erta 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.

Now, years later, Eevit has fully immersed himself in Ertas lyrics messages from the heart that are, he says, stories about what hes facing in life. The Turkish traditional music is the blues of the Turkish people. Nowhere is this better exemplified than on Gnul Dai, one of Ertas most famous compositions, here brought to life by Eevits yearning, sensitive vocals. Gnul Dai is about the pain of love, the storms of the heart and the loneliness of longing, says Eevit. Hes expressing what rural Anatolia has always felt that love is both sacred and sorrowful, a force of nature.

In Altn Gn’s hands, the tune becomes a languid funk-rock crawl with watery guitar, a loping bassline and a palpable hint of mystery deepened by luxuriant string arrangements provided by the Stockholm Studio Orchestra. The strings feature on several tracks, touching on influences including Egyptian popular music, Bollywood soundtracks and Turkish Arabesque. But, as Verhulst explains, theres another touchstone underpinning the sound. Theres definitely a French Italian influence in those arrangements, he says. It’s a prime example of Altn Gn’s urge to cast their net wide and incorporate a far-reaching set of magpie musical directions.

Album opener, Neredesin Sen, is a throbbing, bass led vamp with a strong early-80s Indie flavour that showcases the fluid chemistry between drummer Daniel Smienk and percussionist Chris Bruining. The closing track, Bir Nazar Eyeldim, is a breathtaking ballad with Eevits pleading vocals playing out over lush synth arpeggios and a sparse electronic rhythm. Along the way, the band also touches on proggy vibes, with Eevit getting down and dirty on the synths pitch-bend, and a laid-back west coast ambiance. Check out Thijs Elzingas gorgeous slide guitar on the smouldering Gel Kama Gel to dig just how relaxed they can sound.

Fans of Altn Gn’s past work will find much to love too. The Anatolian element is still strong and not just in Eevits aching vocals. Eevits tight balama figures are woven throughout, making a direct link back to those earliest influences on tracks like the smoky Nide Balari, with its off-kilter folk rhythm and cavernous sense of the Anatolian steppes stretching out for miles.

Its our most eclectic album, says Verhulst. Theres a little bit of everything. The songs are harder to label. We wanted to do something different than what weve done before. Less in your face, less poppy, less obviously psych-rock. More just vibing.
Garip is the sound of a band thats constantly evolving. A mature musical unit with nothing to prove. A band thats having a whole lot of fun.

Jasper Verhulst bass
Erdin Eevit vocals, balama, keys
Daniel Smienk drums
Chris Bruining percussion
Thijs Elzinga guitars

Tracklist:

1. Neredesin Sen
2. Gnl Da
3. ldrme Beni
4. Nide Balar
5. Benim Yarim
6. Suum Nedir
7. Gel Yanma Gel
8. Zlf Dklm Yze
9. Gel Kama Gel
10. Bir Nazar Eyledim