Say what you will about streaming services but Spotify, in particular, has introduced me to some of my (now) most favorite artists including Turkey’s She Past Away who is back with their first album in four years, Disko Anksiyete.
The same way that I enjoy Rammstein without understanding a word that comes out of Til Lindemann’s mouth is the approach I take when it comes to appreciating the duo of She Past Away. Hailing from Turkey with all vocals sung in Turkish, SPA and their brand of modern post-punk goodness works despite the language barrier (On my end) because of the mood Disko Anksiyete ultimately creates.
“Bosluk (Inro)” is like a spooky Stranger Things/SURVIVE-type piece building this ambiance before the main course arrives in the form of “Durdu Dunya” which has a familiar “Soluk” feel to it meaning steady beats with a cloud of spacey guitars overhead casting a gloomy shadow over it all. It’s the perfect soundtrack for any part of your evening at a goth club and indicative of what’s to follow.
The title track is Goth incarnate. Bauhaus mixed with New Order is easily the best description of the song and kind of the overall She Past Away aesthetic. Truly, if Peter Murphy were backed by Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris then “Disko Anksiyete” would be the result. It’s divine, it’s glorious, it’s essential She Past Away listening.
“Izole” is driving yet hypnotic, like Mr. Kitty but darker with these The Cure-style floating guitar lines with Volkan Caner’s voice airy on its own sounding positively unearthly. “La Maldad” is somewhere between The Raveonettes, The Munsters, and The Soft Moon with the bounce and these mechanical beats while “Renksiz” moves in a more sinister way and “Sonbahar” is intricately intricate with Caner’s hypnotic guitar work laying the groundwork for the Electro renaissance to come amidst Doruk Öztürkcan’s synths and programmed beats.
“Girdap” pulsates like some of the greatest ’80’s club anthems used to do (New Order definitely comes to mind here) and “Yukseliyor Deniz” is a different kind of penultimate track, infused with a sense of wonder and mystery before “Agit” comes in to wrap everything up with Caner’s vox and Öztürkcan’s keys concluding Disko Anksiyete on another otherworldly note.
Disko Anksiyete is out now digitally and can be found by clicking here or here. There will be (gasp!) physical versions of the album available on July 12th as well. You can pre-order those versions by clicking here or on the stream below. For the latest on She Past Away, including upcoming tour dates like the one at Once Somerville in December, head here.