I walked into a record store and asked the owner for something odd. I wanted something funky, textured, and experimental. They recommended Gençlik İle Elele, the quirky debut studio album from Mustafa Özkent. The album cover features a chimpanzee wearing a yellow sweater, tangled in reel-to-reel tape, and, possibly, making an announcement, along with text reading: “Folc” (with a ‘c’), “rhythm ‘n’ soul”, “blues ‘n’ jazz”; and “rock ‘n’ pop!” The only certainty I had was that I had no idea what to expect.
Thankfully, the recommendation did not disappoint! The album’s textures are rich and intricate: filled with chunky break beats and jangly guitars jamming along to what sounds like a soundtrack to the wildest video game. The playful and energetic melodies make me want to dance. I imagine myself cavorting about, swinging from a ceiling fan, laughing maniacally as the guitars and drums roll along at their breakneck pace (almost like a chimp in a yellow sweater!). An accompanying percussive section persistently rattles and rolls; guitars drip and shimmer over the beat; with jabbing staccato keys filling the remaining space left between the drums and guitars. The driving jazzy embellishments give each song a cinematic progression. I picture a montage from a heist film while listening to the album.
“Where’s the briefcase?” asks a man in dark sunglasses. It’s mid afternoon, and the air has an orange tint as the sun sets across a desert plain. The other man looks inquisitively at the man wearing sunglasses, “I thought you had it…” The montage begins with the driving “Dolana Dolana”, as the audience learns that the briefcase, in fact, never made it on the plane. Our anti-heros successfully snuck into the casino and removed it while it was in transit to the desert. Nearly home safe, the ragtag thieves are about to board a train to freedom when they realize a conniving crew member betrayed their position to law enforcement. The song “Ayas” begins as their leader improvises a solution involving C4 explosives, AA batteries, a puppy, and a houseplant to escape. As the crew (and the puppy) ride off in the sunset on camels, the final track, “Lorke,” plays while the credits roll and the screen fades to black.
I appreciate the intersection of styles and sounds that is Turkish folk music. The influences–combined from Europe, Asia, and Africa–give a pleasurably mysterious vibe; a psychedelic concoction of funky rhythms and alternatively tuned guitar passages—reminiscent of sounds in the Middle East. It’s like giving a chimpanzee access to the reel-to-reels for James Brown’s funky drummer, along with Grant Green’s nimble jazzy guitar stylings, some lounge music, and a Turkish electrician and carpenter’s electric guitar experiments that… Oh. The drum breaks are funky enough to stand toe to toe with other funky masterpieces. According to the Finders Keepers website, many experimental techniques were used to generate the record’s sounds. My personal favorite was the additional frets added to the guitar, altering its sound into something akin to a woozy saz or lute. I’m a sucker for strong rhythmic sections, too, and the dual drummers give each song a punch and momentum that glues each song together, creating a holistic listening experience.
I applaud Finders Keepers for unearthing this treasure. Its creative, fun, and quaintly experimental aesthetics make it an enjoyable experience, and learning about its historical context was a blast. Shout out to the uncredited album cover artist for pulling me in with the odd imagery and advertisements.
– Evan
Edited by: Seán Pierce