So, I was watching TV last week when a commercial for EA Games' "Skate 2" came on the tube. The first thing I hear is the unmistakable guitar riff from "Ince Ince" by Turkish folk singer Selda Bağcan. "Woah," my fiancee said. After all, I've had the original LP for several years now and have probably made her ears bleed by playing that track to death.

The LP, itself, is rare. Unless you're crate-digging on the shores of the Bosporus, you'll have to resort to purchasing it from places like eBay, which can easily sell a mint copy of it for more than $200.

Though, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised hearing the track. Rare nuggets of Middle Eastern funk, rock and psychedelia have definitely been on the rise the last few years. "Ince Ince" in particular was comp'd on "Love, Peace & Poetry: Turkish Psychedelic Music," which came out in 2005. And, thanks to renowned international crate-diggers Mahssa Taghinia, Andy Votel and Cherrystones of Finders Keepers Records -- who reissued the entire LP -- rarities like the self-titled Selda record are now accessible to an audience beyond crackhead audiophiles.

If this spot is any indication, I imagine we'll be hearing more tasty treats from the Middle East.

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Beyond his role as Ad Age's web development guru, Rahmin Pavlovic has been collecting Middle Eastern and other assorted rarities on vinyl for more than seven years, and occasionally spins his records in the tri-state area using silly monikers like Chilly Freeze Steak, Lemon Merangutang and DJ Soulcracker.