Tag Archives: Turkey

(little movie secrets) The Antenna(2019) is a political allegory disguised as horror!

I must admit I did not know a lot about Turkish horror movies prior to watching fantastic Baskin(2015) which I still remember with awe and shudder how disturbing and great it is.

So, I was eager to see what Antenna is all about. The movie revolves around one building and its janitor Mehmet. He is a bit simple, yet good natured man, but problems become serious when a man who was designated to install new sattelite antenna fell down to his death and there is something wrong in the building. Black tar oozes from the walls and into people, making them do strange things and murders. As the movie goes, we find out that the people live in a autocratic society and at midnight hour new kind of technology, which will ban and destroy all different opinion, same sex marriages, freedom thoughts will take place as stated by the dictator in special midnight bulletins. As evil takes people in the building one by one, they become faceless eerie walking individuals who replace the living.

This movie is something visually fantastic, eerie and totally beautiful, yet disturbing at the same time. Director/writer Orcun Behram did a superb job in criticizing Turkish reality and its sinking to totalitarian regime with regime controlling free media, different opinions, any kind of political opposition, freedom. In that faceless creepy doppelgangers I understood that Behram saw real people who become faceless and soulless puppets of the regime, tabula rasa with no real heart and soul and mind. This is a very bleak picture of political reality disguised as eerie horror which looks visually great and is written fantastic. My recommendation.

10/10

(review) Padme-The Fine Line Between Being Conscious And Self Harm

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Wow! I think Padme are the first band from Turkey to grace the pages of this zine. They recently released their brand new, third studio album. It features 12 songs and I was blown away how energetic and fast this record really is. This is hardcore punk, but leaning more on speed and anger, although there is enough melody in the songs to call it melodic hardcore. The lyrics are great, being a fine mixture of political and personal. I love the sound of this band, it reminds me of all those old school Californian bands like Circle Jerks, old TSOL and similar, even Verbal Abuse, yet with great dose of progressive, even fresh touch of song arranging. Speed breaks into atmospheric and melodic parts only to return to relentless hardcore punk. The vocals are awesome, being shouted yet sung nicely at the same time and the musicianship is phenomenal. This record is really a discovery! My favorite songs: Crossing The Line, Can`t Catch Me, 17.

(record review)The Ayilar-Sokaktan Hikayeler(Prof Sny Records)

Ladies and gentlemen, the readers of our zine, now it is time for a band from the country not often represented in our zines, namely Turkey. The Ayilar are oi/streetpunk band from Turkey and I listened and reviewed their new record out on Prof Sny Records from Czech Republic.

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The name of the album means Street Stories in Turkish language. The album was recorded in Istanbul, mixed and mastered in Germany and Czech Republic. This record contains 14 songs plus bonus and intro/outro. The lyrics are in Turkish language, and the themes are beer, there are no language barriers for the song titles like 1000 lt Bira or Bira ve sokaklar. But, this band also has serious political themes singing about the harsh life under current regime there for example the excellent song Uyan(Wake up) talks about the events that took place in Gezi Park. Also antifascist skinhead lyrics are themes in the songs of The Ayilar. Music is more melodic version of oi/streetpunk with some ska parts, sometimes reminding me of Italian bands like Los Fastidios or FFD, meaning melodic guitars, anthemic choruses just made for singalong and I love this album because this album is the proof that music really has no boundaries, borders and no regime, no matter how ugly or oppressive can stop the mind and body in search of freedom and better life. If you like this record, check out the other stuff at Prof Sny Records, they have great music on their label. Links are below.

8/10

https://www.facebook.com/TheAYILAR/

https://www.facebook.com/TheAYILAR/

https://profsnyrecords.bandcamp.com/