CONCERT: LALALAR (Turkey)

Bongo Joe present brand new sounds from the cutting-edge of the 21st century Istanbul underground by powerhouse Turkish trio Lalalar. Riding a wave of fierce energy and acclaim generated by their show-stopping festival performances at Le Guess Who and Trans Musicales, they now unleash their hotly-anticipated debut album, Bi Cinnete Bakar. The brainchild of three of Turkey’s most active and innovative alternative artists – Ali Güçlü Şimşek, Barlas Tan Özemek and Kaan Düzarat – the album is a thrilling mix of punk energy, dark electronics and Turkish instrumentation and samples.

You can learn a lot from the names bands give themselves – and Lalalar is no exception. Principle songwriter, Ali Güçlü Şimşek, explains: “Lala is the wise man, the teacher of sultans in Ottoman history. And at the same time, in slang, the one who doesn’t know what he is talking about.” Make it plural by adding ‘lar,’ and you’ve…