Enver Göyken - Circassian [Audio]

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Album: Ozan [ALBUM]
Track: 15 of 21
Title: Circassian
Artist: Enver Göyken
Label: Shapes of Rhythm
Cat#: SOR021
Formats: Cassette/Digital
Digital Release: 30th September 2022
Physical Release: 30th September 2022

About This Release:

BodyMoves returns under the moniker Enver Goyken for his second full length beat tape on London-based label Shapes of Rhythm. Ozan (meaning travelling wise poet in Turkish) is a 21-track exploration of the Turkish side of his heritage, and the alias which is his birth name. Enver's biological dad was from Istanbul, and unfortunately the beat-maker didn't have a relationship with him for most of his life. When he died in 2016, BodyMoves was advised to use his passion for music to explore Turkiye and its culture as part of the grieving process, and to better understand that part of who he is.
"Amongst other things, my biological dad was a musician who first played a part in Turkish rock n roll history, and then as a producer who pioneered modern studio set ups in Turkey, so perhaps I was always going to be obsessed by music myself"
"As a beat maker, my dive into Turkish music inevitably led to identifying samples in the music I was digging into, and although it's been quite a long process, it has resulted in this beat tape project coming together."
Alongside digging into the musical side of Turkiye's culture, it also presented an opportunity to explore thousands of years of history as the bridge between East and West. It's for this reason that the tracklisting reads like a history lesson, referencing famous people and places across time, from archaeological sites and ancient statues to empires, Sultans, armies and tribes of people.
The music on Ozan is loosely framed around hip hop but is unrestricted by tempo. Using his trusty SP404 (championed by people like Ras G and Madlib), and a stack of records and historical references these are raw, raw beats and grooves. The departure from 2017's Cariño beat tape is that here there is a much more global approach to the sound sources. The opener Göbekli Tepe welcomes you in with an introductory stringed instrument fanfare before a whirlwind of polyrhythms move around a swinging, unquantised beat.
Urfa Man quickens the tempo with hand percussion samples and urgent vocal chants and calls, whilst a bassline moves nimbly around joined by a lush Rhodes line. Achaemenid is a lower affair, underpinned by a repetitive dusty piano sample and clacking wooden percussion. In classic BodyMoves style the duration is short but the ideas within it are many. Constantine I is all woozy sub bass and neck-snapping snares, whilst a hypnotic set of hand drums work their way through your brain. Sasanian is a complete assault on the senses with its swirling effects and minimal percussion.
Byzantium is the beat tape's longest and possibly grooviest track, led by a bassline and a reflective keyboard sequence. İznik is another track underpinned by Rhodes and punctuated by an urgent, looped up vocal hook.

Staying true to beat tape tradition Ozan is released on limited white cassette (and digital) with extensive contextual and historic liner notes plus map. Limited to 75 copies.

Reviews for This Release:

"This is awesome" - Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6 Music)

"Lots of great stuff on here" - West Norwood Cassette Library (Repeater Radio)

"Ace!" - Lloyd Briggs (Deeep Space - PBS106.7fm)

"What a beattape!?!?! It flows like a champ, and I'm not just saying that cause I'm Turkish." - Kerem Gokmen (Dubmission Radioshow (WYEP Pittsburgh))

"Really enjoying the music and excited to delve into the album further. I love the exploration of heritage/identity through music, so really cool to hear your journey" - Jamz Supernova (BBC 6 Music/1Xtra/Radio 1)