Last month, Amsterdam-based six-piece Altin Gün released their sophomore album Gece. The record follows their 2018 debut record On and sees the band re-interpret Turkish rock and folk music from the ‘60s and ‘70s, bringing new textures and colors the the traditional songs while remaining committed to its sources.
Our Song of the Day is lead single “Süpürgesi Yoncadan,” a Turkish love song about falling for someone unexpectedly and suffering over unrequited love. Founder and bass player Jasper Verhulst’s deep passion for Turkish folk and psychedelia sprouted from a trip he took to Istanbul while playing in another band and grew into a full obsession.
“The songs come out of a long tradition,” Verhulst explains. “This is music that tries to be a voice for a lot of other people. None of this music is widely available in the Netherlands. Of course, since our singers are Turkish, they know many of these pieces. All this is part of the country’s musical past, their heritage, like ‘House of The Rising Sun’ is in America.Most of these songs have had hundreds of different interpretations over the years. I’m listening for something we can change and make into our own. We need something that will make people stop and listen, as if it’s the first time they’ve heard it.”
Altın Gün will play the Crocodile on August 5. Below, watch Altın Gün performing live for KEXP at the Halle de la Courrouze in Rennes, France, during Trans Musicales 2017.
