"Skulls on the Plains of Turkey" by Rapoon, released by Gdansk-based label Zoharum, is a compelling auditory journey through tribal and industrial soundscapes, merging ancient Eastern influences with modern electronic music. The album, crafted by Zoviet France co-founder Robin Storey, features nine tracks that transport listeners to a not too clichéd idea of the mysterious Orient with an intricate and somehow cinematic blend of ambient, tribal, and trance elements. The rhythmic pulses and cinematic sounds of the opening trach "Let The Dust Rise and Blow Asunder", that resemble some stuff by Belgian experimental ethnic forgotten band of Raksha Mancham to my musical memories, sets the tone for the album by evoking images of ancient rituals and forgotten histories. It’s one of the more hypnotic pieces on the album (besides the slow syncopation of the rhythm, a kind of oud and a ghastly trumpet are the sustaining elements of its entrancing potential), showcasing Storey’s ability to mix different sound elements seamlessly. All tracks feature stylistic hooks that will grab listener's attention and they got merged together into an amazing amalgamation, but there are some tracks that stand out, such as "Virmana Clouds" (referring o the flying chariots or palaces described in many ancient “holy” books) by its intermittent percussion let drained in fluffy and mysterious atmospherics. "Raise Voice In Choirs", where an oscillation between traditional and modern percussive spasm (including an amen break raising in the last minute) seems to move convulsively under a carpet of a disquieting synth string and indistinguishable choirs, "The Bending Path Forgets", whose bending and warping (as suggested by the title of the track) of droning percussion and spectral voices manages to capture listener's imagination by its unsettling mesmerizing effects, and, last but not least, the title track "Skulls On The Plains Of Turkey", where Robin leaves an almost monotonous electronic groove, that seems one of the prebuild ones, as an enveloping element for the atmospheric textures that are weirdly the real skeleton of the dynamo of this track. On this track, Robin words describes the moment that maybe inspired the entire album. In his own words: “Sitting at a table in front of a bar by the sea in Chania, watching the crashing waves and enjoying the beauty of this place. I watched a ball of white light moving from behind the eastern headland and disappearing behind the west. She was moving at speeds impossible for a boat or plane. I looked around to see if anyone else noticed… but everyone was just staring at the glass screens of their phones”. I wonder what is the really scaring element of this scene… perhaps people?