Biography
Altin Gün, a collective that unites Dutch and Turkish musicians, commits itself to celebrating and refreshing the psychedelic Turkish music of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The ensemble fuses classic Anatolian folk material and traditional instruments with distorted guitars and electronic keyboards, producing results on releases such as the 2019 album Gece that respectfully echo that earlier sound while aligning with the contemporary neo-psych scene. Their 2021 projects Yol and Âlem leaned more heavily into synthesizer textures, yet the band returned with renewed energy to its established approach on the 2023 record Aşk.
Bassist Jasper Verhulst, guitarist Ben Rider, and drummer Nick Mauskovic—all participants in Jacco Gardner’s touring ensemble—first conceived of Altin Gün during a tour break in Turkey. Verhulst used his free time to explore local record shops, acquiring LPs by Barış Manço, Selda, and Erkin Koray, the central figures of the Turkish psychedelic era, and quickly developed a passion for the style. Upon returning to Amsterdam, he enlisted Rider and Mauskovic to reinterpret Turkish folk songs through a contemporary psychedelic lens in the same manner that 1970s artists had done. One especially influential source was the singer and saz master Neşet Ertaş. The musicians soon recognized the need for additional players, particularly Turkish contributors who could navigate the language and lend cultural depth. Through online outreach they recruited singer and keyboardist Merve Dasdemir along with the versatile Erdinç Ecevit, whose roles encompass electric saz, vocals, and keys, and they completed the initial lineup by bringing in Amsterdam percussionist Gino Groeneveld. The group refined its approach—Verhulst and Ecevit selecting repertory to rework with thick funk rhythms, synthesizers, and reverberant psychedelic guitars—before launching local performances.
Altin Gün quickly attracted listeners from both the Dutch audience and the substantial Turkish community in the Netherlands. Their debut single appeared on the Bongo Joe label in 2017, followed in 2018 by the full-length On. By then the musicians had logged countless concerts across festivals and intimate venues, gaining wider notice after Seattle’s influential KEXP station broadcast a live session that reached hundreds of thousands of online viewers. Later that year the band performed at King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s Gizzfest, which led to interest from the Australian group’s label, ATO Records.
ATO signed Altin Gün, and with Daniel Smienk installed on drums the ensemble recorded its second album alongside engineer Jasper Geluk, who had also worked on On. The resulting set offered another vigorous update of the classic Turkish psychedelic idiom, again drawing primarily from traditional folk sources except for the lone original track “Şoför Bey.” Gece arrived via ATO in April 2019, prompting an extensive world tour. The album earned a 2020 Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Although the group did not win, the recognition secured prominent placements at the 2020 Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals, both ultimately canceled amid the global pandemic. Like countless other acts, the members adjusted their workflow, exchanging files and overdubs remotely. This round incorporated additional synthesizers, Omnichord, and drum machines, imparting a smoother, synth-pop character alongside the buoyant psychedelic pop. Yol, mixed by Asa Moto, was released by ATO in February 2021, followed later that year by the companion album Âlem, which shared a comparable sonic profile.
Once live performances resumed in late 2021, Altin Gün embarked on a brief European run and crossed to North America in 2022. Studio sessions held together in person produced 2023’s Aşk, whose sound more closely mirrored the band’s stage energy. The album introduced guitarist Thijs Elzinga, replacing Rider, and percussionist Chris Bruining.
Bassist Jasper Verhulst, guitarist Ben Rider, and drummer Nick Mauskovic—all participants in Jacco Gardner’s touring ensemble—first conceived of Altin Gün during a tour break in Turkey. Verhulst used his free time to explore local record shops, acquiring LPs by Barış Manço, Selda, and Erkin Koray, the central figures of the Turkish psychedelic era, and quickly developed a passion for the style. Upon returning to Amsterdam, he enlisted Rider and Mauskovic to reinterpret Turkish folk songs through a contemporary psychedelic lens in the same manner that 1970s artists had done. One especially influential source was the singer and saz master Neşet Ertaş. The musicians soon recognized the need for additional players, particularly Turkish contributors who could navigate the language and lend cultural depth. Through online outreach they recruited singer and keyboardist Merve Dasdemir along with the versatile Erdinç Ecevit, whose roles encompass electric saz, vocals, and keys, and they completed the initial lineup by bringing in Amsterdam percussionist Gino Groeneveld. The group refined its approach—Verhulst and Ecevit selecting repertory to rework with thick funk rhythms, synthesizers, and reverberant psychedelic guitars—before launching local performances.
Altin Gün quickly attracted listeners from both the Dutch audience and the substantial Turkish community in the Netherlands. Their debut single appeared on the Bongo Joe label in 2017, followed in 2018 by the full-length On. By then the musicians had logged countless concerts across festivals and intimate venues, gaining wider notice after Seattle’s influential KEXP station broadcast a live session that reached hundreds of thousands of online viewers. Later that year the band performed at King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s Gizzfest, which led to interest from the Australian group’s label, ATO Records.
ATO signed Altin Gün, and with Daniel Smienk installed on drums the ensemble recorded its second album alongside engineer Jasper Geluk, who had also worked on On. The resulting set offered another vigorous update of the classic Turkish psychedelic idiom, again drawing primarily from traditional folk sources except for the lone original track “Şoför Bey.” Gece arrived via ATO in April 2019, prompting an extensive world tour. The album earned a 2020 Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Although the group did not win, the recognition secured prominent placements at the 2020 Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals, both ultimately canceled amid the global pandemic. Like countless other acts, the members adjusted their workflow, exchanging files and overdubs remotely. This round incorporated additional synthesizers, Omnichord, and drum machines, imparting a smoother, synth-pop character alongside the buoyant psychedelic pop. Yol, mixed by Asa Moto, was released by ATO in February 2021, followed later that year by the companion album Âlem, which shared a comparable sonic profile.
Once live performances resumed in late 2021, Altin Gün embarked on a brief European run and crossed to North America in 2022. Studio sessions held together in person produced 2023’s Aşk, whose sound more closely mirrored the band’s stage energy. The album introduced guitarist Thijs Elzinga, replacing Rider, and percussionist Chris Bruining.
Albums
Singles
