Saz Beat III

Turkish Rock, Funk, and Psychedelic Music of the 1960s and 1970s

A
Neşe Karaböcek — Suçum Nedir 2’23
Γιάννης Φλωρινιώτης — τσιγγανάκι 3’09
Figen Han — Haydi Bastırrr 2’18
Önder Bali 4 — İçin 2’08
Esmeray — Soruyor Musun 3’20
Beyaz Kelebekler — Dam Üstüne Çul Serer 4’11
Fikret Hakan — Dedikleri Gerçek İmiş 2’49

B
Mehmet Pekün — Dinle Arkadaş 2’52
Yorgantz — Sassouni Bess Veheïn 5’31
Fikret Hakan — Löberde 5’26
Modern Folk Üçlüsü — Dudilli 2’50
Ali Kocatepe — Yeni Bir Dünya “74” 2’48

Bonus 12″
A
Saadet Gurses — Ay Bir Tane
Saadet Gurses — Sigarasi Yaldizli

B
Donusum  — Osman Pehlivan
Onder Bali 4 — Bergama Zeybegiliyi
Kerem Guney — Kiymayin Efendiler

This third and last volume offers another fresh choice of tracks exploring the sounds of Turkey in the 1960s and 1970s. As previous volumes have shown, these sounds cannot be confined stylistically or geographically, as their blending of Western and Turkish elements and the variety of styles thrown into the mix reach beyond the borders of the Turkish republic. Here we have a Turkish-Armenian cut by Yorgantz, as well as a Greek-Turkish track by Giannis Floriniotis, offering prime examples of Turkish pop-rock music, itself a hybrid of local and global sounds, interwoven with other musical styles.

The compilation presents a wide selection of music for dancing and listening purposes, ranging from folk to funk and from oriental rock ’n’ roll to deep psychedelic. Among other treats, it boasts flow-oriented pop by Neşe Karaböcek and Esmeray, jazzy harmonies by Figen Han, experimental rock by Önder Bali 4, fluffy folk by Modern Folk Üçlüsü, brass loaded funk by Ali Kocatepe, and Anatolian rock by Beyaz Kelebekler, Fikret Hakan, and Mehmet Pekün.

The bonus 12” has an urban disco boogie side with Saadet Gürses and a rural folk music side with Dönüşüm and Kerem Güney.

Made by the curator of “Bosporus Bridges” (Vols. 2 + 3), “The Trip. Psychedelic Music from the Hippie Trail” (Pts. 1–4), and “Saz Beat” (Vols. 1 + 2).
All tracks have been carefully restored and completely remastered for full sonic impact at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.

After all those reissues and compilations, you might be forgiven for thinking that the well of Turkish psych must have been drained dry by now. But the deep diggers at Corvo are here to disavow you of that notion with a third compilation of lesser-known cuts. And what a collection. There are dancers and head-nodders, a brace of poppy vocal numbers, a foray into freaky electronica, some deeply funky folk, and some of what can only be described as pseudo-motorik, all with that beautifully thick, analogue production. The accompanying 12”—one side shimmery disco and the other side earthy folk—is perhaps less immediate; more of a grower.
Eye-catching as the arty, tactile insert is, it might have been nice to use it to provide
a bit more provenance concerning some of the acts represented here (if, indeed, any
is known!) Still, a brilliant compilation—let’s hope it’s not really the last.

— Christopher Budd, Shindig! Issue #65