Barista is the recording name of Turkish musician Bahadir Han Eryilmaz, and also the name of his project. His debut release, Daydream, premiered in 2014 and was quickly followed up by 57 in 2016. Press Rewind is Volume 2 of an album titled Open Sesame that is so expansive, it is being released over five volumes.
In it, Eryilmaz has set about deconstructing the barriers between blues, classic and prog rock and putting the components back together in an original form. He describes himself as “naively enthusiastic,” but the respect he has is demonstrated by the calibre of the musicians who are on this project, including Jesse Siebenberg (Supertramp, Kenny Loggins), Brian Duffy (Guns ‘n’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), and Lydia Salnikova (Kenny Rogers, John Ford Coley), and Simon Phillips (Toto, the Who, Mick Jagger) on drums.
Press Rewind contains six songs, which represent tracks 8-13 of the entire 26-track Open Sesame project. While the music is rock infused, there is also a sense that the project has imbibed musical elements from different cultures including Eastern and blues.
Barista has a passion in his music and a purpose. He writes music based on his own experiences while respectfully giving respect to influences which include Toto, Journey, Supertramp, the Alan Parsons Project, and an array of bands from the Turkish folk tradition including Sufism. His main purpose is to bring authentic music to an audience.
“Open Sesame is the continuation of my two earlier albums published under the alias Barista,” he says. “It is the product of three years of work. As of now, 39 songs have been recorded and I plan on featuring 26 of them in this album, releasing them in recurring volumes. The volumes will be organized in relation to the subgenres of the songs.
“I aimed at making music that is satisfying, multi-layered, with substance and detail,” Barista adds. “I strived for the lyrics to convey a theme, story, idea, or experience in unity, and to do so with prosody and harmony. These themes are more of individual inner worlds than pop culture.
“I am not targeting a specific audience or looking for tangible commercial success, all I want is for people to be aware of the existence of this album, and to promote it as much as possible,” he says. “I am aware that it is not in compliance with the current trends and main music industry dynamics, but I also know there are many people like me out there with a taste in indie music – and those who miss hearing music with body.”
“Haze” opens Open Sesame Vol. 2: Press Rewind, and is steeped in almost anthemic roll-overs and phrases. The song tells the story of losing your way, finding that love is more important than conquering the world, that redemption is not always possible and dreams can be broken. “Start” is a lovely ballad with great vocals and solid backing from guitar and drums. It is about making a fresh start and the potential for losing yourself if you are not wary. The swelling guitar solo in the break between the second and third part is great.
“Statement” features superb vocals, great harmonies and some cool and quirky percussion lines. The vocals are clear and tuneful, the guitar solo flamboyant and the number well-structured. Open Sesame Vol. 2: Press Rewind continues with “Sweet,” which is crazy good with a bluesy, rhythm overlaid across rattly percussion and steady guitars. It is one of those tracks that boasts a surprise just when you think you know how it is going to go. It has everything, a bit of pop, a lot of rock, a smidgeon of blues and a spot-on vocal line.
“Nothing Left” has a different vibe altogether, with spacey electronica pumping behind eerie vocals and thumping drums. There is an edge to this number, and a sense that darkness is closer than you think. The vocals rise in volume and passion as the story of love taking everything is related. The result is the stand-out track on Open Sesame Vol. 2: Press Rewind by a long shot. “Apology” is a great, driving track to finish the album. Prog-rock inspired, it is heavy on the layers and light on the ears.
There is a lot to commend on Open Sesame Vol. 2: Press Rewind. If you pull apart each element, much of it has been done before, but the way Barista puts them together feels like it is part of something immense. The aspirations are clear.
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