Gaye Su Akyol, "Anadolu Ejderi"

Hard-hitting and hallucinogenic, with just enough glam to hold it all together

There is a time and place for extravagance, those moments when it’s not just appropriate but necessary to show off the heights to which human emotion can soar. Wedding celebrations. Royal coronations. Rock music, when done well, has a place in this list, and Gaye Su Akyol does it well. The Istanbul-based artist has been in the game for over a decade, fusing the heavier elements of traditional Turkish music with the polychromatic textures of psych and surf rock. Power chords and backing chants amp up the energy without overpowering, kept in check by deft compositions and a vocal prowess that allows Akyol to maintain her footing on the wildest of sonic waves. Even the more subdued moments are delivered with a confidence that speaks to the essence of her approach to excess, not as a lack of restraint but as a recognition that, at times, the only way to live honestly is to hold nothing back.

Bonus Pick: Jatiwangi’s LAIR brings a similar psychedelia to the Indonesian archipelago with their album Ngélar.