Taksim Trio - Uşşak Oyun Havası (Taksim Trio DVD - 2007)

Gloss Musik GmbH, tür gözetmeksizin Türkiye’nin müziğini yayınlayan Berlin merkezli bağımsız bir kolektiftir.Gloss is a Berlin based independent record label, sharing cultural diversity of Turkey with music.

On the courtesy of DOUBLEMOON RECORDS

Composer / Besteci: Şükrü Tunar
Publisher / Editör: Es Müzik Görüntü

https://album.link/zzchwzxsxdrvk

Director/Yönetmen: Nedim Hazar

MUSICIANS/MÜZİSYENLER:
Taksim Trio; Hüsnü Şenlendirici: Clarinet, “duduk”
İsmail Tunçbilek: Acoustic and electro “baglama”
Aytaç Doğan: “kanun”

ALBUM CREDITS:
Executive Producer: Mehmet Uluğ
Producer: Aytaç Doğan, Hüsnü Şenlendirici, İsmail Tunçbilek
Production Managers: Melis Tarhun, Cüneyt Başar
Recording, Mixing & Mastering : Erman Pekbilimci, Sabah Sound Recording Studios, February & March 2007
Design: Kenan Ünsal Photos: Kenan Ünsal / Serkan Eldeleklioğlu
Text: Nedim Hazar, Murat Beşer, Belkıs Boyacıgiller

There’s always talk about the contemporary sound of Istanbul. Fatih Akin, one of Europe’s most exciting present-day directors, recently made a very successful documentary film about this issue, visually emphasizing the impact of the town’s unique geographical location. That a historical East – West yin yang prevails upon every cross of life in this metropolis on two continents – be it social, cultural, political or ethnical- is not even a secret for many a European prolonged weekend tourist who already knows where to eat the freshest Bosporus fish, where to find the most picturesque formerly Greek quarter and where to listen to the best jazz music in town anyway. Understanding this yin yang becomes an irrelevant process for almost everyone in town at some stage. Everyone gets along her own way in the final run anyway. The yin yang merely remains being one of earth’s unsolved minor riddles.
We are in one of Istanbul’s hit factories where those typical 90’s Turkish pop songs with their precise 45-second-long-upbeat-intro and with perfectly-coached-vocals coming out of brand-new-collaged lips belonging to beautifully-styled-ladies were produced for a then thriving local market like cars on conveyor belts. No sign of production deadline stress here now. Instead, we are now witnesses to an easy-going dialogue between four men – three musicians in the recording room and their sound engineer buddy – who are assessing the piece they have just recorded. We seem to understand and also look amused when they laugh but actually we’re just kidding ourselves. It takes a while to realize that this is some kind of sub speak a la Orwell. Then the revelation comes: this is the means of communication between those studio musicians who have given musical life to Turkey’s once blooming popular music industry.
This is how they spoke among each other during the actual process of recording or performance in order to avert the attraction of over nervous vocalists, producers and other ‘unnecessary persona’ (or ‘gadje’, to come to think of it).
The trio is satisfied with that particular performance and abandons the recording room. Through apprehended bits and pieces of their conversation (we’re getting at it now!), we understand that nothing has been played here by chance. There is a concept behind every note and every improvisation has been skillfully structured.
Biting on his pizza Aytaç comments, “the studio sessions won’t be the same as before.” He means working for other vocalists aka “stars” in the future. İsmail and Hüsnü nod in approval. Three of Turkey’s most sought for musicians have just defined their own musical destiny. For that matter, they have probably just paved the way for an up-to-date definition of Turkish music.
Nedim Hazar (He spent time with the trio during the recording sessions and is the director of the Taksim Trio DVD)