Gecekondu

There is something regal in the music of Baba Zula – the elegant, yearning vocals of Elena Hristova, the stately loping of the electro saz and the bağlama lutes; and the bubbling Middle Eastern percussion. They are heralded as the ‘unrivalled modern masters of Turkish psychedelic music, leaving one wondering quite what to expect. While this album takes its name from the temporary dwellings that spring up overnight on the outskirts of Istanbul and other large Turkish cities, there is a breadth and grandeur to their music that is evocative more of an airy Ottoman palace than the busy streets of a modern metropolis. It is not without its diversity, however, from the deep dub of ‘Efkarli Yaprak’ to the urban beats of ‘Temptation’ and ‘Abdülcanbaz’ and back again to the timeless sound of ‘Hopçe’ and the instrumental ‘Kelebekler Kuplar’. There are guests galore, from French Gypsy guitarist Titi Robin to Dr Das of Asian Dub Foundation fame.

Two of the finest, if briefest, moments on the album are the two introductions ‘Hopçe Açis’ and ‘Komsu Açis. From there the musicians disappear into rhythmic loops punctuated by occasional whoops and yelps. Though these tracks indisputably become hypnotic, it is questionable whether they really satisfy. Somehow I knew these guys wouldn’t end on a quick one-minute ditty, and sure enough, they dose with a second, 11-minute instrumental version of ‘Temptation. It feels indulgent and unnecessary, but then what is psychedelic music if it isn’t indulgent and unnecessary?