Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Berlin-based Turkish singer and multi-instrumentalist Derya Yildirim fronts Grup Simsek - a psych-pop delight which channels the unmistakable lilt of Anatolian musical tradition. After releasing the first instalment last year, the band return to deliver the second half of their double album DOST. In the interim since that first half dropped they've recorded a BBC Radio 6 Music session, been featured all over the place and played internationally. The release of DOST 2 should cement their ascendance in a swirl of 70s informed funk driven by Yildirim's enchanting vocals and the fluid grooves of her backing band.

Review: This double LP, compiles all tracks from the critically acclaimed Dost 1 & 2 and Dost 2" albums, originally released in 2021 and 2022. The band's nuanced and groovy Anatolian psych-folk sound shines through in these collections, with Yildirim's sublime vocals and baglama (Turkish lute) leading the charge. "Dost" signifies a friend, comrade, and more—a connection that infuses life with meaning. This sentiment is palpable throughout the albums, which bring together sounds, people, and emotions in a harmonious blend. With Dost 2 Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek have expanded their songwriting horizons and honed their unique arrangements. The band's compositions, complemented by guitarist and flautist Antonin Voyant's melodic contributions, reach deep, meaningful places without veering into nostalgia. Lyrics penned by Yildirim in collaboration with Berlin-based writer Duygu Agal add further depth to the album.
Dost 1 & 2 is a vibrant, lively interpretation of connection and camaraderie, making it a pinnacle example of Anatolian psych-folk music's potential.

Review: Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek are already renowned internationally for their signature melange of Anatolian funk, soul and psychedelic pop. With "outernational" intentions, their latest album for Big Crown is a bulbous strut down the street, marching confidently through enmity-melting backbeats and fulgurant baglama solos played by leader Yildirim - all designed to allay the worst of the world's oppressions and injustices. Connecting threads of collective resistance, longing, protest song, and hope, the album follows a progressive streak loudly taken up by the band since 2014, but the mood is endearing and softly appeasing, rather reactive to the struggle.