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Ahleuchatistas - Even in the Midst… (Cuneiform) : One of the three best math/maze rock albums this year from Asheville, NC’s Ahleuchatistas. Past review on undomondo.
Thilges - La Double Absence (Staubgold) : Decent electronic/acoustic eastern/western fusion album unlike others. Past review on undomondo.

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Kerkko Koskinen - Agatha (Ricky Tick) : Cinematic big band jazz stuff by Finnish composer Kerkko Koskinen. Past review on undomondo.
DuOud & Abdulatif Yagoub - Sakat (Label Bleu) : Lovely hybrid electronic/acoustic album with roots arabic oud music fused with dubby electronics. Past review on undomondo.
Grails - Burning off Impurities (Temporary Residence) : Dark Psychedelic rock from SF. Past review on undomondo.

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Artanker Convoy - Cozy Endings (Social Registry) : Balanced blend of psychedelic, noise, funk, jazz , rock. Past review on undomondo.
Death Ambient - Drunken Forest (Tzadik) : Strings and Noise by the infamous Tzadik improvisers Fred Frith, Ikue Mori and Kato Hideki. Past review on undomondo.
Serafina Steer - Cheap Demo Bad Science (Static Caravan) : British leftfield pop by harpist & singer-songwriter Serafina Steer. Past review on undomondo.

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Rahsaan Patterson - Wines and Spirits (Artistry Music) : Soulful urban electro-funk by Bronx NYC’s Rahsaan Patterson. Another review.
Lukid - Onandon (Werk) : Delicate stoner loops and sampler electronica by London whizkidLukid. Past review on undomondo.

Ahleuchatistas - Cup of Substance
Thilges - Mehreban Bash
Kerkko Koskinen - Sparkling Arsenic
DuOud & Abdulatif Yagoub - Ya Janiat
Grails - Silk Rd
Artanker Convoy - Rabbit
Death Ambient - River Tigris
Serafina Steer - Peach Heart
Rahsaan Patterson - Time
Lukid - A Smart Girl

I mentioned O.M.F.O. on Yesterday’s Balkan Beat Box post and I thought I should post a few tracks off his new album “We are the Shepherds“. I’ve rambled about Our Man from Odessa lots of times, his mixture of traditional asian and Turkmenic sounds with modern sounds in a kitsch way has even attracted the attention of Borat. His latest album produced by Uwe Schmidt (aka Atom Heart & Senor Coconut and about 60 more nicknames) has some incredible songs, and some mediocre songs (I’m sorry). I can easily say that the song Azerbaijan has even entered my alltime favourites (you can listen to it on undomondo radioshow #3). Today I’ve featured the other song I’ve played on that mix, “Dagistan” which is an electrified Caucasus dance, and “Orbital Hora” which is a dubbified Hora (a traditional dance). If you’re not into Eastern sounds other than “mainstream oriental compilations” these songs could be a shocker for you.

However there’s something even more shocking and that’s a recent cd I had to chance to discover thanks to internet. That’s a cd by an Azerbaijani guitar virtuoso Mahmud Ismayiloglu called Past Days. If you’ve listened to O.M.F.O. and you’re saying “wth is this stuff I want more”, Ismayiloglu covers some Turkish & Indian music with an electric guitar he plays like a traditional Azerbaijani instrument called Tar. The first song “Aslanabad” is a very uptempo “wedding song”, it goes on for 9:16 and it never loses speed. I played it to a few friends and they all went searching for the eject button, because after the 5th minute it may really get on your nerves. The other song is simply called “Turk” and it’s a cover of a well known Turkish song I’m sure our Turkish readers will get.

I hope some of our readers don’t get annoyed by stuff like this because one of the friends I played it said “what’s the purpose of the existence of this music”, obviously he’s never heard of anything like cultural diversity, so this one goes to all the open minded fellas around the world. Peace.

O.M.F.O. - Dagistan
O.M.F.O. - Orbital Hora
Mahmud Ismayiloglu - Turk
Mahmud Ismayiloglu - Aslanabad

Hi, here I am with some special ethnic music for you. A few nights ago as I was coming home and Shinanay, a well known traditional Aegean song sprang to my mind. The reason I still remember this song is because of a rendition by Omar Faruk Tekbilek the world renowned Sufi-ethnic musician from Turkey, who lives in Sweden. I know it might not appeal to people who don’t know the song or don’t understand the lyrics, but it’s a good song featuring some parts of the lyrics in Greek, so it’s a true Greek-Turkish collaboration and it’s a wonderful brasilified rich version with accoustic guitar work.

After this song, another anonymous traditional tune Sehnaz Longa song sprang to my mind. It’s a well known tune from Anatolia and Middle East (I don’t really know the origin, it might be Turkish or Persian). This song has a beatiful version in the Israeli Sheshbesh’s 1998 album led by the principal flutist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Yossi Arnheim. Great rendition of an Arabic/Eastern sound by a Jewish band, lovely example for cultural fusion and different cultures living together!. I’ve included another song from the same album, which is a rare gem from back in the day.

The closer is from Ilhan Ersahin’s triphop outfit Wax Poetic. Ilhan is a Turkish saxophonist and band leader who lives in NY and is the owner of the Nublu club & recording in NYC. His Wax Poetic project has been widely successful, and although I’ve never been a big fan of the sound, this track named after the Ottoman Sultan Selim the Grim is a classic. This is from the self titled album released on Atlantic.

Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Shinanay
Sheshbesh - Longa Yurgo
Sheshbesh - Kumran
Anonymous - Longa Shahinaz
Wax Poetic - Selim II

It’s so interesting that the Western and Eastern cultures have this radical difference between their worldviews, perhaps because of the differences in their language system or their music or the climate, I don’t know. One thing I know is Hana was an epic song, with an irrational rhythmic structure (in Western musicology), vocals matching syllables created with tabla, over melancholic and cinematic strings. It wasn’t easy listening, but it was rewarding for sure. It was a journey to an unknown territory, not marked by the rational western culture..

Now today I present you Parlor, a song more easily conceived, but surely with the trademark Asa-Chang & Junray sound; an incredible ancient Eastern motif on frantic tablawork. Guaranteed to take you to a trip to a past life in the Eastern hemisphere, where you could really understand what this music meant.

And also thanks to the nice guys at Leaf, here is the video to Hana, which started it all for me. A must see!

Milkfactory review : As challenging a listening experience as it is, Jun Ray Song Chang is ultimately a beautiful and imaginative record, bringing an entire new dimension to anyone who has the curiosity to open their mind enough.