Kargo

Kargo stands among the pivotal achievements in Turkish rock. Assembling skilled songwriters, a producer, musicians, and a charismatic frontman who appealed to media outlets, the group emerged during the 1990s as one of the earliest rock acts to achieve commercial viability. Selim Ozturk on guitar and Mehmet Senol Sisli, known as MSS, on bass launched the band in 1993 alongside vocalist Deniz Aytekin. Their first album appeared that year yet slipped quickly into obscurity among listeners and even the members themselves; its tracks leaned toward a polished 1990s pop aesthetic, featuring meticulously crafted yet overly refined material delivered with uneven vocals. The ballad “Yillar Sonra” was issued as the sole single, yet it drew no notice and was soon set aside.

In 1994 the lineup expanded with Serkan Çelikoz on keyboards, Burak Karatas on drums, and Koray Candemir handling vocals. Two further years passed before the musicians completed their next record. When 1996’s Yarina Ne Kaldi arrived, it met immediate acclaim. Its lead single “Yuzlesme,” propelled by the infectious “a-hey-hey-hey” refrain, became a major success. Candemir’s gritty delivery, paired with more aggressive guitar textures, driving drums, and straightforward yet potent bass work, defined the album’s appeal. Follow-up releases “Son Defa” and “Adimi Cagir” cemented national radio and television exposure.

The 1997 successor Sevmek Zor, fronted by the single “Sairin Elinde,” refined the approach established the year before. Each track explored a distinct emotional facet of relationships through thoughtful lyrics, demonstrating that Kargo could function as a substantive rock ensemble beyond mere chart success. Contractual friction with their label prompted an early return to the studio, yielding the 1998 album Yalnizlik Mevsimi. Widely regarded as the band’s strongest work, it adopted a darker, heavier, and more abrasive tone. The recurring motif introduced by the opening track “Azizlerin Yalnizligi” lent the record a conceptual unity, while singles such as “Arabic Fahise,” “Kalamis Parki,” and “Bogazici” maintained lyrically somber and musically intricate qualities.

Kargo’s fifth album, Sen Bir Meleksin, surfaced in 2000 and shifted toward an adult-oriented sound that broadened their audience to include middle-aged listeners. Although some devoted followers questioned the stylistic turn, fresh recordings of two tracks from the debut offered reassurance to longtime supporters. Following an Efes Dark-sponsored tour, the band composed and released the promotional single “Herkesin Gectigi Yoldan Gecme” for the brand, after which activity paused. During the hiatus Koray Candemir issued a solo album, appeared in a film, and cultivated a public profile; Sisli released poetry; and Selim Ozturk together with Serkan Celikoz produced emerging pop and rock artists.

Kargo returned in 2004 after three years away, now without Sisli, with the release of Ates Ve Su. While many listeners welcomed the effort, it failed to replicate the impact of earlier records. The 2005 covers collection Yildizlarin Altinda likewise met modest response, although its title track and accompanying video performed respectably. Silence ended in 2008 when Candemir and Celikoz announced their departure to pursue a separate project, attributing the split to diverging musical visions. Ozturk, Sisli, and Karatas regrouped with new vocalist Reha Hendem, previously active in Yakup and the local band Soul Stuff.