KARA DELIK, the international trio consisting of Barış Öner on saz, Andi Sommer on bass and synths, and drummer Eilis Frawley, has been making waves in the past year with the release of four EPs, the latest of which dropped in December 2023.
Their music is a unique fusion of Anatolian influences, post-punk, and new-wave elements, earning them widespread acclaim for their dynamic poly-rhythmic psych-grooves.
Live, KARA DELIK’s sharp dynamics, tight instrumentation, and spirited performances have garnered them a diverse following of post-punk, dance music, and Turkish melodics enthusiasts.
They have graced festival line-ups across Europe, including Void Fest, Platzhirsch Festival, Fusion, Entropie, Garbicz, and Grauzone, while sharing stages with bands like Minami Deutsch, Tropical Fuck Storm, Squid, Derya Yildirim & Grup Şimşek, and 10000 Russos.
As KARA DELIK continues to captivate audiences with their mesmerizing live energy, the band is gearing up for an extensive European tour, promising an unforgettable experience.
Their music, rooted in the history of Anatolian rock, Neue Deutsche Welle, and dub, delivers a zesty post-punk explosive live punch.
Today, we’re giving you a special track by track commentary, shared by the band themselves!
Strange Attractor
When we started writing songs for the Singularities series we agreed pretty quickly that we wanted a track that goes down the rabbit hole of a classic monotonous dub thing and see where it leads us. You can hear a lot of classic dub elements through the rhythm and delays but we still managed to make it our own.The song grows with each verse telling a story of a modern identity crisis and crippling anxiety. After recording, the song developed a life of it’s own, the live version now definitely has a new energy, which is a lot of fun!
Iterations
Iterations started with the idea of a never ending train of thought that just keeps rambling on and eventually bursts into something else. While not being very obvious anymore, there’s also some faint strings in the recording which are a nod to some arabesque kitsch.
Dogs
This one also became something completely new once we started playing it live, with Eilis’ vocals giving the track a new energy but still being one of our more bouncy tracks. Lyrically it focuses on all the contradictions we live in daily life. An exercise in recognising both sides of the coin and finding/seeing your own position.
Hayvan
Simply a very fun song to play! The drop into the new rhythm is one of our favourite live moments – and also the Track in which Barış can show his best moves!
Appreciating the Turkish gypsy dance motives, this song is an example of how to dance at a wedding where you don’t know anyone.
Eclipse
Afraid there’s not so much to say about this one. Potentially our strongest Post-Punk reference, and for those listening closely the lyrics have a bunch of references to bands of our friends as well as our favourite Karaoke tracks.
‘’ it’s fucked up now ‘’
Kisa Hava
In Uzun Hava (long air), a south-eastern Anatolian style of singing, its the kind of songs that consist of a saz solo and a duet of singers singing with a long breath. This song of ours is a Kisa Hava (short air). Because we can’t hold our breath that long. A song that kebab-loving rnb’ers might like.
Kısa Hava is our “Summertime Sadness” Balad and that vibe has been beautifully captured by our friend Jule in the video we shot together in her garden. Fittingly, it ended in one of the heaviest Thunderstorms we experienced that summer driving back to Berlin in pouring rain.
Matilda
The origins and whereabouts of Matilda Thomas are currently unknown to us but all we can say is that she seems to be quite the reckless character.
Counting Time
Have you ever washed your dishes in the bath? No us neither. Welcome to our rambles about daily life ‘normality’.
Nereden Nereye
A greeting to sufist poets but in a big contrast to dervishes: chaotic and aggressive.
Stones
Mostly handled under its working title “Frankenstein” in our own communication, its initial structure was made by chopping up different pieces out of a longer Jam that we did without any bigger intentions and then ended up coming together quite nicely.
Keep it Business
You know that one relative who is way too nosey about your life, but never listens when you tell them any factual information about your existence? This one is for them.
Gece
The big build up before the end.
Scandinavian melancholy meets Turkish hospitality.
Attack & Defend
As previously mentioned there’s a certain love for dub mixes which was played out until the end for this “Version” of Dogs. Dipping into a bit of breakbeats and more electronic elements it’s always fun to see what else is in the single elements of a song if you put the pieces together just slightly differently.
