Turkey may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about psychedelic rock, but the country has a long history with the genre. Artists like Bari? Manço and Erkin Koray combined traditional sounds with Western influences to create a unique brand of Anatolian rock that continues to be widely influential today. One of the biggest proponents of the style in 2026 is the Amsterdam five-piece Altin Gün, who begin a new chapter with their sixth album, Garip, a collection of songs originally written and recorded by influential Turkish folk singer-songwriter Ne?et Erta?.
Musical Style
Like their Anatolian rock forebears, Altin Gün fuse trippy psychedelic jams with traditional Turkish musical forms and instruments. Microtonal scales and ba?lama (a lute-like instrument often used in Turkish folk music) sit side-by-side with electric guitars, synths, and a funky rhythm section that glues it all together.
Evolution of Sound
The most immediately apparent change in the band’s sound is the absence of longtime vocalist Merve Da?demir, who parted ways with the band after their last album, 2023’s A?k, to pursue a solo career. While her singing is missed, co-vocalist and keyboard/ba?lama player Erdinç Eçevit slots in naturally. Another, more subtle, change is the addition of some symphonic elements to the band’s sound, most notably via string arrangements added by the Stockholm Studio Orchestra. It gives their already spacious sound a sweeping, cinematic feel that gels perfectly.
Artists with Similar Fire
Along with their Anatolian rock predecessors, Altin Gün’s sound pulls from both the classics (especially Pink Floyd and krautrock bands like Ash Ra Tempel) and more modern psych acts like King Gizzard and GOAT.
Pivotal Tracks
Garip’s strongest moment comes right in the middle: “Suçum Nedir” (“What Is My Crime?” if Google Translate can be trusted) opens the album’s second half with a Floyd-esque interstellar jam, floating through space with swelling strings and bluesy sax solos. “Öldürme Beni” (“Don’t Kill Me”) is another standout, a funky psych-pop track with insistent acoustic guitar strums and catchy synth lines that make it feel simultaneously vintage and modern. “Zülüf Dökülmü? Yüze” (“Hair Falling On The Face”) cranks up the tempo and the fuzz guitar, making for another highlight late in the album’s running order.
Lyrical Strength
While not a concept album per se, Eçevit says that Ne?et Erta?’s lyrics are “stories about what he’s facing in life. The Turkish traditional music is the blues of the Turkish people.”
Final Groove
While Merve Da?demir’s absence is certainly felt, Altin Gün have put together a strong set of songs that show they still have plenty to offer. Garip’s re-imaginings of Erta?’s classic Turkish folk songs function as a sort of reset, connecting them with their forerunners while also letting them explore ideas for what comes next. In that sense it’s a transitional album, but one that’s a worthy addition to their growing catalogue.
