Isik Kural’s ‘Moon in Gemini’: An Enchanting Journey Through Time and Sound
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Isik Kural returns with his latest album, “Moon in Gemini,” a radiant collection of slow-flowing narratives steeped in symbolic and intuitive storytelling. This new work blends environmental music with folk song structures, featuring Kural’s soothing vocals over pastoral field notes, airy chamber instrumentation, and archival recordings from his eclectic musical life. The album invites listeners to delve deeply into a dreamlike state through its fourteen meticulously crafted pieces.
The album was primarily created between Amasya, Turkey, and Kural’s current home in Glasgow, utilizing both domestic and studio recording environments. Some tracks emerged from Kural’s personal recording archive, adding a rich patina to the collection. “Moon in Gemini” reimagines previously unreleased songs and unfinished ideas spanning fifteen years, including street sounds from his upbringing in Turkey and recordings made while studying music engineering in Miami, Helsinki, and Glasgow.
Following his 2022 album “in february,” Kural sought to expand upon the methodologies and textures explored in that project. He aimed for a more intimate, vocal-forward sound on “Moon in Gemini,” taking inspiration from artists like Nina Simone, Aldous Harding, and Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear. The track “film festival” from his previous album served as a gateway into this new work, presenting sample-based arrangements with asymmetrical progressions and intertwined ambience and vocals.
Kural’s songwriting is intuitive and playful, influenced by his deep love of literature. Echoes of Silvina Ocampo’s poem “Dialogues of the Silence” resonate in “Most Beautiful Imaginary Dialogues,” while lines from Elliott Smith and Virgina Astley shapeshift through “Behind the Flowerpots,” based on misheard lyrics from Smith’s “Stickman” and Astley’s “Some Small Hope.” This literary infusion adds a rich layer of meaning to his off-kilter texts.
Captured at his aunt’s farmhouse in Amasya, Kural’s vocals are prominently featured, high in the mix and newly expressive. This experimentation with recording and mixing techniques gives “Moon in Gemini” a distinctive sound. Collaborations with flutist Tenzin Stephen, harpist Kirstin McCarlie, and clarinet player Giulia Tamborino add lulling undertones of live woodwinds and strings, enveloping the album in a dreamy, lunar light.
“Moon in Gemini” explores interconnected stories and themes more deeply than Kural’s previous works. Tracks like “Prelude” and “Interlude,” as well as “Grown One Iota” and “After a Rain,” explore related narratives, while “Almost a Ghost” and “Behind the Flowerpots” emerged serendipitously from a conversation with Stephanie “Spefy” Roxanne Ward, whose vocals return to complement Kural’s in sweet dialogue.
Brimming with natural imagery and lullaby-inflected tones, “Moon in Gemini” captures the wonder-filled sounds of everyday life. The album’s expanded sonic palette, enriched by the collaborations, creates an enchanting auditory experience that is perfectly imperfect in its poetry. Birdsong and sun-soaked afternoons transition into enchanted evenings, carried on the wings of Kural’s evocative melodies.
“Moon in Gemini” will be released on vinyl, Japanese import CD, and digital editions on September 6, 2024. A portion of the proceeds from this release will benefit the Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, supporting women in their pursuit of lives free from gender-based discrimination and violence under free and equal conditions.
Isik Kural’s “Moon in Gemini” is an artistic triumph that blends past influences with innovative sounds. This album not only marks a significant evolution in Kural’s music but also provides a profound listening experience, enriched by literary references and natural imagery. It stands as a testament to Kural’s ability to craft deeply resonant and evocative music.
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