Islandman Rest In Space

Istanbul-based Tolga Büyük started his solo project Islandman in 2010 and has already built quite a name for himself with a slew of self-released EPs & albums. Already prominent in Istanbul’s psychedelic scene as part of live-performance band Farfara, as Islandman he builds his unique style off the rich history of Turkey’s psychedelic rock movement, taking it further in his own direction.
The Anatolian tradition of fusing the country’s folk music with Western influences has produced a unique legacy of sound, as evident by the discographies of Erkin Koray and Baris Manco for instance, with the guitar long the sound weapon of choice. So too for Islandman, but apart from mastering this instrument quite eloquently, he also orchestrates it into a new and different context than merely providing hippie nostalgia. By re-framing the murky and somewhat dusty Anatolian psychedelic sound with a cool Mediterranean vibe and a very Balearic-friendly production, Islandman’s music is the next step in the progression of Anatolian music.
On “Rest In Space”, his first full length outing for Music For Dreams, the LP keeps a steady pace of around 90-95 bpm, but never gets repetitive with Islandman taking us on a rich and ever surprising journey, full of quirky turns and mysterious instrumentations.
The opener “Rest In Space” treats us to a funky percussion-thick rhythm that lounges into a pool of playful & jazzy horn & flute arrangements. This is followed by the epic “Night Wind” which sweeps across cinematic desert landscapes of synth layers and falls into a dark night time groove reminiscent of Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington’s Darkside project. “Seikleos” centers around a motorik electronic rhythm pattern (not unlike the classic electro-pop classic “Popcorn”) that develops into a chugging balearic house jam while stand out track “Future Days” brings in a female guest vocalist to complete the album with a breezy full on groover that echoes of both Sheila Chandra and Tom Tom Club.
Also included is the previously released digital single “Agit” as well as a remix by Berlin-based M.RUX, toning down the heavy guitar of the original in favor of a more bouncier interpretation.
The stunning “Ikaru” wades in through chunks of jungle ambiance and watery percussion to lounge along on a rubbery funk bassline, coupled with a heavy laid back beat and wobbly derelict synth figures.
“Tawhid” is an odd mix of new wave brilliance and prog momentum that breaks into a cascade of pouring rain and surprising percussion breaks. Lastly comes gorgeous Eastern guitar opus “The True Word of the Wind” and the warm vibey dreamscape “Following”.
As a whole, Islandman delivers a delicate buffet of influences - spanning the spectrum from hazy balearic pop to tropical new age flirts to deep spiritual psychedelic jamming.