“It’s my Turkish album. I moved to Istanbul in 2004 producing few albums. This country is full of incredible music… I decided to propose melodies and tracks to two amazing musicians I met, virtuosos of their instruments : Savas Zurnaci (clarinet) and Orhan Osman (bouzouki).”
Always going to sound
Being first and foremost an instrumentalist, for Smadj mixing it up with electronic grooves and samples is all about letting the music and his hugely talented collaborators shine through.
Laying down drum’n’bass, tribal, funky and disco grooves as he so expertly does, Smadj gets Istanbul’s virtuosos to do their stuff—Orhan Osman on always-going-to-sound-Greek Bouzouki, Savas Zyrbacu (Trakya All Stars) on Clarinet and Smadj himself on acoustic and electric Oud all get the chance to show off their wares—real music rooted in ancient styles—resulting in a groovy Turkish (going Balkan), Greek and North African pot of delights garnished with samples and electronic effects.
What the great Zyriab himself might have done with a laptop and the musicians he met on his travels…
