Not business as usual
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Çetin Cem Yilmaz
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 24, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - With at least a year before the release of a new record from Mor ve Ötesi, the popular rock band wants to give a present to its fans. ’Başıbozuk,’ a 14-song release containing some new songs, live recordings and remixes, will serve as an apt way to send off 2008.
This may have been the busiest year for the popular Turkish band "Mor ve Ötesi," but their fans would never have known it.
"Mor ve Ötesi’s" last album "Büyük Düşler" was released two years ago and another studio album may not come out until 2010, but Turkey’s most popular rock band was still very active this year.
Representing Turkey in this year’s Eurovision contest, one of the most unlikely things ever to happen to a rock band, "Mor ve Ötesi" was still in the routine of rehearsing, recording and then performing, but with a twist, they did this all behind closed doors.
They wrote three songs from which the quartet then went on to choose one song for the contest, but unlike their usual routine, Mor ve Ötesi did this without anyone watching. The band declared "Deli" would be the song for the Eurovision contest, for which the band finished second, and then vowed to share the other songs they had recorded with fans. Mor ve Ötesi remained true its promise and released the album "Başıbozuk."
Aside from the three songs written for the contest, "Deli," "İddia" and "Sonbahar," Başıbozuk does not feature any other new songs. It has three live recordings of well-known Mor ve Ötesi songs and eight songs that are remixes of their songs by other Turkish musicians, which is how Başıbozuk differs from other albums.
In a way, Başıbozuk will be a gift to fans, who will now have to wait patiently as the band prepares another studio album.
Serving as a gift
"This will be something new," said drummer Kerem Kabadayı. "We have never released live material and never made a remix album. So putting these two things together and releasing the album like that sounded fine to us."
Başıbozuk will also be the band’s first record released on their personal label, Rakun Music. Mor ve Ötesi parted ways with Pasaj Music after 2006’s "Büyük Düşler" and then released further editions of that album through Rakun. "Başıbozuk," the single, will be the first release solely through the Rakun label.
Four musicians opening a label at a time when the global economy is collapsing may not sound like the most financially viable activity, but the band is not losing sleep over it.
"We did not get credit from a bank and we do not have mortgages, so we do not need to worry," said Kabadayı, laughing.
"We foresaw the crisis a year ago, so we formed a label," joked vocalist Harun Tekin, imitating the voice of a confident businessman. "But apparently we foresaw it incorrectly." The band’s comfort in being their own bosses and their pride in creating a home for independent musicians is evident. Fellow Istanbul band "Sakin" released their debut record, one of the finest Turkish rock music records of the year if not the decade, with the help of Rakun.
No one denies the music industry is collapsing with the MP3 revolution suddenly making record labels look purposeless. When asked how the band felt when they saw Başıbozuk or other Mor ve Ötesi records being shared freely on P2P networks on the Internet, Kabadayı said:
"I am not bothered at all. If anyone sitting at this table can claim he has never downloaded an album [illegally] from the Internet, he can be the one to worry." The band sees opening a label as business as usual.
They have no timeline for the release of a new record and are not rushing for it, therefore Mor ve Ötesi’s seventh record may come at any time. The band will set off on a European tour next year, fueled by its Eurovision success and then start work on a new album.
"Mor ve Ötesi’s" last album "Büyük Düşler" was released two years ago and another studio album may not come out until 2010, but Turkey’s most popular rock band was still very active this year.
Representing Turkey in this year’s Eurovision contest, one of the most unlikely things ever to happen to a rock band, "Mor ve Ötesi" was still in the routine of rehearsing, recording and then performing, but with a twist, they did this all behind closed doors.
They wrote three songs from which the quartet then went on to choose one song for the contest, but unlike their usual routine, Mor ve Ötesi did this without anyone watching. The band declared "Deli" would be the song for the Eurovision contest, for which the band finished second, and then vowed to share the other songs they had recorded with fans. Mor ve Ötesi remained true its promise and released the album "Başıbozuk."
Aside from the three songs written for the contest, "Deli," "İddia" and "Sonbahar," Başıbozuk does not feature any other new songs. It has three live recordings of well-known Mor ve Ötesi songs and eight songs that are remixes of their songs by other Turkish musicians, which is how Başıbozuk differs from other albums.
In a way, Başıbozuk will be a gift to fans, who will now have to wait patiently as the band prepares another studio album.
Serving as a gift
"This will be something new," said drummer Kerem Kabadayı. "We have never released live material and never made a remix album. So putting these two things together and releasing the album like that sounded fine to us."
Başıbozuk will also be the band’s first record released on their personal label, Rakun Music. Mor ve Ötesi parted ways with Pasaj Music after 2006’s "Büyük Düşler" and then released further editions of that album through Rakun. "Başıbozuk," the single, will be the first release solely through the Rakun label.
Four musicians opening a label at a time when the global economy is collapsing may not sound like the most financially viable activity, but the band is not losing sleep over it.
"We did not get credit from a bank and we do not have mortgages, so we do not need to worry," said Kabadayı, laughing.
"We foresaw the crisis a year ago, so we formed a label," joked vocalist Harun Tekin, imitating the voice of a confident businessman. "But apparently we foresaw it incorrectly." The band’s comfort in being their own bosses and their pride in creating a home for independent musicians is evident. Fellow Istanbul band "Sakin" released their debut record, one of the finest Turkish rock music records of the year if not the decade, with the help of Rakun.
No one denies the music industry is collapsing with the MP3 revolution suddenly making record labels look purposeless. When asked how the band felt when they saw Başıbozuk or other Mor ve Ötesi records being shared freely on P2P networks on the Internet, Kabadayı said:
"I am not bothered at all. If anyone sitting at this table can claim he has never downloaded an album [illegally] from the Internet, he can be the one to worry." The band sees opening a label as business as usual.
They have no timeline for the release of a new record and are not rushing for it, therefore Mor ve Ötesi’s seventh record may come at any time. The band will set off on a European tour next year, fueled by its Eurovision success and then start work on a new album.