«Myth Of The Drum. Urban Transformation» was conceived at an art fair in Istanbul in 2017 where the former drummer of the Turkish psychedelic band BaBa Zula and now an architect, Fahrettin Aykut, exhibited a painting and music installation called «Urban Transformation», focusing on memory issues in the modern world, and symbolized through a tree put upside-down. Aykut asked his friend, Konstrukt and Karkhana’s multi-instrumentalist Umut Çağlar to join him for a performance. Çağlar brought with him Finnish reeds master Jone Takamäki, known for his collaboration with fellow-Finnish guitarist Raoul Björkenheim, including in the Krakatau. This ad-hoc trio recorded its live performance at BantMag. Havuz/Bina in Istanbul in October 2017. A month later this trio, augmented by British sax player Alan Wilkinson, played two more performances at London’s Cafe OTO.

The four parts of «The Myth» blend spiritual free jazz with meditative East Asian sounds. Takamäki’s Japanese shakuhachi flute, associated with Zen Buddhism, matches Çağlar’s Turkish and Middle-Eastern traditional reeds instruments, and both enjoy the repetitive, shamanistic rhythmic patterns of Aykut. Soon, Takamäki, with his tenor sax, Çağlar and Aykut intensify the hypnotic, sensual groove, but also take detours into exotic and colorful sonic landscapes where you can imagine the trio perfecting the art of snake charming. This fascinating, constant ebb and flow of mysterious shamanistic sounds and pulsating rhythm, meditative spirit and invigorating energy keep adding more kaleidoscopic colors and images to its seductive, psychedelic groove.

Eyal Hareuveni

Jone Takamäki (ts, ney, shakuhachi, cl), Umut Çağlar (guimbri, kalimba, gralla, zurna, mey, fl), Fahrettin Aykut (elec.perc, dr, cymbals)