Turkey’s Islandman are international psychedelic specialists, with latest album ‘Kaybola’ chugging across the globe for Music For Dreams

This is a much recommended world treasure that combines Anatolian psychedelia with wonky pan-Asian chug – it’s Kaybola, the second album by Islandman, released via Danish imprint, Music For Dreams. It’s a really classy, well-produced set of hypnotic guitar melodies, field recordings and bubbling shamanic rhythms – Kaybola is a tour-de-force of the Turkish trio’s original brand of globally influenced electronica, it’s a modern cosmic classic and it’s out now.

The album was produced after a number of months on the road, touring from festival to festival, including, Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) and Wonderfruit Festival in Thailand.

Multi-instrumentalist and producer, Tolga Böyük, performs alongside Eralp Güven (percussion) and Erdem Başer (guitars). Islandman cite major influences from the 70’s psychedelic music scene in Turkey (think Eden Ahbez, Can Kozlu, Okay Temiz and Baba Zula with a drum machine).

Born and raised in Istanbul, Böyük began learning the Turkish saz (or baglama – a long-necked, lute-like, traditional string instrument used in Ottoman classical and Turkish folk music): “I think it’s the signature sound of these lands,” he says. “When I want to add a melody I always refer back to saz, even if I’m playing synth or electric guitar.”

Böyük released his debut album as Islandman, Rest In Space, but now encompasses more sounds and styles. For example, lead single and album opener Dimitro has a middle eastern-inspired 808 bounce, layered beneath Bulgarian wedding song vocal samples.

Ibiza veteran, DJ Pippi, features on Sem Você, with a funk-tipped bass groove and also the chanting of Brazilian/Danish group Copenema – sounding like Ibiza’s Café del Mar at the height of Balearic house and the strange sludgy funk of Baldelli and the Cosmic canon.