After the release of their album Gece via ATO Records Turkish band Altin Gün will hit the road for their first-ever U.S. tour. The Amsterdam-based group are inspired by Turkish folk and psychedelia from the 60s & 70s, re-interpreting Anatolian rock and folk music and opening the doors between traditional Turkish folk songs and psych. Tour stops include Boston, Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

Altin Gün was inspired by founder and bass player Jasper Verhulst’s deep passion for Turkish folk and psychedelia. “The songs come out of a long tradition. This is music that tries to be a voice for a lot of other people. We do have a weak spot for the music of the late ‘60s and ‘70s,” Verhulst admits. “With all the instruments and effects that arrived then, it was an exciting time. Everything was new, and it still feels fresh. We’re not trying to copy it, but these are the sounds we like and we’re trying to make them our own.”

Altın Gün (the name translates as “golden day”) formed in the Netherlands and grew from Verhulst’s obsession with Turkish music. He had been aware of it for some time but a trip to Istanbul while playing in another band gave him the chance to discover so much more. But Verhulst wasn’t content to just listen, he had a vision for what the music could be – and Altın Gün was born.

He explains, “None of this music is widely available in the Netherlands. Of course, since our singers are Turkish, they know many of these pieces. All this is part of the country’s musical past, their heritage, like ‘House of The Rising Sun’ is in America.” As Verhulst has delved into Turkish music, he’s continued to seek new songs that grab his ear. “Most of these songs have had hundreds of different interpretations over the years. I’m listening for something we can change and make into our own. We need something that will make people stop and listen, as if it’s the first time they’ve heard it.

Altin Gün
Gece
track listing
ATO Records

1. Yolcu
2. Vay Dunya
3. Leyla
4. Anlatmam Derdimi
5. Sofor Bey
6. Derdimi Dokersem
7. Kolbasti
8. Ervah-i Ezelde
9. Gesi Baglari
10. Süpürgesi Yoncadan

Altin Gün
Live

7/22 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
7/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade (SOLD OUT)
7/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
7/26 – Kingston, NY @ The Anchor
7/27 – Washington, DC @ Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel
7/29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
7/30 – Minneapolis, MN @ TURF Club
8/03 & 8/04 – Portland, OR @ Pickathon
8/05 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
8/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
8/9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theater (w/ Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeros)
8/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands