Kaybola

Kaybola means something like ‘Let's Get Lost’ in Turkish. It is the second album by Istanbul trio Islandman. The idea is to create for rich soundscapes, layered with elements culled from around the world – be it the Turkic realm (Anatolian folk-rock), Bulgaria (women's folk choirs), Bali (gamelan) or Mongolia (throat singing). Tolga Böyük is the personality behind Islandman. In addition to mastering knob-twiddling sound effects, Böyük plays guitar, but in a way that recalls traditional saz playing.

The ten tracks exist on various levels and will certainly appeal to different audiences – jazz buffs will find something here, as will world music aficionados and so will devotees of electronic down-tempo music. At times Islandman are reminiscent of Baba Zula, particularly in the use of far-out distortion effects. In fact one can see Islandman as Istanbul's next generation of Baba Zula spin-offs, having grown up with the famous psych band, as well as with Bariş Manço, Selda Bağcan, Erkin Koray, Cem Karaca and Moğollar. Sometimes the sound here is filmic, which is not surprising as Böyük also does quite a bit of work for Turkish film and television on the side. In sum Kaybola is feel-good music, meditative, ambient and soothing while at the same time complex and richly textured.