The bands rich sonic status is achieved through electrophonic sensibilities as implemented by Dj Yakuza and Murat Uncuolu, who combine Turkish Folk / Alevi songs with instrumental substructures. The result is a well-integrated sound that moves through polyharmonic jazzy vibes and traditional darbuka percussion grooves. Cem Yldz approaches Turkish melodies with a fresh perspective, comfortably switching between the ud, cumbus, sazbus, and other baglama instruments and Richard Hamer, an American saxophonist who has called Istanbul home for 20 years, adds woodwinds and harmonic arrangements into the mix to complement the sound. There is no stale four/four boom, boom boom that is often the less imaginative route taken in many electro-ethno-projects concerning the East and Dj Yakuza strives to maintain a forward bent trajectory to the project.

On their last record Külliyat - After the Fact (Doublemoon Rec 2006) formidable vocals of Sabahat Akkiraz helped complex instrumental pieces become epic soundscapes reflective of the modern and the traditional in Turkey today. Orient Expressions is not about just sampling it in, as all the tracks, with the various vocalists and instrumentation, are recorded in vitro. Orient Expressions brand new album, Record of Broken Hearts (Deoublemoon Rec 2008) is an echo of the golden age of 60's Turkish Cinema from the days when the tunes were catchy, bathetic and oh-so-eclectic. The songs have been realised through the voice of Berin Koç and provide a wide range of progressive sounds from upbeat Afro-Anatolian to Balkan / New Orleans vibes. With Ehristan, an ode to Istanbul, Orient Expressions continues to tune into the big city a piece that Fatih Akin also employed in the audio accompaniment to his book on his famed Crossing the Bridge documentary.

CD: Record of Broken Hearts // Doublemoon Rec  // 2008