東西の音が渦を巻く、想像力の坩堝。

Eje Eje – Primordial Soup は、Şatellitesの創設者でありマルチ奏者のItamar Klugerによるサイド・プロジェクト。トルコ系サイケデリック・ロックで国際的評価を得てきたKlugerが、地中海〜中東音楽の感覚を軸に、サイケ、ファンク、ダブ、ビート・ミュージックを自在に溶かし込んだアルバムだ。
本作は大半をKluger自身が演奏・録音。弦楽器、ベース、パーカッション、鍵盤に加え、東洋音階を探るためのマイクロトーナル鍵盤も導入し、緻密なスタジオ作業と生々しい演奏が同居する。DJ Shadowや初期Four Tetを思わせる構築的なビート感と、中東・地中海の旋律が自然に結びつく。
タイトルは生命誕生の仮説「Primordial Soup」から着想。トルコのパーカッション、サイケなギター、ダブ処理、シンセ、ドラムマシンが混ざり合い、一見バラバラな要素がひとつの流れを作る。
“Oyun Çorbası”はトルコ民謡とインディ・ロックの軽快な融合。“The Bride”ではElad Kimhiを迎え、祝祭感のあるグルーヴを展開。“Puzmak”は祝宴向けのアップテンポ、“Horrorizon”は重くシネマティックな世界観でアルバムに陰影を与える。
踊れる瞬間と内省的な瞬間が交差し、ジャンルの境界を軽々と越えていく一枚。

A1. Oyun Çorbasi
A2. Dark De-Light
A3. Houthiman
A4. Baraca
A5. The Bride (feat. Elad Kimchi)
A6. Afternoon Glory (feat. Adam Balagan)
B1. Horrorizon
B2. Broken Reeds
B3. Don’t Ask (Rahbani Brothers Tribute)
B4. Puzmak
B5. Her Dad
B6. Last Party Ever

For fans of: Sven Wunder, The Gaslamp Killer, Şatellites, Altin Gün

Eje Eje, the orbiting side project of Şatellites founder and multi-instrumentalist Itamar Kluger, shares ‘Primordial Soup’, his second album on Batov Record, stirring an even wider pot of influences from East to West that defies genre.

Kluger first achieved international success with six–piece Turkish psychedelic rock evangelists, the Şatellites, whose enviable catalogue has won them support around the world, from KEXP in Seattle to BBC Radio 6 Music, and FIP in France.

Kluger launched his solo project, Eje Eje, with the 2023 ‘Five Seasons’ LP, playing the majority of instruments himself and refining his production chops. Kluger’s blend of traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music with psych, funk, dub, and beat production, culminated in strong support from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, and Songlines.

Much like its predecessor, ‘Primordial Soup' was largely self-recorded by Kluger, blending meticulous studio work, recalling DJ Shadow or early Four Tet, with raw, expressive performances - mainly himself on strings, bass guitar, percussion, and keys, including a new recently acquired microtonal keyboard - perfect for exploring Eastern musical scales, plus musical friends such as drummer Raz Man of Sababa 5, Şatellites and Project Gemini fame.

Taking its name from the scientific theory on the origins of life, ‘Primordial Soup’ is as much about sonic experimentation as it is a metaphor for existence itself. For Kluger, the title represents both a philosophical question and a creative mission. “‘Primordial Soup’ is a scientific theory about how life began - thick mixtures of organic matter that, with the sun’s energy, formed self-replicating systems”, Kluger explains. “I still feel sometimes we are just some kind of walking soup bound by a skin balloon”.

The album mirrors this idea in its fusion of disparate elements - a bubbling mix of Turkish percussion, psych guitars, dub textures, synths, drum machines, and Middle Eastern musical scales - forming a cohesive yet unpredictable whole. “This album is also a thick mixture of many things, a primal fusion of sounds that exist together only in my imagination, with a potential to come to life”. Kluger began work on Primordial Soup in October 2023, though many ideas had been gestating long before. The process was shaped by both creative compulsion and emotional necessity: “It was a very hard time. Making this album felt like something I had to do to stay sane. I hope it came out banging like my heart did at that time”.

Album opener, “Oyun Çorbası” is a playful fusion of Turkish folk and indie rock textures. Its title is a wordplay on Oyun Havaları (traditional dance tunes) and çorba (soup), reflecting the track’s mix of influences. A tight, marshy groove from drummer Raz Man drives the rhythm, while a phased baglama riff leads, layered with swirling keys into a hazy, cymbal-driven bridge. Drawing on the spirit of Ottoman-era dance music but twisted into something uniquely modern, with a Stone Roses meets Turkish folk twist.

“The Bride” is a collaboration between Eje Eje and rising flautist, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Elad Kimhi. Inspired by Lebanese weddings, the track blends tradition with dancefloor energy. Known for his work with Firqat El Nur Orchestra, Sharif, among others, Kimhi brings a deep understanding of Mediterranean music, from Andalusian to Moroccan and Turkish. Middle Eastern synths fly across the funk driven groove, arguably like Omar Souleyman if he made boogie. Brighter in tone than much of the album, poppier but with a psychedelic twist, “The Bride” was made with one thing in mind: parties. Similarly, the uptempo “Puzmak” has a highly celebratory feeling and is set to wreak havoc on dancefloors and parties. Middle Eastern horns lead the track, but carried by heavy percussion, a solid bass groove, and subtle drum machine programming.

“Horrorizon”, is heavy in almost every sense — dark, cinematic, and immersive. Relentless, languid drums, a hypnotic bassline, and harsh bouzouki textures create a foreboding atmosphere, evoking a deep sense of an ominous future. Think early DJ Shadow with a pile of Turkish psych wax. Kluger imagines it as a kind of “riding song” for “an old carriage wobbling its way down a muddy road into the unknown night”, recalling “the alertness in your guts that something isn’t right about where humanity is heading”.

From brooding cinematic rides to joyous wedding bangers, ‘Primordial Soup’ explores what it means to be alive, connected, and creative in turbulent times and cements Eje Eje as one of the most exciting voices fusing Middle Eastern traditions with cutting-edge beat culture. Whether on the dancefloor or in headphones, this is music that moves.