Altan1. Najwa Karam - "Ya Donya"
We begin with some Arabic pop. Najwa's never been one of my favourite performers, but this showcases a pretty strong voice. Still, I wouldn't say no to something more up-tempo and fun.
2. Yalın - "Sen Dönmedem Uyumam Bu Gece"
From Lebanon to Turkey, where this young man is singing a rather sappy-sounding ballad. He has a very nice voice, but again I prefer my Middle Eastern music to be more up-tempo and fun to listen to. Still, someone to look into a bit more, I think. More Turkish music never goes to waste.
3. Emre Altuğ - "Dudak Dudaga"
We're still in Turkey, and this is a much dancier number, so I've got my wish. Emre's voice isn't so great, but he's got a good beat underneath him, and the song's pretty darn catchy. Not enough to unseat my Big Three (Kenan, Tarkan and Mustafa), but he's got potential.
4. Wedard - "Im Lichtsrausche der Eisblume"
And just like that, we switch to some depressive-sounding black metal. This has all the usual tropes of the style, and really doesn't grab me at all.
5. Altan - "The Waves of Gola"
A spot of Irish folk now, and of a lovely traditional hue to boot. This perhaps crosses over from sounding authentically folky to sounding like something you'd play over the credits of a fantasy film (indeed, I'm reminded very strongly of the "Princess Bride" soundtrack, which perhaps says more for Mark Knopfler's talents), but it's a good listen. Very mellow, rather than being a crazed jig.
6. Mustafa Sandal - "Jest Oldu"
One of my Big Three of Turkish pop, as mentioned above. I've never heard this track before, but I automatically like it. Totally aside from my bias, this is a nice track - it builds slowly, and never turns into a pounding club hit, but just works beautifully. Top quality stuff.
7. Sharkiat - "Nahawand"
Arabic-styled jazz, which is a remarkably tricky thing to pull off without sounding silly. This seems to break for the more traditional sound, rather than being overly jazzy, so it makes for interesting listening. Not all that great, though.
8. Hande Yener - "Yalan Olmasın"
More Turkish pop, now with female vocals. There's not an awful lot going on in this track, which feels very "washed out" for some reason. It's not a bad listen, but there's just not enough of an interest level to make me want to check out more of Hande's work.
9. Glittertind - "Norge I Rødt, Hvitt Og Blått"
Rather a famous name in folk metal, but a rather uninspired folk/punk sound. I'm not feeling this at all.
10. Storm - "Time To Burn"
The dance act of this name, rather than anything else. This is entirely devoid of excitement.
We begin with some Arabic pop. Najwa's never been one of my favourite performers, but this showcases a pretty strong voice. Still, I wouldn't say no to something more up-tempo and fun.
2. Yalın - "Sen Dönmedem Uyumam Bu Gece"
From Lebanon to Turkey, where this young man is singing a rather sappy-sounding ballad. He has a very nice voice, but again I prefer my Middle Eastern music to be more up-tempo and fun to listen to. Still, someone to look into a bit more, I think. More Turkish music never goes to waste.
3. Emre Altuğ - "Dudak Dudaga"
We're still in Turkey, and this is a much dancier number, so I've got my wish. Emre's voice isn't so great, but he's got a good beat underneath him, and the song's pretty darn catchy. Not enough to unseat my Big Three (Kenan, Tarkan and Mustafa), but he's got potential.
4. Wedard - "Im Lichtsrausche der Eisblume"
And just like that, we switch to some depressive-sounding black metal. This has all the usual tropes of the style, and really doesn't grab me at all.
5. Altan - "The Waves of Gola"
A spot of Irish folk now, and of a lovely traditional hue to boot. This perhaps crosses over from sounding authentically folky to sounding like something you'd play over the credits of a fantasy film (indeed, I'm reminded very strongly of the "Princess Bride" soundtrack, which perhaps says more for Mark Knopfler's talents), but it's a good listen. Very mellow, rather than being a crazed jig.
6. Mustafa Sandal - "Jest Oldu"
One of my Big Three of Turkish pop, as mentioned above. I've never heard this track before, but I automatically like it. Totally aside from my bias, this is a nice track - it builds slowly, and never turns into a pounding club hit, but just works beautifully. Top quality stuff.
7. Sharkiat - "Nahawand"
Arabic-styled jazz, which is a remarkably tricky thing to pull off without sounding silly. This seems to break for the more traditional sound, rather than being overly jazzy, so it makes for interesting listening. Not all that great, though.
8. Hande Yener - "Yalan Olmasın"
More Turkish pop, now with female vocals. There's not an awful lot going on in this track, which feels very "washed out" for some reason. It's not a bad listen, but there's just not enough of an interest level to make me want to check out more of Hande's work.
9. Glittertind - "Norge I Rødt, Hvitt Og Blått"
Rather a famous name in folk metal, but a rather uninspired folk/punk sound. I'm not feeling this at all.
10. Storm - "Time To Burn"
The dance act of this name, rather than anything else. This is entirely devoid of excitement.
