With 29 Summers Later, Han Eryılmaz, the songwriter and musician behind Istanbul-based recording project Barista, examines the emotional consequences of living through a period marked by conflict, loss and constant exposure to troubling news. Released on September 3, 2026, the 16-track alternative-rock album connects personal memories with wider concerns about humanity and the modern media environment.
The project’s central themes include the suffering in Gaza, the normalisation of disturbing events and the challenge of remaining emotionally engaged when tragedy becomes a constant presence in public life.
Eryılmaz approaches these subjects through music that leaves room for several emotional responses. Grief, anger and fear appear alongside love, attraction, tenderness and playful moments. This contrast reflects the album’s belief that acknowledging suffering does not require abandoning the experiences that make life meaningful.
Resisting Emotional Numbness
The title 29 Summers Later carries personal significance for Eryılmaz, marking a period of reflection on time, memory and the people who are lost. The album begins with individual experiences but gradually opens into broader questions about how people remember, respond and remain connected to one another.
A particular concern is the speed with which disturbing events can become familiar through repeated media exposure. Eryılmaz reflects on the power of media and entertainment and the possibility that human suffering may eventually be consumed as content rather than recognised as a real experience affecting real people.
The album does not suggest that listeners must remain in a permanent state of anger or despair. Instead, it emphasises the importance of continuing to see, remember and care.
Musical Contrast and Collaboration
Musically, 29 Summers Later combines urgent full-band rock with intimate love songs, melodic passages and quieter acoustic arrangements. Simon Phillips and Jesse Siebenberg co-produced the album with Eryılmaz, while bassist Ernest Tibbs contributed to the project.
Live drums, driving bass and analog keyboards form part of the album’s sound. Different singers appear throughout the collection, bringing individual voices to songs that explore different perspectives and emotions.
The record was created without artificial intelligence. Eryılmaz states that everything on the album was written, performed, sung and recorded by people, keeping human musicianship at the centre of the production.
Across Barista’s six-album catalogue, Eryılmaz has consistently explored personal reflection and social awareness through melodic alternative rock. With 29 Summers Later, these interests come together in a project that asks listeners to confront difficult realities without losing their capacity for empathy.
Ultimately, the album presents hope as a conscious choice to remain connected to others. Its songs invite listeners to bring their own experiences and memories to the music, creating space for personal reflection within a wider conversation about humanity.
Listen here.
