I’m excited to present this playlist from Altin Gün. I’ve been a fan since hearing their debut last year. Their latest album, Gece, just released last Friday, combines the energy of Turkish folk with the sounds of psychedelia, funk, and more. Anyway, this playlist consists of ten Turkish deep cuts, going beyond the well-known (and great) names of Selda Bağcan, Moğollar, and others. Enjoy!
—Keenan Kush, Talkhouse Operations Manager
Zafer Dilek — “Süpürgesi Yoncadan”
This is from one of our favorite Turkish albums. It’s Turkish groovy easy listening. We made our own version of this song, which is on the new record — this version is not the original either, but it inspired us to create our rendition.
Gülden Karaböcek — “Mehmet Emmi”
There are a lot of really cool versions of this Turkish traditional. We love this one because it’s so groovy and sounds really fat and funky.
Grup Turbo — “Bir Sigara İç Oğlan”
This song was originally released only on cassette in the ’80s. Erdinç (vocals/saz in Altin Gün) told us the song is about smoking cigarettes, which I thought was funny. I really like this track, it’s a little different from the ’70s psychedelia.
Ersen & Dadaşlar — “Dostlar Beni Hatırlasın”
The song was originally written by one of the most famous Turkish folk artists, but this version, by one of our favorite Turkish artists, is a nice combination of melancholic folk and groovy ’70s pop.
Arif Sağ — “Şu Samsunun Evleri”
This version is by one of the most famous saz players (Turkish string instrument). His interpretation of this Turkish folk classic is very danceable; our song “Kolbasti” is based on it.
Saadet Gürses — “Sigarası Yaldızlı”
I really like the disco-ish makeover on this interpretation of the song.
İstanbul Çalgıcıları — “Köroğlu Dağları”
This version is one of the only real covers in our repertoire — we always play it in our live set, though we’ve never recorded it.
Ağrı Dağı Efsanesi — “Deli Gönül Neylersin”
This is an original Turkish pop song, which makes it an exception in this list. We based our version of Vay Dünya on the groove in this song.
Erkan Ocaklı — “Gülcan Öldürdün Beni”
I found this on a rare record that someone recently recommended to me, and I loved it. It’s never been re-issued or on a compilation and is hard to find.
Serter Bağcan — “Ordu’nun Dereleri”
I recently discovered this version on a compilation called Bosphorus Bridges; I had never heard it before. I like that it’s melancholic and groovy at the same time.
Altin Gün Tour Dates:
7/12 & 7/13 – Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Festival
7/14 – Guelph, ON @ Hillside Festival
7/16 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre
7/18 – Sudbury, ON @ River & Sky
7/20 – Toronto, ON @ Beaches Jazz
7/22 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
7/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
7/27 – Washington, DC @ Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel
7/29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
7/30 – Minneapolis, MN @ TURF Club
8/03 & 8/04 – Portland, OR @ Pickathon
8/05 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
8/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
