Turkey

After their first single “Küçük Kız” in 2015, last year the duo of Semih Yanyalı and Can Kınalıkaya a.k.a. 089 released their debut LP carrying their own name.
 
♪♫ Listen: “Ayıp” + album stream (Spotify)

089 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.

This is the second album of a Turkish rock trio Acaipademler, who generally like to use very important and famous lyrics from the Anatolian and world literature. And they don’t care about album covers, so we used a substitute.

♪♫ Listen: “Tufan” + album stream (Soundcloud)

Acaipademler on Facebook, Soundcloud.

After their first album “Eski Dostum Tankla Gelmiş” shaked the entire scene in 2014, last year we all expected some news from Adamlar and it did eventually come: “Rüyalarda Buruşmuşuz”.

♪♫ Listen: “Rüyalarda Buruşmuşum” + album stream (YouTube)

Adamlar on Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, Twitter.

Three years after her debut, Asena Akan – one of the few jazz singers in the scene – released her second album named “Golden Heart”. First video off the album comes for the first song on the record: “You Broke My Soul But”.

♪♫ Listen: “You Broke My Soul But” + album stream (YouTube)

Asena Akan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Not only a jazz album, but it includes many genres and different winds in it. Another inspiring record coming three years after the debut work from Başak Yavuz.

♪♫ Listen: “A Little Red Bug” + album stream (Spotify)

Başak Yavuz on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

This is not only a compilation, it is a summary of an open stage performance series for singer-songwriters, and also a radio programme on Açık Radyo with the same name nearly for three years.

♪♫ Listen: “Beat” (by Kudret Kurtcebe) + album stream (Spotify)

Bi’ Şarkım Var on Facebook, Instagram, www.

After just a single in 2015, Cihan Mürtezaoğlu finally released an album called “Bitsin Bu Delilik” last year, which shows his much more than just a singer-songwriter – he’s a very talented arranger and composer too.

♪♫ Listen: “Deli” + album stream (YouTube)

Cihan Mürtezaoğlu on Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Twitter.

A very precious guitar album from Efe Demiral. We know him as a guitarist in many projects and bands from İstanbul, but with this record he gives us a work which is hard to find in today’s musical landscape.

♪♫ Listen: “Inside Out” + album stream (Spotify)

Efe Demiral on Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram.

On “Ye’cüc Me’cüc”, we get just three songs but they last over 20 minutes and they’ll give you a shake-up wherever you are at the moment.

With their new EP, El Topo remind us how good hard sound is.

Listen: “I – Kali” + album stream (Bandcamp)

El Topo on Facebook, Bandcamp.

Very good mixture of Turkish melodies and modern beats, this self-titled album from Elektro Hafız also has a dub version full of remixes. You should check both of them!

♪♫ Listen: “Belki Son Kez” + album stream (Bandcamp)

Elektro Hafız on Soundcloud, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook.

“İyi ki” is an album full of naive songs, giving you a chance for a half-an-hour relax. After you have listened to it, you might feel like you didn’t experience 2016 in Turkey.

♪♫ Listen: “Bundan İbaret” + album stream (YouTube)

Ezgi Aktan on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram.

They don’t care about the digital revolution, they still do all their recordings in the analog way. And that gives us a really great analog sound!

♪♫ Listen: “Aşk Böyleymiş Meğer” + album stream (YouTube)

Aşk Böyleymiş Meğer on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, www.

Second album from the remarkable Turkish singer Gaye Su Akyol shows she’s still going her own way. Influenced by classical Turkish music, she develops it with a modern understanding but without distorting the essence of it.

♪♫ Listen: “Eski Tüfek” + album stream (Spotify)

Gaye Su Akyol on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter + beehype.

We’ve been waiting for this album from Gözyaşı Çetesi for a very long time, as Gözyaşı Çetesi are one of the oldest bands in this list – formed in 2004. But “Garip Davam” was worth all the wait.

♪♫ Listen: “Sana Anlatmam Gerek” + album stream (Spotify)
 
Gözyaşı Çetesi on Facebook.

Hay Bin Kunduz are two men, both playing and singing their stories they’ve been collecting for years. Music in its purest form.

♪♫ Listen: “Kahverengi’nin Şarkısı” + album stream (YouTube)

Hay Bin Kunduz on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud.

After a 2-song EP “She Got Caught” in 2015, last year Murat Kılıkçıer a.k.a. In Hoodies came back with a full LP “A Lunar Manoeuvre”, further exploring his own approach to indie rock.

♪♫ Listen: “Be All You Feel” + album stream (YouTube)

In Hoodies on Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, www + beehype.

For Jakuzi, I think we can say the new wave of Turkish synth pop is here! This fresh project started by well-known musicians took the attention of everybody in a very short time.

♪♫ Listen: “Koca Bir Saçmalık” + album stream

Jakuzi on Facebook, Instagram.

Kalben’s story seems like a fairy tale. Coming up from the alternative scene, in 2016 – with the album carrying her own name – she appeared on all top lists not only in the indie circuit, but also in mainstream area.

♪♫ Listen: “Doya Doya” + album stream (YouTube)

Kalben on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, www + beehype.

For their 10th birthday, Kolektif İstanbul released their fourth album. As usual, it is nice. As usual, it is universal! Give a little break for this balcanic trip.

♪♫ Listen: “Acımadı Yine” + album stream (YouTube)

Kolektif İstanbul on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, www.

M4NM is one of the most important hip hop collectives in the country, with approximately 20 musicians and 40 releases since the beginning in 2009.

Their eighth year brought a compilation called “0008”, which gives you an idea about the alternative hip hop scene of Turkey.

♪♫ Listen: “Geceler” + album stream (Bandcamp)

M4NM on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, www.

