Velika vrnitev turških psycho-folk inovatorjev po razprodanem koncertu v Katedrali Kina Šiška leta 2022, a tokrat prvič po izdaji zadnjega albuma Aşk (Glitterbeat, 2023) in prvič v ljubljanskih Križankah.
ALTIN GÜN
Ready yourself for the big return of the great Turkish psych-folk innovators, back in Ljubljana for the first time since their sold-out show in the main hall of Kino Šiška in 2022 and the release of their best-selling album Aşk the following year. Where else would they play this time round than in the city’s legendary Križanke venue?
Altın Gün are nominally from Amsterdam, but their members come from all over. Formed in 2016, they built a solid local fanbase before striking out with an acclaimed debut album On two years later,, and winning a Grammy nomination for best global music album for their follow-up Gece in 2019. It’s all about the fusion: of psychedelic rock, deep funk, synthpop and cosmic reggae, with the rich and unbelievably varied traditions of Anatolian and Turkish folk.
The ten groundbreaking tracks on Aşk, which was recorded using vintage equipment and techniques, present a visionary new reading of traditional Turkish folk melodies, and reveal how this traditional songbook remains ever-resonant and ripe for reinterpretation. The payoff is a storming return to the sound of 70s Anatolian folk rock that marked their first two records.
Famed for their vertiginously hypnotic live performances, Altın Gün have been setting fire to concert stages around the world for several years now, with sell-out tours in North America, mainland Europe and the UK, and appearances at some of the planet’s top international festivals – think Coachella (USA), Lowlands (Netherlands), Primavera Sound (Spain), Fuji Rock (Japan) and Iceland Airwaves, to name a few. Druga Godba are thrilled to be joining the list this year.
Line-up:
Erdinç Ecevit: vocals, keyboards – Thijs Elzinga, guitar – Jasper Verhulst, bass – Daniel Smienk, drums – Chris Bruining, percussion
MOVING AS A GIANT
If Moving as a Giant were from Chicago and not Murska Sobota, they wouldn’t need Haley Fohr aka Circuit des Yeux. The reference is clear, but in no way diminishes the value (still less the originality) of this band from Slovenian Prekmurje, who have recently been shaking things very much up for domestic fans of alt-rock. We would even go far as to say that their eponymous debut, which came out on Kapa Records last year, is one of the best things to have happened to the homegrown music scene in the last few years, with live performances to match.
It’s therefore no surprise that they are the first Slovenian band to appear at the Ment showcase festival and Druga Godba in the same year, with one important point of difference: we are giving them Križanke. But be in no doubt that this trio, who are ceaselessly redefining their full-fat sound while retaining throughout the powerful, deep and imperious vocals of Bojana Pejanović, will seize the opportunity to grab the ears of the pre-Altın Gün crowd.
‘Between subtle melodies and pure noise – raw music without additives’ Borja Borka, Mladina
Line-up:
Bojana Pejanović: vocals, guitar – Primož Kramberger: bass, synth – Martin Kramberger, drums
SAAGARA
Carnatic or traditional South Indian repertoires are hardly new to Druga Godba, nor is the coming-together of musicians from that part of the world with some of the best jazz artists and improvisers that Europe has to offer. Cast your mind back, if you’re old enough, to the wonderful performance of that first name of Carnatic sax Kadri Gopalnath and his trio, which featured the legendary Evan Parker and lit up the stage in 2002. But where Parker was an accompanist, Wacław Zimpel is the main player.
Hailing from Warsaw and described as a ‘musical chameleon’ by the New York Times, Zimpel works from a hugely varied musical palette, and has recorded and performed with luminaries such as Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake, Joe McPhee and James Holden. With Holden he embarked on a series of folk-trance projects that sought to develop the vigorous electronic language he had started to create at the beginning of the last decade with the formation of Saagara. A dozen or so years of collaboration have recently culminated in 3, a superb album that was released last autumn on tak:til, Glitterbeat’s sub-label, and made the Quietus Top 100 for 2024.
The ancient ritual of Carnatic music transports the listener from one state to another, to trance and to dance, and on to the intricate techniques, beats and syntheses that only electronic music can provide. It all unwinds in a cosmic dream state, an inspired and buzzy juxtaposition of rich Indian rhythms and pulsating electronic patterns.
‘Avenues for exploration that touch upon minimalism and drones, focusing on the power of rhythm’ The Quietus
Line-up:
Wacław Zimpel: clarinet, electronics – Giridhar Udupa: ghatam (percussion) – Aggu Baba: khanjira (percussion) – Raja, thavil (percussion) – Mysore N. Karthik: violin
Organised by Zavod Druga Godba in collaboration with Kino Šiška.
