GAYE SU AKYOL

istikrarli Hayal Hakikattir GliTTERBEaT 7/10 Second international release from cosmopolitan Turkish rock queen

In the vanguard of Istanbul’s burgeoning alt.rock scene, the title of Akyol’s album translates as “Consistent Fantasy Is reality”, while the songs address nothing less than “the great crisis of existence”, she says. Singing exclusively in Turkish, it’s hard to judge her message, but her voice is a gloriously expressive instrument full of mystery and not unlike Natacha Atlas, sometimes sultry and at other times with a trace of menace. Mixing Turkish modes and eastern scales with electronic beats and western influences from grunge to surf rock, lead guitarist Ali Guclu Simsek sounds like a fantastical cross between hank Marvin and ravi Shankar.