Turkish or German? New Wave or Anatolian rock? The fact that Sinem Arslan Ströbel doesn’t want to choose between this or that has to do with consistent stylistic openness rather than with a lack of determination. After all, the singer–songwriter with the diverse sources of inspiration for her music is determined to turn everything inside out in the local rock hype. Together with guitarist Martin Tagar (Friends Of Gas) and Tom Wu, who is a member of the Munich art school band What Are People For?, she fused influences from the Turkish music scene with post-punk, new wave, and Anadolu pop to create a personal songbook on her debut album, ‘Köşk’. The album consists of cover versions of songs that were formative for her musical socialisation between cultures. The title of the album has many meanings in Turkish: villa, kiosk, or even castle in the air. However, it is dedicated to a cultural centre in Munich, which was also the venue for the first Sinem concert. In light of the great popularity of bands such as Altın Gün, however, it is inevitable that Sinem will soon be performing as both a soloist and band on the biggest stages in Europe – which is why she is getting her start in Hamburg in September.