Review: Ouzo Bazooka - Kapaim (Batov Records)

Bazook your ouzo shots, this is Ouzo Barooka!

Only having just recovered from the synth wizardry of Romano's debut LP ‘Güle Güle’ (see review HERE), it's time to go even more Batove (Ed. is that possible?)

From the opening of 'Asia', this mostly instrumental album is drenched in Middle Eastern surf rock psychedelia, Turkish-funk space-rock with Egyptian nods to Mulatu Astatke/Sun Ra, The Venures, Stones Throw  and dare I say, Steve Hillage; with funk?

This is a project led by Uri Brauner Kinrot, a multi-instrumentalist who has a long track record of promoting groups and collectives in this area of the Mediterrean; the title track and 'Layla' even makes you think that the fuzzed out guitar could be hip.

'Seeds', that features Kinrot on vocals, encapsulates all that's here and it's catchy even with a brief slip into some "na, na, na nah" vocals at the end and who's been checking out Hawkwinds' 'Space Ritual'? - synth wobble on 'Sufa' plus 'Maagalim' has a great bass solo.

Batov's recent release, Şatellites' 'Aylar' (see review HERE) has been getting much attention on 'the socials' as the kids would tell you but this could easily match it with a funk to disco to beats in the Balkans (Ed. remember Balkan Beat Box? Uri!) and the Middle East.

We're told that this is Ouzo Bazooka's fifth album and it's for "fans of Glass Beams, Derya Yildirim, LA LOM and Oh No (younger brother of Madlib)" but we think there appeal with stretch a long way further with this new album, 'Kapaim'.

PS. You'll have to be very quick to get your hands on the vinyl.

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Artist: Ouzo Bazooka 

Title: Kapaim

Release date: 6th June, 2025

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: BTR

Format: Limited LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Aliza - Aliza EP (Siyal Music)

Get yourselves ready for Aliza for some Mediterranean psych-jazz funk Bollywood bass house; yeah, it's leftfied and further out there - but in a good way.

As neighbours Batov Records haven taken a recent side step on their last release, (Mamman Sani & Tropikal Camel's 'Nijerusalem' - see review HERE), the leading talent behind Aliza and the label, Siyal Music, has thrown all of his multi-talents into the melting pop with these 6 tracks on the 'Aliza EP'.

It's all held together with Lala Tamar's Morrocon vocals with the most accessible tracks 'Hear Us' and 'All The Way' which are very dancefloor ready; 'Hear Us' would go down a strong at We Out Here festival recently on The Grove stage as it's got heavy Sufi stompin' beat like some Northern Soul meets World.

There's a some amount of vocals in English which I find a little distracting but apart from that, any merging of "Levantine bass, futuristic Middle Eastern Dabke, Moroccan R&B" with electronica is going to be a little distracting anyway!

Quite a long way from Kutiman's contribution to Batov's 'Middle Eastern Grooves' compilation of last year (see review HERE) but this has huge potential.

Kutiman - Tabla, Drum Programing, Percussion, Keyboards
Dekel - Vocals, Keyboards
Uri Brauner Kinrot/Ouzo Bazooka - Baglama, Guitar
Lala Tamar - Vocals, Karkabes on 'Hadiya'

Artist: Aliza

Title:  Aliza EP

Release date: 27th September, 2024

Label: Siyal Music

Cat. No: -

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp