Jakuzi - Toz

Toz is the new single from Istanbul-based dark-wave synth band Jakuzi, ahead of the release of their album Hata Payı on April 5th.

Don't adjust your speakers - the lyrics are in Turkish - but that doesn't stop vocalist Kutay Soyocak from conveying the deep emotion of the track in tones not dissimilar to those of Nick Cave or Future Islands' Sam Herring.

It's no less dark in English - 'Toz' translates as 'Dust' and the lyrics throughout have themes of death and loss that contrast with the fast-paced yet gothic backing track.

Combine all of the elements and it's an intriguing listen, although you'll need to brush up on your Turkish if you want to sing along.

Jakuzi's vocalist, Kutay Soyocak, says singing in his native tongue is important to allow him to express himself - although it limits the opportunities for the band's music, as it's much less likely to appear on English-speaking playlists and the genre 'Turkish DIY dream pop dark wave' is a little niche.


For Soyocak his homeland is more than just the language in which he sings, it is also the inspiration for the dark themes his lyrics touch upon.

"I think my melancholy comes partly from where I live. This can be seen in the lyrics. I sometimes feel dark, lost and lonely as everyone. Here, the economy and politics make me feel hopeless sometimes.

The future seems blurry but we try to keep our hopes high and continuing what we do. The audience is getting bigger every day and they support us and it is just pure love in our gigs."

Toz is the last single from Jakuzi before their album is released on April 5th. 'Hata Payı' translates as 'tolerance' but a more literal translation is 'part of the mistake'. It spans themes of acceptance of other races and sexualities, along with acceptance of yourself and of your own demons.

Preorder Hata Payı on Bandcamp.
Click here for links to other physical/digital platforms.