Satellites Seni Sen Olduğun İçin Sevdim | 7inch
Şatellites return to Batov Records essential Middle Eastern Groove 45s series with another irresistible pair of fresh takes on Turkish psych and folk.
On the A-side, the four-piece tackle “Seni Sen Olduğun İçin Sevdim”, a lesser-known gem by Arabesque pioneer Hakkı Bulut, with the force of The Stooges crossed with the JBs. The song kicks off with a mighty swathe of synth before Ariel Harrosh on bass and Raz Man on drums launch an aggressive groove, crowned by Itamar Klüger on electric saz. Before you can catch your breath, Yuli Shafriri beautifully and clearly voices the infectious melody.
On the flip, Şatellites deliver another deadly instrumental jam, putting on a raw and uptempo psych-rock spin, à la Jefferson Airplane, on the traditional “Şaskin”. This version is tailor-made for toe-tapping and dancing in a safer, freer world.
Şatellites met and bonded over a shared love for Turkish psych. Ariel and Raz happened to be looking for a saz player whilst Itamar, obsessed with Anadolu rock, collecting records, and attempting to emulate his heroes on a bargain saz, was looking for a band!
Rather than attempting exact facsimiles of these gems from another time and place, the band allows the songs to run through them, capturing the influences & experiences of musicians who grew up in the 90s in Tel Aviv, listening to psych and rock, Led Zeppelin to Rage Against the Machine. Operating as a full democracy from the start, they continue to tighten their chops by busking regularly in a flea market in Jaffa.