Cem Karaca announces his intent to slay all enemies of Istanbul’s leftist counterculture with stompin’ prog keyboards. Sophisticated & passionate, with flamboyant taste in sunglasses, Cem Karaca led Istanbul’s music fans through a period of violent political turmoil. Karaca reworked traditional folk lyrics with molten electric bass lines that played up both a poet’s broiling righteousness and also his listeners’ common ground with their elders in Turkey’s history.
1975’s ‘Nem Kaldi’ gathers more 60s-70s singles that lead the listener through Karaca’s own musical history, skipping across various collaborations. Sink deeper into the intrigue both musical & otherwise as fractious personnel changes & real-life assassins multiply, yet the double-time drums & badass synthesizer schwings pound on.
Tracklist:
Nem Kald? – Unutamadigim – Oy Babo – Ads?z – Baba – Oy Bana Bana – Namus Belas? – Ihtarname – O Leyli – Muhtar.- Gurbet – Kendim Ettim Kendim Buldum