Mellow Man: Baba Zula and Mad Professor with "Zerzevat Adam"

Today's song, Zerzevat Adam, is brought to us by Baba Zula and Mad Professor. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is an alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer from Guyana known for original productions and remix work. He is a leading figure of dub's second generation and as such has been instrumental in bringing dub into the digital age. Zerzevat Adam can be found on Baba Zula with Mad Professor's 2005 album Duble Oryantal. Google Translate translates the song title as Mellow Man...so there you go.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Zula; http://ariwa.com/layouts/page-without-frame/mad-professor/

A Rare Piece: Hareton Salvanini and "Tangara"

Our random tune for today is out of the past! Tangara is by Hareton Salvanini, a Brazilian arranger and writer who released his first LP in 1973, and provided the soundtrack for a Brazilian erotic movie in 1976. He worked mostly in collaboration with his brother, Ayrton, who is a theater director, and Tangara comes from an album called Hareton + Meta (1974) that was written to accompany one of his brother's productions. It is a fairly rare vinyl EP - only 1000 copies were printed.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://us.mrbongo.com/collections/hareton-salvanini

Psyching Out Iran: Kourosh and "Ghazal"

From the 70s, today's song, Ghazal, is by Kourosh Yaghmaei, a guitarist, singer and one of the early pioneers of rock music in Iran. He first learned music on the santur and followed traditional Iranian music, but became interested in Western music that he heard on the radio, such as Bach. Listening to rock bands, he taught himself guitar, and in the early 60s joined a rock group called The Raptures, which played covers of Western rock bands such as The Kinks, The Beatles and The Monkees. In the early 70s he started his own band, with his brothers as members. He got his musical ideas by combining Iranian melodies, instrumentals, vocals, and tones with Western harmonies, scales, and modes. He had great success until the Iranian Revolution led to a ban on his performances. He did not perform much for three decades. His albums were only allowed to be re-released during the 1990s, though the Iranian diaspora has been very aware of his music. In 2011, the compilation album Back from the Brink - Pre-Revolution Psychedelic Rock from Iran (1973-1979) was released and brought him international attention. You can find Ghazal on that album. The song's title refers to a Persian and Arabic poetic form.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Psyching Out Turkey: Baba Zula and "Tavus Havası"

Baba Zula brings us today's random tune called Tavus Havası. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is a Turkish alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Tavus Havası can be found on the soundtrack to Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2006).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

The Mountain: Replikas and "Şahar Dağı"

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).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Tattooing a Fly Would Be Tough: Tatu Fly? and "In This Room"

The Turkish psychedelic artist Tatu Fly? brings us the random song for today, called In This Room. I couldn't find much about Tatu Fly? other than that he is the musician Mehmet Fırıl, and that he wrote a number of songs between 2001 and 2006. Of those songs, In This Room has been featured on many compilation albums, including the Cafe Istanbul (2010) collection prepared by British label Union Square Music, Dubai - Suite n ° 32 (2013), and on the collection where I found it called İstanbul Calling Ethnic-Electronic Vol.2 (2006).

Fun Percussion: Flamingods and "Vimana"

Today's tune is called Vimana, and is performed by Flamingods, a five piece instrumental band formed in Bahrain in 2009 and currently based both Bahrain and the United Kingdom. Using an extensive collection of instruments from various countries such as Tanzania, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal, Flamingods explore and experiment with influences from a variety of cultures. The band started as a series of jam and solo recordings in Kamal Rasool's bedroom in Bahrain, and eventually became a full-fledged band in the United Kingdom when, at the ATP Festival the initial members of the band got together to jam and eventually 60 people joined in playing everything in a small house that could make noise. From the beginning, along with experimenting with different cultures the band also played with different genres, and were inspired by experimental, pop, rock and psychedelic acts the band members had seen. Vimana can be found on the Flamingods 2014 album Hyperborea.

Hates Roadrunners: Kan'Nal and "Coyote"

Today's song, Coyote, is by Kan'Nal. First formed in Guatemala in 2001, Kan'Nal describes its music as "tribal psychedelic rock." The band now operates out of the Boulder, Colorado area. They tend to play numbers that are long, sprawling and make use of flamenco-style guitar playing and a thrumming bass over didgeridoo and percussion. The band is currently on "indefinite hiatus" as members pursue individual projects. You can find Coyote on their 2008 album Myth Magic.

It's a Wonderful Life: Wal Santana and "Que Vida É Essa (Que Pega Pega No Pé)"

Feeling psychedelic? Our random tune is just the thing for you! Que Vida É Essa (Que Pega Pega No Pé) is by Wal Santana. Information on Wal Santana is scarce but I was able to piece together that this song was his first single. He played music in styles such as Música popular brasileira (or MPB: a style which revisits Brazilian styles such as samba and regional music and combines them with foreign influences like jazz or rock), funk and disco. You can find Que Vida É Essa (Que Pega Pega No Pé) on his debut album of the same name (1973) and on the compilation album Rough Guide to Psychedelic Samba (2015).

