21. PERON

Turkish Prog band, which evolved from an early-70's group of students from the Izmir College.This group won the Milleyet contest in 1973, but apparently had many line-up changes after the graduation of the involved members.Thus they were renamed to 21.Peron, featuring at this early stage Andreas Wildermann on organ, Haluk Oztekin and Seyhan Erip on guitars, Aron Perez on bass, Halil Yildinm on drums and Alp Gultekin on viola.Simultaneously their music switched towards a more complex, instrumental style, inspired by Zappa, Yes, Gentle Giant and the likes and by 1975 they had recorded five tracks by themselves.Following line up-changes (Erip, Perez and Yildinm were replaced by Erden Erdem on drums and Gokhan Akcay on bass), two owners of a label, Attila Ozdemiroglu and Sanar Yurdatapan, allowed them to record a number of tracks in a professional studio, but apart from some airplay these tapes never made it to a proper release.Material from the 1975-77 period of the band was released in 2003 on the Arkaplan label in vinyl and CD.

I can see why 21.Peron never recorded a professional album back at the time in such a conservatory enviroment with little interest in Western Music.The band played an interesting Prog/Psych with big time Ethnic influences, not only during the viola solos and their definite Eastern flavor, but even the bassists and guitarists of the group had a certain love for the traditional roots, always willing to put fair doses of folky colors into a rockin' mood.The recording quality is not the best, but even under these circumstances we have to deal with a nice instrumental sound and pretty gifted musicians, filling the music with raw interplays and swirling between rich and mellow atmospheres.Half about of the album is lacking any keyboard instrument and sounds a bit rough, propelled by the folky strings and psychedelic guitars, sometimes showered by discreet Classical influences.The other half has an even better sound and a performed style very close to half-compatriots ASIA MINOR, featuring viola, synthesizers and organ and eventually putting up an instrumental show between quasi-Symphonic and Ethnic Rock, refining their approach with the use of several different guitar tones and composing tracks with multiple variations, always covered by a light psychedelic feeling.They can be compared to Greeks HABEUS CORPUS for the evident struggling to find a balance between unpolished and elaborate musicianship and having a nice Fusion touch in their arrangements.

In 1978 Alp Gultekin quit from the band, which supported Embryo during their visit to Turkey.The addition of Maria Rita Epik on vocals marks the beginning of the end for 21.Peron.The band participated in the trials for the 79' Eurovision Song contenst and won the invitation to represent Turkey.But they were refused entry to Israel due to the oil crisis and the threats by Middle-Eastern countries.Just before disbanding they recorded an unknown Pop album and in 1980 the story of 21.Peron comes to an end.

ASIA MINOR-like Turkish Prog mixed with echoes of Anatolian Rock.Playful, tricky and national-sounding stuff, which contains its moments.Recommended.