Turkish multi-disciplinary artist to release new single, 1702

By Handan Kazanci

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Istanbul-based multi-disciplinary artist is set to release her latest single on Friday, according to her publicist.

The single, 1702, gets its name from the date when the song was created, Busra Kayikci told Anadolu Agency.

The song was “composed in between Berlin and Istanbul with the collaborative work of two women composers,” said a statement released Thursday.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the 31-year-old pianist met online with Basak Gunak, also known as Ah! Kosmos, who is the song’s producer.

Kayikci and the Istanbul-born German-based Gunak “created their song 1702 from their upcoming LP Bluets, which is expected to be released at the end of this spring.”

“We first met with Basak online, then we met a few times in Istanbul,” said Kayikci. “We have worked together and remotely,” she noted, adding that both methods have “a different and special feeling.”

“Kayikci performed the piano with her unique approach, while Gunak performed the synthesizers,” according to the statement.

While the song was mastered by UK-based Mark Dobson, Kayikci painted the cover.

“Both composers are wondering and searching creativity in isolation while translating the separation from their studios,” it said. “The songs of Bluets reflect the moment and places that are not possible to be bodily present. It’s a recall to the memory that rescues artists when everything is tearing into pieces, and already existing structures don’t work anymore.”

Kayikci, a graduate in interior design, drew inspiration and techniques from the world of design and worked on minimalist and neoclassical compositions for the piano.

During the lockdown, she released two singles inspired by Istanbul’s multicultural historic Kuledibi neighborhood -- Kuledibi No.1 and Shadows.

“Last year Kayikci released a new single called Bring The Light out from an iconic German label Deutsche Grammophon as part of Project XII,” according to the statement. “Lately she got signed into London-based publisher Manners McDade alongside with composers like Nils Frahm, Christian Loffler, and Balmorhea, and announced her new single for a compilation album (Piano Day) out from Leiter Verlag.”