Our republic is 85 years old. We lost its founder 70 years ago. Now take a look at the present situation.
We still have to establish the internal balance of the republic. Nobody is even trying to find a compromise to reconcile the religious and conservative with the secular. To the contrary, the more powerful impose their will on the others. No consideration has been given to changing conditions and international conjecture. It has been 70 years since we lost Atatürk. We are still arguing about the kind of person he was. To some, he was a leader beyond criticism. All his words were as valuable as gold. For others, he was the foe of religion and did a lot of harm to religious persons. Can Dündar has now torn down the stone statues of official ideology by opening this Pandora’s box. I watched the special showing of “Mustafa” at the Dolmabahçe Palace on Monday. I loved Mustafa even more. I was lost in admiration for him. Can Dündar has shown us the human side of Atatürk, whom we had always seen as a stern, serious or even severe leader, riding his bronze horse or leaping out from black and white photos.
We now see him as man who wrote wonderful letters in French to his beloved, drank, sang, danced and had fun with his friends. Can Dündar has shown us a pragmatic leader, who cooperated with people of opposing views when necessary and even shook hands with the devil in order to reach his objective. Can Dündar has opened the doors of an ivory cage in which we shut ourselves for 70 years. I felt much closer to Mustafa. I liked him better than the bronze statues that showed him riding a rampant horse.
October 2, 2008 at 9:32 pm · Filed under Articles, Media
Sasu Ripatti is the producer and head writer behind the project Luomo, his musical outfit that has redrawn the very boundaries of what “house music” can achieve. “Convivial”; is Ripatti’s fourth, album as Luomo. For his relief though, this time he doesn’t have to arrive alone. In addition to a long-time collaborator Johanna Iivanainen (From Helsinki, Finland), this time he lands with a semiunderground star cast; Cassy (Panorama Bar), Sascha Ring (Apparat), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Robert Owens, Sue-C and one anonymous singer who hides behind a name Chubbs
The network of artists and singers he worked with for the album bring about strong song characteristics and wide range of electronic music to experience. Cassy is participating on a dancefloor-friendly song “Have You Ever”, while Sascha Ring makes a touching appearance singing a semi-ballad “Love You All”. Jake Shears does add a piece of glamour in “If I Can’t” while a long-time friend from California, Sue-C does great lead vocals in “Nothing Goes Away”, a song probably everyone can relate to. Classic house vocalist Robert Owens gets treated and processed in soulful “Robert’s Reason”, while Johanna Iivanainen both brings back and takes further than before what vocals can do in experimental pop music. As always in his productions the vocals rarely speak out on narrow or specific issues, preferring sweeping hyperbolic statements all about seasonless emotions and about transition and exchange, because that is what people have in their lives, and it is his wish to reflect on that in his music…
Convivial” is out on Huume Recordings October 24th.
Track Listing:
1. Have You Ever (w/ Cassy)
2. Love You All (w/ Sascha Ring aka Apparat)
3. If I Can’t (w/ Jake Shears)
4. Nothing Goes Away (w/ Sue Cie & Johanna Iivanainen)
5. Robert’s Reason (w/ Robert Owens)
6. Slow Dying Places (w/ Johanna Iivanainen)
7. Sleep Tonight (w/ Johanna Iivanainen)
8. Gets Along Fine (w/ Chubbs)
9. Lonely Music Co. (w/ Johann
