Berlin-based musician and mass collaborator, Jeff Özdemir, is back with a new double vinyl and this time he’s gone for gold. With cinematographic soundscapes, thick bass lines, tangible percussion, eerie keys and charming vocals, this synergetic masterpiece treads the boundaries between jazz, Gameboy sounds, chanson, psychedelic desert, soul, minimal, seventies pop, dub, electronic and classical music with a hint of a John Carpenter-esque style to boot. Rooted in the past but spanning to the future, Jeff Özdemir & Friends vol. 2 refuses to be pigeon-holed into any one decade or genre, transcending these categories without destroying them. Through deep experimentation, Turkish-born multi-instrumentalist Özdemir and his circle of friends have managed to create their own unique sound whilst remaining changeable and varied. Much like the collaborators of the project itself, each song has its own personality drawing from the various corners of the musical universe and joining together to create a new world. The tracks oscillate between Özdemir’s solo-work, to dual collaborations, to group projects and include names such as F.S. Blumm, Andrew Pekler, Halloumi Express, Sonja Polligkeit, Benjamin Wild and Dizzy from Rotation. Drawing from their creators’ diverse backgrounds the songs incorporate multi-cultural, multi-linguistic elements including French, Japanese, Turkish and Portuguese. Despite its wide scope this double-vinyl – also available as a CD and mp3 download – and its catchy, lingering melodies is both cerebral and accessible. Jeff Özdemir & Friends vol. 2 gives you an insight into Özdemir’s world which he centres around his record store, 33rpm Store, in the heart of Berlin Kreuzberg. It is through this hub that he and his friends join together to discuss, listen to and, of course, make music. So have a peek through the window of Jeff Özdemir’s mind and enter once again into a universe of sound both familiar and entirely new…
Juliette Wallace
