Badmixday is the alias of 22 year-old Turkish musician, electronic producer, and DJ Anıl Berk Çetin. The Istanbul native has been experimenting with music since the age of 14, beginning with instrumental hip-hop beats before moving towards an exceptionally lush sound that fuses organic instrumentation with electronic production. Within the last couple years, he's quietly released a pair of EPs, a collaborative album with Turkish rapper t. utku, and been featured on various label compilations, including France’s Moose Records. His evolving exploration of gorgeous, immersive, and emotional compositions now boldly takes a confident step forward on 'A Quiet Mind Awaits,' his debut full-length album due out on March 10th via Seattle's Hush Hush Records.
'A Quiet Mind Awaits' beautifully blurs the lines between ambient, downtempo, trip-hop, jazz, and textured house styles. The album sways towards spacious vocal-laced ballads suited for dimly lit environments, before exploding into exquisitely-detailed kinetic rhythms, and then falling cozily into blissful downtempo zones. Badmixday impressively connects this expansive array of styles with his lusciously rich productions that spotlight his ear for warm atmospherics, intricate sonic details, and wonderfully unexpected instrumentation. A few guest artists help out along the way as well. German vocalist Klangschwester lends her captivating voice to brooding album opener “Special One,” Austrian singer Tante Meli offers her icy and magnetic vocals to “Until Together,” while “Last Traces of Woodsticks” features additional production by California downtempo producer Tristan de Liége and the skittering "Lotus Leaves" features assistance from fellow Istanbul-based electronic producer Gökalp K.
A strong meditative streak runs throughout the album, an element inspired by Badmixday's daily meditation techniques and Sufism practices. These mystical and reflective moments initiated many of the album's most unique creative ideas, further enhancing his music's contemplative and cinematic nature. The result is undoubtedly Badmixday's strongest creations to date, yielding a sound that carries on the rich legacy of electronic producers pushing an organic and transportive sound. With glances towards the dusty gems of Ninja Tune's influential 1990s catalog, while also recalling contemporaries such as Floex, Hidden Orchestra, Long Arm, and Floating Points, Badmixday's 'A Quiet Mind Awaits' unveils a beautiful fully-formed debut from an emerging artist with a bright future.
All instruments performed by Anıl Berk Çetin (clarinet, piano, electric piano, clarinet without mouthpiece, harp, tenor sax, trumpet, flute, additional vocals, violin, samplers & synths), except:
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Listened to this on the plane and transformed my flight. Others looked at me and fell silent. Babies stopped crying. Flight attendants paused in the aisle. The pilot spoke over the intercom but said nothing.
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Disappear into the two shapeshifting epics on the latest from Obelisk Ruins, each twist & turn like feeling your way through a dark maze. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 5, 2023