Kar Yagar

Two years after the success of "Nem Kaldi", outernational psych-pop sensation Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek deliver their debut album, "Kar Yagar" - and it was worth the wait! Over the course of it's 12 tracks, the powerful sound of the Baglama (Turkish lute) and Derya Yildirim's stunning vocals, builds and unravels stories together with the guitars, organs, drums, flute and bass. Kar Yagar (which translates as "Snow Falls") has the dynamics of an epic journey through the Anatolian highlands; where deep-rooted folk effortlessly switches to sparkly improvisation or dancy pop tracks. The album was self produced at their studio in the French Alps, and the band's tour de force resides in their ability to develop their personal sound and approach whilst keeping their heart tuned to Derya Yildirim's Anatolian roots. Original songs and instrumentals - all composed and arranged by the band - are scattered throughout the album. Notably "Seni Hala", a tear-drawing ballad with stripped-down acoustic arrangement and haunting choir... And Graham Mushnik's dreamy instrumental "Çocuklar", in which the band chose to feature a poem by one of Turkey's most renowned 20th century poet Nâzim Hikmet Ran whose title translates as "give the world to our children". The poem is meaningfully read by Derya's father Mustafa Yildirim.