Zen

Turkish psych-rock band>>>
Formed in the second half of the 80s in Istanbul, the band took the name ZeN in 1988 (meaning “woman” in Persian, as well as standing for “the one who plays” -a musical instrument- when used as a suffix). The band played their own blues and punk based songs until 1989. In time they widened the improvised section and eventually giving up their compositions, turned to complete collective improvisations.

Zen’s first official album, recorded in 1994, shows the group playing in an experimental way. Various tracks reminds at krautrock like moods like Faust. It’s very dark, dense, deranged mostly acoustic music with cloudy woolly structures. Near the second half of the album, the music delves into too much an underground improvising, in a way Amon Düül or Can did as well in their early days. Yet it is much more acoustic and has a certain middle eastern touch in experimental improvising. (Review from kunstradio.at, psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com)

Zen’s second studio album was released in 1996.

Their improvisations are still very dark, but there’s more added percussion, giving it an extra ritual music flair. Musically it’s even more experimental. They succeed to create a certain mood, very underground.

On one longer track, “Badi Badi” the improvising finally overcomes the mood of doodling and directs in its own energy. Also “Gaz” goes over the top, but in an experimental underground way. (Review from psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com)

Zen’s third album, Tanbul is an outstanding psych-rock record that takes the best of what you know about Turkish psychedelia and updates it with taste and mastery.

The jams here were improvised and patchworked together dub-style with radical mixing techniques. Overdriven baglama, saz and electric guitars meet heavy percussion and electronics with alien voices ranting in all pitches. It just has to be heard to be believed.

Nice drums, perfectly placed sound textured additions, crafty and powerful electric guitar, electric bass, weird vocals with sense. Where former releases had a murkier feeling, the professional production on this release with some creative echoes and effects on the sounds makes the sound much more modern. (Review from dustedmagazine.com, homestead.com)

Being recorded live in the most famous rehabilitation hospital of Istanbul; Bakirkoy Akil Hastanesi’nde is the last album of Zen. Doctors, nurses, patients and a couple of friends of the band attended the concert in the “Mazhar Osman” Hall of the center.

The songs were based on the writings of the famous Turkish psychiatrist, Ord. Prof. Mazhar Osman Uzun, who also gave his name to the concert hall. The music resemble pure and fiery insanity, more than melodies. Though the album is not as weird or heavy as ‘Tanbul’. It’s more a bluesy psych live improvisation.

The band once described themselves as “collective improvization” music players and without no doubt, this record place hits the nail on the head in accord to their music. (Review from psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com, resetmagazine.net)