Serkan Karaman brings together the ornamentation of Flamenco, the air of Nordic jazz and the rhythmic sensation of rock and melodical progressivity of Turkish classical music in his new project: SK2 Finally, Turkish instrumental music scene has found its most atmospheric sound, a hybrid style that unites different musical influences with “taste” and the best of it, it does all that without designing it ahead, Serkan Karaman merely performs the “hybrid in himself”, in the moment, in his music and the result is a delightful musical journey of influences and articulation. Having released his first album “Between Orient and Occident” years ago, Karaman keeps on exploring this path, however, now with an ever growing emphasis on the “music made in the moment” , hence, improvisation. They improvise simultaneously and in great harmony with the pianist Wolfgang Gerhard and at times this makes one think of the “beraber taksim”s (collective improvisation), a highly appreciated improvisational form in Turkish Classical Music..... I found Serkan Karaman in Berlin, right before a performance of his own themes in a Jazz Club with his partner-in-crime Wofgang Gerhard, and he answered my questions on his new project with which he is touring..... There is a definite „road“ feeling, a movement in your music. Do you travel a lot? .... No, not that much. But my mind travels a lot. Maybe it is simply the shadow of my imagination who wants to be everywhere..... Your songs are , in the same respect, pretty thematic, did you do film music? .... I heard that many times. I used to compose film themes as I watched them for the first time. But kept them for myself. Maybe I will do it someday. I have a huge movie collection as well. I love movies. Most of my musical heroes are film composers such as Vangelis, Bill Conti, Maurice Jarre, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard How did being a descendent of an immigrant family effect your musical identity?.... It makes my music more sentimental and somehow deeper and melodic..... That might be undisclosed to the audience without an acquaintance with Turkish music, but one can sense the melodic influence and romanticism of Turkish music in your songs , even in the chord progressions. What do you think, do you see an organic connection between the melodic structure of Turkish music and your composing style?.... Maybe in a melodic way. The Chord progressions I like to use in my music for improvisational parts are yes somehow more Mediterranean Structures. But not all of my compositions have that same element..... That is especially visible in Improvisation of the Emperor , there are pretty surprising melodic progressions in unexpected places, is that an influence of Turkish music on you?.... Don't know really. When I compose, I just try not to think. If that influence happens , it just happens. I don't intend to do that on purpose..... Your musical friendship with the pianist, guitarist-multi-intrumentalist- Wofgang Gerhard is apparently a pretty close and advanced one, I mean you guys really get on so well with each other, musically, how long have you been playing together? How is it to work together in such a mutually corresponding way ? How did you achieve this musical companionship?.... He is an old friend of mine. We have been playing together for 7 years so far..... It is really great to play with him. He is very experienced and has a really good sense of time and knows Flamenco very well which is important to me..... You have managed to bring together the agility of flamenco, the air of Nordic jazz and the rhythmic sensation of rock and melodical progressivity of Turkish classical music in a way, how would you yourself define your influences in shaping your music? What influences and inspires you?.... Thank you for hearing that. I could give a "Cliché”" answer like the "trees, the clouds etc.. inspires me" But I think all these happen sub-consciously. The most important thing is to go into yourself as deep as one can go and stop thinking. Than the music will flow. Because, music doesn't need mankind to exist. It has been there before mankind. It is a deep topic which needs an interview entirely dedicated to the answer of that question..... How did you start playing Flamenco?.... I love Flamenco but I would't call myself a flamenco player. Most of the time I use the pick to play the Guitar. I use some Flamenco Motifs when I play and also in my compositions. You can find lots of Oriental Motifs and Elements in Flamenco. Both are very close. Guitar also comes from Oud which I also play a little bit. In the next Tour 2009-2010 which my Manager Rasim Baybars is organizing at the moment, I play a kind of music which I would say a mix of Jazz, Oriental and Flamenco music. It will be a very exciting tour actually since the influences in my music will gain a new dimension when the audience hears them in full blown context in the places where they actually originate from..... How did you get together with Wolfgang?.... I used to play old Guitar trio stuff from Al, Paco and John was searching for someone to play with and Wolfgang was an old friend from Paco de Lucia so we met..... How was playing with Al Di Meola? Where did you play together? .... It was like a kind of private Master Classes. I was 19 years old when I met him in Berlin. I played some of my Compositions to him as he was reading my notes at the same time from the Chart. Then he played for me and showed what to improve and he wanted me to put