Not to be Confused with CentCom: Baba Zula and "Cecom"

Today's random tune is by Baba Zula in collaboration with Mad Professor, and is called Cecom. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is a Turkish alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Mad Professor is a Guyanese dub music producer and engineer known for original productions and remix work. He is a leading figure of dub's second generation and as such has been instrumental in bringing dub into the digital age. Cecom is from Baba Zula with Mad Professor's 2003 album Psychebelly Dance Music.

Reappearance: Kourosh and "Ghazal"

We have an oldie for today's song. Ghazal is by Kourosh Yaghmaei, a guitarist, singer and one of the early pioneers of rock music in Iran. He first learned music on the santur and followed traditional Iranian music, but became interested in Western music that he heard on the radio, such as Bach. Listening to rock bands, he taught himself guitar, and in the early 60s joined a rock group called The Raptures, which played covers of Western rock bands such as The Kinks, The Beatles and The Monkees. In the early 70s he started his own band, with his brothers as members. He got his musical ideas by combining Iranian melodies, instrumentals, vocals, and tones with Western harmonies, scales, and modes. He had great success until the Iranian Revolution and a ban on his performances. He did not perform much for three decades, both within and outside Iran. His albums were only allowed to be re-released during the 1990s, though the Iranian diaspora has been very aware of his music. In 2011, the compilation album Back from the Brink - Pre-Revolution Psychedelic Rock from Iran (1973-1979) was released and brought him international attention. You can find Ghazal on that album.

Doing the Dub: Baba Zula and Mad Professor with "Cecom"

Cecom, our random tune of the day, is by Baba Zula in collaboration with Mad Professor. Founded in 1996, Baba Zula is a Turkish alternative group that creates a psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. At the core of their sound is the saz, a Turkish bouzouki-like stringed instrument with a bright, high-pitched sound. Baba Zula became well known outside of Turkey when they appeared in the 2005 documentary Crossing the Bridge, and have since performed in many high profile world music festivals. They have released eight albums. Mad Professor is a Guyanese dub music producer and engineer known for original productions and remix work. He is a leading figure of dub's second generation and as such has been instrumental in bringing dub into the digital age. Cecom is from Baba Zula with Mad Professor's 2003 album Psychebelly Dance Music.

Cambodian Pyschedelia: Dengue Fever and "Hold My Hips"

Los Angeles band Dengue Fever brings us our random tune for today. Dengue Fever is a six member band that was formed in 2001 by Ethan and Zac Holtzman after Ethan was inspired by a trip to Cambodia. A search for a vocalist led them to Chhom Nimol, who they found in a Long Beach nightclub. She was already a well-known karaoke singer in Cambodia and had moved to the United States to join her sister and make money to send home. The band released their first album in 2003 which consisted mostly of covers of 60s Cambodian rock tunes. In 2005 they toured Cambodia to critical acclaim. They've released 10 albums and EPs, and support a variety of charitable organizations that provide aid to Cambodia. This song, Hold My Hips, can be found on their 2009 album Sleepwalking Through the Mekong.

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).

Entrancing: Cheb i Sabbah and "Raja Vedalu"

Question: Is trance music of the nineties roughly similar in its goals and effects to the psychedelic music of the 60s and 70s? From what I've read, the answer would suggest yes. Psychedelic music of the sixties developed out of a culture that was clearly into experimentation and usage of drugs such as LSD, and the music was often played by people who were taking these drugs and translating their experiences into music, and the music was in turn listened to by people who were also using drugs and getting not only a chemical but an aural high all at the same time. The music was also known for bringing in new instrumentation, particularly Indian instruments such as the sitar and tabla, as well as using other techniques such as looping, phasing, backward taping and lots of reverberation.

In turn, in the 1990s as electronica became more popular in music, many of these techniques were also used along with repeating melodies, and usually a fast beat though not always. Trance music was also used to replicate the effects of the drug Ecstasy, or X, by amplifying inner peace, self acceptance, heightened mood and euphoria, intimacy and love for others, insight, introspection and clarity, self confidence, desire, drive, motivation, energy, endurance, alertness, awareness, awakening, empathy, compassion and forgiveness while diminishing aggression, hostility, fear, anger and insecurity. Trance music is supposed to do all of this without the harmful effects of drug usage. Glow sticks are also a big part of the trance music scene.

Despite both psychedelic music and trance music having an association with drug usage, I think that they stand well on their own. I certainly like both, and the fact that they have a similar history doesn't surprise me.

The random tune today is a trancy kind of composition from DJ Cheb i Sabbah called Raja Vedalu. Sabbah, who died in 2013 at age 66, was a DJ, composer and producer that combined Asian, Arabic and African sounds. Born Serge el Beze, he was Algerian of Jewish and Berber descent. Born into a family of musicians, he moved to Paris as a teenager and began DJing in 1964, working primarily in American soul records. In 1984, he moved to San Francisco and took the name Cheb i Sabbah which means "young of the morning." He was nominated in 2006 for the BBC's World Music Award in the Club Global category, and he was known for concerts featuring live musicians, dancers and massive projections that backed up his electronic music. He died of stomach cancer in November of 2013 in San Francisco. Raja Vedalu can be found on the Shiva Rea's compilation CD Nataraja (2006) and other compilations as well. It has also been remixed and mashed up a few times.