7 Nights in Turkey

The shock is not as great as you'd think. I didn't see any women in chains. No extremists took me hostage while I was there. I might have seen an occassional 1001 Nights scene here and there, but that only added to the charm. Overall, Turkey chanted to my soul and awed me in a way I couldn't have forseen.

For a sheltered, little european, my first encounter with the oriental world was as spiritual as can be. And pretty stereotypical, while we're at it: pungent smells of spices and perfumes, volatile faith and imposing mosques, exotic sounds and babeled tongues- what you'd, by design, expect from a muslim country with a rich historical past. What I didn't see coming was the great level of european urbanization, which is most obvious in Istanbul, a modern city most deserving of the title of successor of greatness. In this respect, Turkey, an asian country with an european twist gives us, "the white people", a lesson of civilization.

Doggy Style

A numbing of senses and time

Imersiune în trecut, subminare a instinctelor de om modern şi abandon total în faţa istoriei. Nimic mai puternic, nimic mai amplificator.

Biertan, Transilvania Fest 2010

Day Trip

A short, delightful trip to Sibiu, taken on a Sunday. ♥

Interpol 2010

At long last, the lingering wait that confounded itself with agony has almost come to an end. Interpol's eponymous album has been scheduled for release in September this year and, from what my ears have been given as bait so far, I guarantee you- it is as promising as can be.

Unlike most bands, Interpol hasn't abandoned and disowned its signature sound, but more on the contrary- it has embroidered it into an intricate tapestry of musical empirism.

The first extract off the album, which benefitted from a futuristic video, is Lights. Constructed as a 6 minute long piece, Lights is an epic journey through the land of apprehension, doubt and uncertainty. The guitar dialogue is at its highest form, bringing subtle nuances and complementing the dark, encrypted lyrics. It retains a similar mystical feel to the one in 'Lighthouse' and 'Untitled'.

Another track that was released as an album preview is Barricade, a more melodic tune, centred around alienation, suppression and limitations. The song starts off in full gear, with a corrupting riff that sets the tone for the whole song. The drums accelerate the pace, creating the perfect environment for the convulsed lyrics to unfold in. A series of disconnected, almost cliché-like phrases slip in at the end of the song, reconfirming Paul Banks' preference for evasive enumerations. Nevertheless, it's still a mature song.

Subtlety, commitment and poise. The only thing remaining is to wait for the whole album.

-----------

Lights



Barricade

Evocative songs

• Air- La femme d'argent

This sophisticated track by the electronic french duo, Air, fully encompasses the complex Western-European vibe that is expected of jazzy tunes. To me it stands firm as an element of nostalgia in the memory vault, conjuring up the atmosphere of brewing, cosmpolitan cities I've visited and loved, such as Rome, Paris or Budapest.

• The xx- Intro

AMAZING INSTRUMENTAL!

I looked for it a hundred lives, after I'd heard it in a commercial on Discovery Channel. It immediately got me tangled up and since I've found it a couple of days ago, I've been listening to it like a fucking maniac! For me, it evokes artificially induced memories of distant realms, forgotten languages and mystic landscapes.

• Aphex Twin- Avril 14th

A simple, yet intricate piano piece. The picture it paints in my mind is that of a long buried age of refinement and charm, alien to today's society.

Foals-Total Life Forever 2010

Quenching anticipation and calming spirits, Foals' latest album, Total Life Forever, was finally released in May 2010, much to every fan's absolute rapture. Being the successor of the already cult-established 2008 Antidotes, TLF has some mammoth shoes to fill, for sure.

One of the spotlight stealers and my personal favourite is Miami, a song some have classified as being too slow, compared to what they were used to from Foals. To some extent it is, there's no doubt about that, but as far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be any complaints when the guitar waves are present. And when the math rock feel is present, what more could you want?

Definitely worth a listen.