Sababa 5 & Canay Doğan & Itzhak Ventura - Gaip / Seher Sababa 5 & Canay Doğan & Itzhak Ventura

Sababa 5 return with another essential 45 for Batov Records’ Middle Eastern Groove series. This time, they team up with two very different artists on two distinct tracks built from the same hypnotic groove: soulful Turkish alt-pop sensation Canay Doğan and reed flute specialist Itzhak Ventura.

After four albums and a strong run of 45s and EPs, plus support from tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews, Gideon Coe and Jeremy Sole, Sababa 5 lay down a cinematic, slow-burning groove built for hazy summer days. Raz Man’s crisp drumming locks in with Amir Sadot’s psych-soul bassline.

On “Gaip”, returning collaborator Canay Doğan brings her emotive and distinctive voice, turning the groove into a deep psychedelic soul cut. The feel recalls the kind of Turkish soul Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) has helped craft with Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek. The title, borrowed from Arabic, refers to “the unseen” or “the unknown”. “This is our second time working with Canay”, say the band. “She brings bold energy, deep emotion, and a voice that really stands out in Turkish music”.

On the flip, “Seher” takes the same groove somewhere else entirely, featuring the haunting tones of the ney – a reed flute found in Persian, Turkish, Jewish and Arabic music – played by Itzhak Ventura. “Seher” means “dawn” in Turkish, and the track captures that quiet, mysterious moment before sunrise. “That feeling is deeply present in this track”, say the band, “stillness, awakening, and a touch of mystery”.

Though they share the same root groove, “Gaip” and “Seher” explore different moods and textures – two individual pieces that complement each other while standing firmly on their own. Another essential addition to the Sababa 5 catalogue.