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This april, Denovali Records treats us to two beautiful releases by Turkish composer and multi-
instrumentalist Başak Günak. Two years ago, she released the Flesh e.p. herself before she was discovered by Denovali and added to their extensive high quality stable. Bastards is the new full-length, to be released on CD, LP and as a digital download. It has become a beautiful blend of electronic percussion, voices and deep basses and it's well suited both for the quiet living room and for the alternative dancefloor.
Bastards
The songs on Bastards resemble living creatures, each with their own character and set of emotions. Somehow they are related but they have their separate lives and their own, distinct vision about where they want to go and what they want to reach. They're like a family that lives far from each other but comes together every now and then to participate in a delightful feast that is almost mythical. There's a touch of magic in each song, peaceful and uplifting magic.
Ah! Kosmos has opened for the likes of Emika, Kiasmos, Daddy G (Massive Attack) and Darkside and it truly seems she has taken all these influences and incorporated them into her own sound. 'And Finally We're Glacier' and 'Always in Parentheses' are solid ambient-dance tracks with a floaty trance calibre. Other songs come very close to trip hop with a firm focus on a deep, gloomy atmosphere and to its creepy brother, witch-house. 'Trace of Waterfalls' is a perfect example of this and probably one of the best songs on Bastards. Closer 'Never Again', another amazing highlight, drives on several deep basslines (including a Joy Division influence) and creates a haunting dub atmosphere.
Başak Günak enforces the dreamy quality of her music with her distinct and equally dreamy voice, somewhere between Zola Jesus, Jo Lemaire and Siouxsie. In 'Home' there's a subdued spoken voice that gives the song something wicked and shadowy. But also in the other songs, the voice never takes the upperhand. Instead it becomes an extra instrument and an emphasis to the soundscapes and rhythms floating in an out. Together, all these different textures of basses, percussion, vocals and lengthy sounds truly create some magical moments.
Flesh e.p.
These three tracks were released earlier but they deserve a second life in the form of a 10" and CD release. These are mainly dark dub or witch-house tracks with a deep, resounding atmosphere. Like the songs on Bastards, the ones on Flesh are both danceable and restful. It's hard to say which of both releases is better. They resemble a similar, deep atmosphere and a similar variation in rhythms.
So, just get both of them if you're into calm, soothing but refreshing and surprising electronic
music. They're well worth it because both are high quality efforts. These works by Ah! Kosmos are highly recommended by a relaxed and slightly happy
Serge...
instrumentalist Başak Günak. Two years ago, she released the Flesh e.p. herself before she was discovered by Denovali and added to their extensive high quality stable. Bastards is the new full-length, to be released on CD, LP and as a digital download. It has become a beautiful blend of electronic percussion, voices and deep basses and it's well suited both for the quiet living room and for the alternative dancefloor.
Bastards
The songs on Bastards resemble living creatures, each with their own character and set of emotions. Somehow they are related but they have their separate lives and their own, distinct vision about where they want to go and what they want to reach. They're like a family that lives far from each other but comes together every now and then to participate in a delightful feast that is almost mythical. There's a touch of magic in each song, peaceful and uplifting magic.
Ah! Kosmos has opened for the likes of Emika, Kiasmos, Daddy G (Massive Attack) and Darkside and it truly seems she has taken all these influences and incorporated them into her own sound. 'And Finally We're Glacier' and 'Always in Parentheses' are solid ambient-dance tracks with a floaty trance calibre. Other songs come very close to trip hop with a firm focus on a deep, gloomy atmosphere and to its creepy brother, witch-house. 'Trace of Waterfalls' is a perfect example of this and probably one of the best songs on Bastards. Closer 'Never Again', another amazing highlight, drives on several deep basslines (including a Joy Division influence) and creates a haunting dub atmosphere.
Başak Günak enforces the dreamy quality of her music with her distinct and equally dreamy voice, somewhere between Zola Jesus, Jo Lemaire and Siouxsie. In 'Home' there's a subdued spoken voice that gives the song something wicked and shadowy. But also in the other songs, the voice never takes the upperhand. Instead it becomes an extra instrument and an emphasis to the soundscapes and rhythms floating in an out. Together, all these different textures of basses, percussion, vocals and lengthy sounds truly create some magical moments.
Flesh e.p.
These three tracks were released earlier but they deserve a second life in the form of a 10" and CD release. These are mainly dark dub or witch-house tracks with a deep, resounding atmosphere. Like the songs on Bastards, the ones on Flesh are both danceable and restful. It's hard to say which of both releases is better. They resemble a similar, deep atmosphere and a similar variation in rhythms.
So, just get both of them if you're into calm, soothing but refreshing and surprising electronic
music. They're well worth it because both are high quality efforts. These works by Ah! Kosmos are highly recommended by a relaxed and slightly happy
Serge...
