Diskotür 1985 / Pharaway Sounds 2017
Anatolian Break Dance
From countryside to the city, people’s music gets street-smart.
Nobody seems to have owned up to playing on this record from Turkey: some may call it cheesy, yet “Anatolian Break Dance” is possessed of a very specific period charm which makes the album alluring to those who won’t be able to recognize traditional melodies in the ’80s arrangements. Such an approach can kill the exotica factor, but collectors must lap up the LP: it’s not that bad anyway.
In this context, “Break Döktürü” is a nice attempt to modernize folk canon, although for the most part the tunes on display sound rather cheap despite occasional otherworldly effect – like in the exquisite weave of “Aman Yavrum Nazlanma” – and if the likes of “Fındık Dalları” hold none of those, there’s a fusion-inspired freedom to get them through to the listener. More so, spanked with infectious bass, “Çingeneler Maşa Yapar Satarlar” smears cosmic electronica and spaced-out synthesizers over its funky groove, while the contemplative “Silifkenin Yoğurdu” applies it to baroque, with harpsichord vying for attention with guitar.
Further still, for all its dance-minded meandering, the six-string-driven “Misket ‘Farfara'” can be considered a rock piece, yet again: it’s a matter of acquired taste – or collector’s drive – that will pull one into this trip. Thrill is guaranteed, though.
**1/2