more Turkish music into my compositions. I learned a lot from him. He is the best!.... You are a prominent arranger as well. What is the difference in arranging your own music and doing that to the work of other musicians? Are there moments that you get to understand your own music better after giving it a form and shape and all through the arrangements? .... It is easier to arrange my own music because I know what I want to say..... Good arrangement is there to make the music flow and heard easily. Beside that, I don't think one can understand the Music. It is beyond understanding. It just about “deeply knowing”..... How did you decide to move to Germany? How do you see the musical scene and the production scene in Germany?.... While I was in a Jazz school in Istanbul for 6 months , my teacher Rene Macaroglu said I should go and try my chance in Europe. Then I went to Germany. Musical scene in Germany is not as good as it used to be. It was pretty Classical oriented and a closed community and it still is that way. What I like in Germany in terms of the music production scene is that I am amazed by all the analogue equipment that you can buy in Germany to build a really good Studio. And that’s about it, basically..... But the most of the music which people make out of that cool German inventions are still garbage. Or I should say “good sounding Hi-Fi garbage”. But there are still small communities who respect Jazz and other Art forms and keep the spirit alive. I also see people in Turkey and around the World who still make good music with less which makes me really happy..... How is your relationship with Turkish music? Who do you follow? Who are your idols? .... Very Close. From Turkey I like Erkan Ogur, Yansimalar, HiJazz, Dogan Canku, Cahit Berkay, Sezen Aksu, Orhan Gencebay, Arto Tuncboyaciyan,...and many more ....hmmm my Turkish idols? Dede Efendi, Tanburi Cemil Bey, Asik Veysel, Ruhi Su...and many more..... Which currents shape you from down there?.... As I said all just happens. I don't think like “oh, what can I get from this musician or the other to put it into my own music”..... Who are your international influences? .... Dead or Alive? Alive; Al Di Meola, Vangelis,, Chick Corea, Paco de Lucia, Santana, Larry Coryell ... Dead; Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Liszt, Rimski Korsakow, Ravel, Rodrigo, Piazzolla, Django Reinhart, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Bird, Joe Pass, Attila Zoller... Hard to count them all..... What do you think about today’s music media? Where is music going? Where do you situate your self in this scene?.... I don't like today’s music and recordings. Too digital and cold. All sounding the same!.... Everybody is a musician, moviemaker or photographer at the moment. And all the really talented people are overseen because of the Mass. Music is not going anywhere but people are moving and if it is the right or wrong way the time will show..... How did you start playing music?.... My father was and still is a very good listener with a great Jazz, Rock Classic record collection. As we lived in Norway -where I also was Born- he also used to work at a Radio Station. So, I grew up with the finest Music. After a while I wanted to make my own Music..... The lounge air you bring to flamenco and jazz with a fist of Turkish and Nordic influences to it, was that “lounge atmosphere” something intended by you? Or did it come about naturally?.... It comes naturally. You can hear that also in my first Album "Between Orient and Occident". I like New-Age and Lounge and Atmospherique Music. Can you talk about your former projects and former albums?.... I made 2 Studio Albums so far and I have 2 other Albums ready but waiting for the right time to come out. First Album was "Between Orient and Occident" containing songs I made when I was 20 years old..... Than I made the Blue journey at 23. Which is a more Mediterranean sounding album that awaits to be released..... What are your current and future projects, musically?.... I made a full album with real time Improvisations (momentarily creation process)Which means I play the Guitar real time without knowing what to play, I just improvise and record it. When people hear it they don't believe that it had not been pre-composed. But all of the compositions were recorded in one take: fully improvised directly to Reel to Reel Tape Maschine. Fully Analogue recording, I mean..... And what do you have in your studio? Do you use analog recording equipment, in your recordings? What difference does that make? Anything you might wanna add? .... I have an Analog Studio with lots of tape maschines, vintage German mics and Pres...Recording to tape is the best! Nothing can sound like an Analog Tape. It sounds 3 dimensional, warm with real detail...It is very expensive but worth every penny. For me alone that Analog recording Process is a Kind of an Art form of its own. Nearly everything you hear in my all kind of music had been played and recorded in one take. I believe in the moment of creation. There should be no delaying or postponing when the idea comes. I also like playing live very much, although it is like writing on the water if it is not being recorded. Which is sometimes good too..... If you want to travel to the atmospheric musical world of Serkan Karaman, visit his page a at http://www.myspace.com/karamanserkan or simply keep an eye on whether he is soon coming to a theater near you….... Fulya Özlem / Berlin (C) 2009 ORIENTAL MEDIA NETWORK