For a couple of years now I have been asking around and asking around: where is all the good Turkish music? Don’t get me wrong, I like Turkish pop as much as the next person, but for me pop in any language all starts to sound the same after a while. I’ve inquired as to where one might find a Turkish version of Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails, but I’ve been met with blank stares. It’s frustrating, because I know these sorts of Turkish bands must be out there, but how do you find them if you don’t know where to look or whom you’re looking for?
Well, I have discovered something wonderful— Insomnia Radio Turkey. It’s the first region of Insomnia Radio to feature music not in English, and as far as I’m aware, it’s the first Turkish music podcast anywhere. Podcasting of this sort still hasn’t really caught on in Turkey, so we’re very lucky that Turker Keskinpala and his wife Hande have taken this task on. So far there have been three episodes, which you can subscribe to in a number of ways (including via iTunes), and here’s the best part: they do two versions of the podcast— one in Turkish, and one in English! So if you love Turkish music but don’t speak Turkish, no problem. Because of this podcast being so young, you can expect the usual teething problems, but the premise is solid, and as Turker and Hande get more used to being behind the microphone I’m sure things will start to run more smoothly. Even in these early stages, it’s an extremely enjoyable listen— I’ve been turned on to so much new Turkish music, and none of it has been pop.
I’m always the last one to know about the good podcasts, so I feel a bit smug that I discovered this one so early on. You heard about it here first! I’m still waiting for them to show me my dream Turkish band (i.e. whoever is the Turkish version of Zero7— I know Turk trip-hop must be out there!), but I’m definitely going to enjoy every other song along the way. Link