Psyching You Out, Turkish Style: Replikas and "Şahar Dağı"

Just as Turkey is a crossroads between West and East, it is also a crossroads of musical styles. You can find music inspired from east of Turkey such as Persia/Iran and farther, or music from the south in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, to music inspired by the Balkans and the Romani populations there. The genres cover ancient to modern, classical to pop. It's a melange of music worthy of a country that has seen a plethora of cultures pass through it, each putting their indelible stamp on Turkish culture and society. In particular, Istanbul, which literally straddles the East-West divide, is home to all kinds of artists, musical and otherwise.

Today's random song is by Replikas, an experimental/psychedelic rock band from Istanbul. Featuring Gökçe Akçelik on guitar and vocals, Barkın Engin on guitar, Selçuk Artut on bass, Orçun Baştürk on drums and Burak Tamer on electronics, the band has released seven studio albums, one boxed set and one live performance album, as well as being featured on many compilations. The band has also made music for film as well as appearing in the documentary Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. This song, Şahar Dağı, can be found on the soundtrack to Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2006).