Exclusive Premiere: Café Türk “Şamil”

Forthcoming from one of our favourite labels, Zel Zele, we are proud to share Café Türk’s “Şamil”, a psyched-up-and-out interpretation of Turkish folk music. Taken from a truly exciting double LP (and digital) compilation of Café Türk’s wide output, to be released November 6.

Café Türk, an inimitable Turkish-Swiss band formed in the 1980s, whose genre-bending sonic palette draws from Anatolia, the Caucasus and Western Europe. The group’s frantic trajectory connects Switzerland and the Turkish city of Kars with a background story as rich and unexpected as their sound. After three decades since they disbanded, Zel Zele Records have collaborated with Turkish crate-digger Grup Ses to give the music of Café Türk a new lease of life.

Pre-Order on Bandcamp

The eponymous compilation features original album tracks, singles and previously unreleased takes that trace the outline of the group’s history. Tracks come with an unrestrained spirit, weaving in the crackling energy of new wave, rock, disco and reggae with influences from Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“Şamil” itself is the psyched-out interpretation of Caucasian folk tune “Şeyh Şamil”. The song and widely popular folk dance was named after Imam Shamil who was the political, military, and spiritual leader of Caucasian resistance to Imperial Russia in the 1800s. “Şamil” offers a wild ride with driving rhythm like horses galloping and mesmerizing clarinet to accompany the journey from east to west.

Pre-orders are up now on Bandcamp for the double LP Café Türk compilation on Zel Zele.