Beyond Istanbul II: Urban Sounds of Turkey

Ipek Ipekçiolu has done it again. Her well-programmed selection leads the listener through a dreamy path of discovery, with fun from beginning to end. It’s hip and up-to-date, with an emphasis on the rap of Sultana or Ceza and on new groups like Kirika and Gevende, but does not forget tradition, with tracks representing previous decades from Baba Zula, Osman Işmen Project, Sevil Öztatli’s ‘Seks, Seks, Seks’ (a real oddity from the 1970s) and even a respectful remix of an Aşik Veysel talk, the old bard reminiscing about his life with a musical treatment underlining the poetic quality of his speech. There’s something for everybody’s taste here, from Bajar’s contemporary acoustic folk to Norrda’s Scandinavian-influenced electronics. I could have done without the operatic renditions by Sema and Zafer Erdaş, especially back-to-back, and I would have inserted more alternative groups such as Koptu Kervan or Kara Günes, but these are minor quibbles compared to the overall quality and geographical scope of a project that indeed goes beyond Istanbul. Groups from Izmir and Eskisehir are covered; there’s a song in Kurdish, as well as Turkish musicians operating in Europe and even Canada (Burcu & Something About Reptiles, who are achingly nostalgic). First-class graphics and informed liner notes add to the success of a compilation deserving unqualified recommendation as a fine introduction to the Turkish urban music of today.