CULDUZ
Of all the european electronic musicians I know and appreciate, Murat
holds a special place of interest for me. His mix of unusual tunings,
exotic timbres and musical sounds always gives me plenty to discover.
This, the third part in a trilogy that has taken him a decade to
complete,
is no exception.
An incredibly hypnotic album, where electronics and world music
influences
blend in to a unique mixture that can be difficult to categorise. And
once
again I find myself marvelling at the breadth of sounds Murat has
synthesised. Not all of them are apparent on the first listens, but let
the music simmer a few times and they unexpectedly bubble up to the
surface.
A prime example of this is 'Azimuth'. On first hearing it sounds as if
a
tuning knob has been knocked a tone or two to the left. Then distinct
musical patterns, piano-like at first then, before cascading arpeggios
appear, an oboe sound follows blown bottles, each taking their turn to
introduce themselves. The whole building layer upon layer to create a
net
of mesmerising motifs.
Other highlights include the chorus of timpani that features in 'Piri
Reis
(Kaptan-I Acun)', creeping in through a slow build up of synths before
rising to a blood pumping finale. And the trance-inducing figures of
'Cathay' that seem to circle the listener while guttural overtone
singing
provides a constant background.
However, top track for me is the well named 'Creuset (The Melting
Pot)'.
Here, stripped bare percussion accompanies a simple sequence fading in
and
out, while pure electronic sounds blend with islamic and eurasian
chants -
two religions melting in to one great track that ends all too soon.
Lacking only in more detailed liner notes about the afore mentioned
Piri
Reis, the inspiration for the album, I feel this will especially appeal
to
electronic music fans who like to broaden their horizons as well as
those
who like their world music with a twist.
Neil Leacy
New Age Specialist, Reviewer, Specialist Art Director "The Name" mag, U.K.
CULDUZ
Murat Ses, a Turkish synthesist, has completed his exploration trilogy
with "Culduz", his first CD release. I was impressed when Murat released
"Binfen" (part two) several years ago. "Culduz" is a marked
improvement. Containing 10 tracks, "Culduz" is an amalgam of East meets West
cultures. Each track has its own distinctive voice. Whether it is the Euro-synth
pop of "Humbaba", the pseudo-harmonic chanting on "Ulug Bey", or the
watercolor washes on "Cathay", Murat's music delights the ear.
Not afraid to try
new ideas, Murat successfully integrates a slightly out of tune piano
sequence as the foundation of "Azimuth", coincidentally the high point of the
disc.
To this foundation, he adds layers of drum machine, blown bottles,
oboes,
etc. evoking images of belly dancers and whirling dervishes. Also of
note
is "Piri Reis (Kaptan-I Acun)", a listening experience where you would
be
well advised to apply sun block as the blistering electronics are
likely to
fry your skin to a crisp. Rounding out the disc are two interesting
tracks,
"Creuset" with its sampled Arabic chanting and "Seven Seas" with its
ascending/descending organ wavelets, electronic surf, and sonar pings.
Support this independent artist and allow Murat Ses to transport you on
a
musical journey of discovery through Middle Eastern culture.
Henry Schneider
Writer, i/e magazine,Audion, Zenith, Gibraltar, Expose, TX
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