News of new music released via the Shapes of Rhythm recording home would surely pique the interest of contemporary music aficionados with even a fleeting knowledge of the label’s track record to date. From the explosion of Japanese cultural influences celebrated through the Gaijin Blues project, to the minimalist and sparse compositions that detail an Awkward Corners release, to the vibrant and compelling production adorning Hamish Balfour’s full-length debut of last year, ‘Running Colours’.

The label has thrived from presenting innovative and unique voices that both challenge and inspire; any album that is fortunate enough to wave the flag for the London-based label, the distinction to do so would surely be worn with incredible pride.

Which brings us to the latest Shapes of Rhythm release, the self-titled full-length from MLDVA & Ç​ı​nar Timur. Fusing elements of Turkish psychedelia and pop music, the mind-blowing project from the Polish collective has had a lengthy and fascinating journey to get to this milestone. With MLDVA actually beginning life back in 2013, theirs has been a passion for the music that has grown and evolved since its inception with varying facets and genres continually jocking for lead position across their varied musical soundscapes. Their affections for Greek and Turkish folk music eventually made way to a psych rock aesthetic, then incorporating twinges of electronica and, later, Turkish pop music.

Interestingly, MLDVA & Ç​ı​nar Timur aren’t necessarily the first Shapes of Rhythm act to explore Turkish music in this concept and it seems only apt to cite the work of Enver Göyken and his ‘Ozan’ project. Using the album’s 21-track beat tape presentation as a means to explore Göyken’s own Turkish heritage, it’s interesting to regard these projects – although wholly different from each other – as something akin to unofficial companion pieces as their shared philosophies are treated in equally inspired contexts across both accomplished records.

While other iterations of MLDVA’s over-arching journey across the last ten years would have been fascinating to have heard, it’s hard to imagine that we don’t now have the best version of the group to date. In fact, a slight tease into the evolution of the MLDVA sound can be heard in comparing the new album with the group’s initial single release, ‘Gül Ahmet’, from 2018. Featuring two accompanying remixes from Da Poet and Feller, the limitless scope of MLDVA is barely touched upon but now proves to wholeheartedly be worth the wait.

The extended guitar solo that kicks off album opener ‘Zülüf Dökülmüş Yüze / Kozan Dağı’ marks the perfect lead-in before the track makes way to the first burst of unbridled energy that the album will become regarded for, as further evidenced by ‘Ölüm Allah’ın Emri’. But tracks like the psychedelic and dreamy groove of ‘Bir Adım Öte’ may sneak in and demonstrate MLDVA at their best – a sublime yet trippy number that, at nearly seven minutes, could happily be twice as long and still not seem long enough.

MLDVA & Ç​ı​nar Timur in of itself delivers as an incredible and inspired project. And should it take a further ten years for a follow-up record to surface then there should be little doubt that it would a project eagerly embraced for fans of this record and absolutely live up to expectations.