Theremin and synths, this combination makes your soul frightened. “Snow White and the Seven Identies” is one of the most unique and impressive pieces in this list.

♪♫ Listen: “The Dark Defender” + album stream (Soundcloud)

Meczup on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, YouTube.

After three years, Melis Danişmend finally released another full-length album and satisfied all her followers with seven beautiful new songs!

♪♫ Listen: “Sözler Artık Ağıt” + album stream (Spotify)

Melis Danişmend on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube.

After their first EP, introduced on beehype almost two years ago, all eyes were on them. In 2016, released a new EP called “Hayvanat” with just three but very powerful songs.

♪♫ Listen: “Sabit Kabuslar” + album stream (Spotify)

Nekizm on Sondcloud, Bandcamp, Instagram, Facebook.

One year later after her first official full-length, which appeared in our Best of 2015, Nilipek. released a remix album filled with reworks of her songs by many musicians from around here.

♪♫ Listen: “Gömülür” (Can Kazaz Rework) + album stream (Spotify)

Nilipek. on Soundcloud, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook + beehype.

Good news was something rare in Turkey last year, but No Land’s first album “Aramızda” is an exception. I’m not even trying to be objective this time. For me this one is the best album of 2016.

♪♫ Listen: “Niyə Belə Uzundur Bu Yollar” + album stream (YouTube)

No Land on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, www + beehype.

This is one of the most exciting album on this list also because it’s coming from a band which was silent for the last 9 years. These three people are living in seperate parts of the world, which makes their meetings always exciting.

♪♫ Listen: “Sonu Yok” + album stream (Spotify)

Norrda on Facebook, Twitter + beehype.

There are some Öfkeli Kalabalık’s EPs and records from the last three years. But “#bittigitti” is their first LP filled with rock’n roll atmosphere.

♪♫ Listen: “Bugünlerde” + album stream (Spotify)

Öfkeli Kalabalık on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

As the title “Funkbook” suggests, what you hear is actually what you feel! Legendary jazz musician Ender Focan on guitar and Şallıel Bros. on saxes with some other great musicians.

♪♫ Listen: “Jamming with the Ambassador Bluesman” + album stream (Spotify)

Önder Focan on Facebook, www. Şallıel Bros. on Facebook,

Full of sincere songs, “Duvar” is the debut album from İstanbul-based newcomer Özge Ürer. Hope to hear more from her soon.

♪♫ Listen: “Aşk” (acoustic) + album stream (YouTube)

Özge Ürer on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud, Facebook.

Pilot was planning to release an official album last year, then at some point they decided to simply share their songs on YouTube. “Damar” is a “progressive arabesque cover project”, full of famous iconic songs of Turkish music.

♪♫ Listen: “Ben İnsan Değil miyim” + album stream (YouTube)

Pilot on Facebook, YouTube.

I think Reptilians From Andromeda are more famous in the US and UK compared to their status in Turkey. Appropriately to the their name, the band’s music does sound really like coming from another planet.

♪♫ Listen: “Blood Planet” + album stream (Spotify)

Reptilians From Andromeda on Soundcloud, YouTube, Facebook.

roadside.picnic is a great hip hop duo consisting of Ağaçkakan and Armonycoma (or slt). Apart from their new release, “Le Cafard”, it’s recommended to check out all works they’ve been part of.

♪♫ Listen: “Etrafındalar” + album stream (Soundcloud)

RSPC Le Cafard on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.

One of the greatest releases of 2016 came from İstanbul’s Selim Saraçoğlu. He had been cooking those songs for quite long. But if you only taste them, you’ll understand this kind of music needs a long long time to ripen.

♪♫ Listen: “Çocuk Şarkısı” + album stream (YouTube)

Selim Saraçoğlu on Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter, Instagram.

Very impressive third album named “Mutlu Melankolik” from one of the most amazing singer-songwriters in the Turkish scene, Şirin Soysal. With some jazz influences in her singing, Şirin Soysal is a totally singular figure and a real treat for explorers of Turkish music.

♪♫ Listen: “Mutlu Melankolik” + album stream (YouTube)

Şirin Soysal on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, www + beehype.

Started five years ago, TSU! is a solo project by Istanbul-born musician James Hakan Dedeoglu. On “Dadebe”, melodies take you from the daily chaos into another planet with more space and less people.

♪♫ Listen: “Kaptan Zaman” + album stream (Spotify)

TSU! on Facebook, Soundcloud.

Very smooth and refreshing album not far away from what Kabak & Lin Records have got us used to. This time they introduce us to İstanbul-based singer Ülkü Aybala Sunat.

♪♫ Listen: “Başka Türlü” + album stream (Spotify)

Ülkü Aybala Sunat on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, www.

With every new song, album and work that they’ve been presenting to us over the last years, Vera make their place stronger and stronger in the Turkish alternative rock scene.

♪♫ Listen: “Güzel Bir Kadın” + album stream (Spotify)

VERA on Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, www.

One of the last great albums to be released in 2016 was Yank’s debut LP, “I/I”. Very confident entry into Turkey’s independent music scene.

♪♫ Listen: “Hal Değil” + album stream (Spotify)

Yank on Facebook.

Yiğit Seferoğlu released two EPs and a single last year, which made a total of 10 songs. All of them – just great. You can start with the four-track “Karadelikte Bir Martı”, released in spring.

♪♫ Listen: “Bir Ses Çıkar” + album stream (Soundcloud)

Yiğit Seferoğlu on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.

Yok Öyle Kararlı Şeyler, also known as YÖKŞ, are one of a few alternative rock bands in Turkey whose audience and prestige has been growing with every consecutive release. And it’s also true about their new effort, “Beklenen”.

♪♫ Listen: “Kalabalıklar” + album stream (Spotify)

Yok Öyle Kararlı Şeyler on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.