Ancient folk melody turns into a psychedelic outburst : Nasip Kısmet

Nasip Kısmet is the brainchild of Arif Erdem Ocak, the Turkish-born musician who resides in Budapest, Hungary since  2010, best-known as a founding member and co-songwriter of the famed Ankara band Seksendört who topped charts mid to-late 2000s with consecutive hits. After moving to Budapest to pursue a solo music career, he focused on the deep
 repertoire of old and contemporary Turkish folk music, interpreting it through his unique vocal style as well as his trademark hammer-on and pull-of, percussive guitar technique. Live renditions of this material earned Arif a loyal following and quickly  made him a staple in the Hungarian live music scene. His special interest in ancient Anatolian mysticism and philosophy led the versatile musician to explore the poetry and songs of the era with a multi-instrumental approach.

Nasip Kısmet, the ethnic-jazz outfit he formed in 2020 featuring fellow high-caliber musicians - Cem Aksel (TR) on Drums, Dániel Mester (HU) on Saxophone and Clarinet, and Márton Eged (HU) on Bass Guitar – was the perfect answer and the outfit recorded a three-song, self-titled EP that comprises rather sophisticated versions of some classics of the genre. After Cem Aksel moved back home to Istanbul, Dávid Szegő and Tomi Smuk joined the band on drums and percussion respectively, and the live line-up was completed by Derya Ocak’s (Arif’s sister) addition on backing vocals. With this live line-up, Nasip Kısmet played some intimate club shows in Summer 2020 to great reception by audiences and quickly graduated to larger, sold-out shows in prestigious Budapest venues such as Mom-Kult, Szimpla Kert, Ellatohaz and Opus Jazz Club. The band’s currently rehearsing for the recording of their full-length, planned for release later this year.

Release Date: 26.03.2021 | Catalog No: FER2110
 TRACKLISTING
 1. YALANCI DÜNYAYA KONUP GÖÇENLER (4’46”)
Words: Yunus Emre (13th Century) | Music: Anonymous
2. BİR AY DOĞAR (7’04”)
Words & Music: Anonymos (from Turkey’s Malatya Region)
3. YARİM SENDEN AYRILALI (5’57”)
Words: Kul Aşık (17th Century) | Music: Anonymous
ELEVATOR PITCH
Serendpity is not only the closest meaning of Nasip Kısmet, but also the best way to describe this international band’s authentic, multi-genre music: an ancient folk melody turns into a psychedelic outburst by a sudden chord progression, then eases into a mild jazz-fusion breeze by a touch of masterful musicianship.
THE BAND
Arif Erdem Ocak – Vocals & Guitars Dániel Mester – Saxophone & Clarinet Márton Eged – Bass
Cem Aksel – Drums
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Dávid Szegő – Drums (LIVE)
Tomi Smuk - Percussions (LIVE) Derya Ocak – Backing Vocals (LIVE)
BIOGRAPHY
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Recorded at Supersize Studio, Budapest / 2020 Recorded by Dexter
Mixed by Berk Kula
Mastered by Ahmet Kalabay
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Live Sound Engineer: Mátyás Varga Digital EP Artwork: Zia van Lux