Hayvanlar Alemi – Psychedelia in Times of Turbulence

Label: Subsound Records
Releasedate: 27-03-2020

Hayvanlar Alemi is a Turkish instrumental psychedelic folk rock band founded in 1999. Throughout the years, the band has developed a style of their own, inspired by the innovative musical heritage of Turkey but also informed by the traditional and popular styles of the globe. Their newest release “Psychedelia in Times of Turbulence” is out this month.

Having been born and raised in Ankara, where the band also hails from, I felt a certain warmth while playing this record over and over again with a smile on my face. I gotta admit this is my first encounter with the music of these guys but the sound and the overall vibe… It all seems so familiar yet so otherworldly! Indeed, this is one thing that would describe the essence of this band and “Psychedelia in Times of Turbulence” in general.

While listening to the Hayvanlar Alemi record, you will see that this is the classic psychedelic rock as we know it but the band differs from the other acts I know by taking the listener around the world, giving you that ‘sincere’ vibe that you are looking for in nature or in a cosy cafe in the city. You will hear this in riffs here and there or even in the beats (Kuskonmaz MMXVII, Thundercloud Museum). At times, the album’s pace accelarates and at other times, you will calm down. This is especially clearer towards the end of the album, where the rhythm gets slower and the sound more doom-y and progressive than ever! So, overall, the band manages to bring that universal sound, consisting of different musical elements, within their colorful music.

Another big highlight of this record is the fact that is is purely instrumental. You don’t have to focus on lyrics but get ready to just lose yourself and interpret the songs however you like. All in all, this is what this genre is all about and this is another element the band offers and manages quite well. One aspect that was missing was consistency; this album could have been perfect if the songs were kind-of connected to each other. However, this is a minor flaw and does not disrupt the overall ambience of the record.

Fans of psychedelia as well as the ones who like their music colorful, get this Hayvanlar Alemi record! All in all, we all need psychedelia in times like these and this release will definitely help you with that!

Line up:

• Özüm Itez – guitars
• Hazar Mutgan – bass
• Isik Sarihan – drums and percussion

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