Labels: Pati Patu Prima
Review by: Oli Saunders
Wowzers, this demo is great. Part of the small but incredible Istanbul emo scene, Lost In Bazaar play modern chaotic emo or screamo. And in my opinion they do it pretty much as well as anyone around at the moment. That’s a pretty strong statement, particularly for a demo, but I sit here now listening to them and they’ve got all the essential ingredients. I guess I just love this Turkish screamo sound a hell of a lot. Guitars played melodically in places but kept fairly simple, in other places bringing up the levels to that of raging. Anguished screams by two vocalists (sometimes seperate, sometimes together), they also alternate with out of breath vocals and sometimes one screams whilst the other shouts desperately. So goddamn amazing when they join in togther, it blows me away just like when Battle Of Wolf 359 and Storm The Bastille do it. Things get mixed up enough so that it never gets boring, on the tracks individually and as a whole. If you don’t like screamo then obviously stay away but if you do then I don’t understand how you could not like this, even if it’s just a bit.
Six tracks here lasting in total just short of 13 minutes. All are good, there are maybe a few standouts where the intensity goes into overdrive and I close my eyes and shake my head about. Track three ‘Eightyeight’ is awesome. It goes for it right at the start with those dual vocals, before calming down with some nice melody. Things erupt again for a short period before again calming before an amazing finale. Basic stuff, just play a bit of melody, then go scream your head off whilst your mate cries, but I’m so receptive to it and I can’t help but rave about it. The last track is awesome too, instrumental for all but the last minute, it then erupts with beautiful melody played alongside the two vocalists going for it. The lyrics are somewhat poetic and I can’t understand what the message is in some of the songs, in other ones there’s the usual stuff on things wrong with the world but that’s all good I think. All in all, it’s not utterly raging like Shikari or Reveral Of Man but its got that screamo thing going on where despite the harshness of the sound its utterly compelling.
Most of the bands in the Istanbul emo scene have ex members of Noisy Sins Of The Insect. Lost In Bazaar are no exception and have Alper the vocalist and a guy called Oguz who is probably the same Oguz that played in Noisy Sins. You can definitely see influences from Noisy Sins and other ex bands like Stevan Flipovic, but the sound is reasonably distinct. Released by Pati Patu Rrima records, if you like Lost In Bazaar then check out everything they’ve put out.
2nd February 2009