üvey

More moody orchestral hip hop out of Turkey – the ‘küller küllere’ (‘ashes to ashes’) EP from Üvey.

Produced by Type Wheel, mixed by Zet, the track ‘karavana kahini’ is a favourite – features some great scratching from DJ Sivo.

The thing I like most about these guys from Eskişehir, collaborators under the names of I’lmpty, Zet, Type Wheel, ağaçkakan on what they call ‘abstract hip hop’, is their subtlety (read: class) in production. Tracks with many layers but always with a smooth sensibility, always clear vocals, always a sense of urgency and tension and at the same time always on my ‘chillout’ playlists. Because the production is so smooth and the beat is so regular as to be almost meditative.

Also, Turkish. One of the most musical of languages, a voice speaking Türkçe is an instrument. üvey know how to play it.