Istanbul Ghetto Club’s literary debut is a maze of irony, identity, and sound; a surreal satire that probes not only the essence of music but also why we expect it to be coherent at all.
In the case of Istanbul Ghetto Club, appearances can be deceptive, even when it comes to something as typical in the music industry as a new album. The collective maintains its anonymity, with live performances characterized by face masks and fur coverings, while their latest album, ‘Some Tales To Boost Your Unnecessary Mind Activity,’ heralds a mischief uniquely their own. Without needing to state it explicitly, the arrival of Istanbul Ghetto Club is unmistakable, akin to a delightful fever dream.
The Berlin-based collective’s new release transcends a mere music project; it ventures into yet untitled territory—an acid-infused, raw, and utterly intense one-take live recording. This approach is fitting for a music collective that prioritizes performance as much as the melodies themselves. The focus on perfection, mastering, and achieving the “right sound” is secondary to the overarching message. Listeners are presented with names and narratives of individuals who could be everyday people or perhaps entirely fictional. To complicate matters, the album is not available digitally but is subtly released within a book format. After all, aren’t they stories at their core? Their website notes: “The finest moments were those that never reached the internet, so we didn’t toss our music archives into the algorithm. We concealed it within this book.”
The opening track’s title, ‘Irrelevant story of Kazma Riza who has a red transparent car and who smiled to a broken mirror,’ sets the mood for a storytelling-driven rave album. It’s not akin to the raps of Biggie Smalls or the lyrical genius of others, but features a monotone voice reminiscent of Siri or AI, recounting the tale of Kazma Riza and his extraordinary red transparent car. This interlude, a blend of synth sounds and ritualistic vibes, is both acid-infused and folkloric, marrying Mediterranean instruments like the Bağlama with the synth lines of Berlin techno. It segues into a returning narrative, this time about Mustafa being interrupted by Dorothy. It’s a fantasy conveyed by machinery and enriched with oriental textures. This constructs a parallel universe where cultures coexist—perhaps a tribute to Berlin, where Ketamine and Doner sandwiches can seamlessly coexist in conversation. It presents an absurd clash of realms—worlds within worlds. More an experimental film than a traditional album, it allows little room for discussions about sound textures, equipment, or synthesizers.
The album possesses a self-aware and somewhat humorous nature. The fifth track, aptly titled ‘Top 10 oriental ideas to make your music sound really culturally appropriate,’ serves as a quiet confession followed by the subtle declaration, ‘However cancels the Cancel Mafia will be cancelled by the Cancel Mafia.’ The layers of performance are evident, highlighted by their commitment to anonymity further emphasized through the titles of their tracks. After two wordless tracks, another story emerges: “That day when Fatma Abla wears different color shoes and Matthias decides to buy beer and chips.” The narratives, like the music, merge worlds—both East and West, digital and human, myth and reality.
For the eighth and concluding track, we revisit the album’s title, ‘unnecessary mind activity…’, realizing that the phrase itself might serve as a manifesto. Istanbul Ghetto Club’s debut is a maze of irony, identity, and sound; a dreamlike satire that questions not just the nature of music but why we anticipate it to be sensible at all.
8/10
Words: Salma Mousa
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