With one only month left until the year’s close, the need to recharge has become a higher priority worldwide. Even the most prolific creatives benefit from a period of recess, and when they come back, more often than not they’re better than ever. Among those who’ve made the most of their time off is Turkish singer, painter, and anthropologist Gaye Su Akyol.

This Istanbul native released her 2014 debut LP Develerle Yaşıyorum right around the same time she lost her mother, but continued to share new material at a rate of about one album every two years. At the end of the 2010s, after three full-lengths, film soundtrack contributions, the 2019 Songlines Music Award for “Best Artist”, and countless hours and kilometers spent touring, Akyol was in dire need of a break. So when COVID-19 came around, the quarantine conditions became a blessing in disguise, allowing her to reflect, refresh, and re-emerge anew.

Unfortunately, here in the states, “dragon energy” has taken on some controversial connotations. But Gaye Su Akyol’s taking it back to mythological, sexually empowering heights with her fourth offering Anadolu Ejderi (“Anatolian Dragon”). At just shy of a dozen originals, Anadolu Ejderi is an epic excursion through all kinds of genres; scales of Turkish psychedelia, Anatolian folk, and Eastern classical shimmer alongside an eclectic collection of contemporary Western styles. As such, we highly recommend enjoying Anadolu Ejderi uninterrupted and in its entirety. Chances are, Akyol’s voluptious vocals on the album opener and title track will energize and mesmerize you all the way to the end.