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Volkan Ergen 

is a Turkish drummer, producer and visual artist. He graduated from the Istanbul Technical University's Concervatory Instrument Production Department. As a drummer he accompanied many musicians on numerous albums and worked as a producer.

Volkan Ergen was born in Samsun, Turkey. At early ages he got introduced to the darbuka, a clay drum. In 1988, he got his first theoretical knowledge of music from Samsun Municipality of Turkish Music for Childrens' Choir Committee. In 1997, he entered the Istanbul Technical University's Concervatory Instrument Production Department. He has assisted famous Turkish musicians and vocalists with his percussions. In 2005, he performed on stage with Sussan Deyhim and Richard Horowitz on the Eastern Womens' Festival. With his workshops, he shares his interests, techniques, and musical apporaches with his students.

Also, he was a member of the free improvisation electronic jazz band Islak Kopek (Wet Dog).

In summer 2006, he was invited to perform in New Delhi with his band Electronic Kumpanya.

 

Source: Visual Berlin

 

 

Volkan Ergen: "I was not going to a school when I began playing darbuka. The only thing I remember was a shining attraction in the corner of our room. So, why it was there?

When it was 1988 I began to gain my first theoritical knowledge of music in a conservatory in my hometown until 2008, the year I graduated from the department of Turkish Music State Conservatory, Istanbul Technical University. It took me 20 years in total.

 

And the memories I remember from that period of time:

 

  • performance with Susan Deyhim and Richard Horowitz in the Women of East Festival,
  • in New Delhi as invited guests of Indian Embassy with Electronic Company, the band that we formed with Aysenur Ergen, my wife,
  • in Pera Festival established in Istanbul,
  • in Music Renewes Festival,
  • in Rotterdom as part of Cosmopolis Project,
  • in Istanbul as part of Visibility Project,
  • in Natural Festival with my own Project by name Lucidity,
  • in Babylon Lounge with my own audio-visual Project by name Vindictive,
  • in Garage Istanbul, Electronic Company, Pool and in the Gala of my album Rulo,
  • in the opening night of Documentary Filmmakers,
  • accompanied many musicians on numerous albums with my instruments and worked as a producer,
  • took part in forming Wet Dog, a free improvisation band, and played together in many international concerts,
  • performing in Germany and Turkiye with my visual band by name Cotton AV,
  • in electronic experimental concerts with my band by name Bipolar Ninja,
  • in tango festivals with electronic tango group Istanbul Academia,
  • in two concerts played at a collective exhibition called My name is Casper,
  • participating in conferences with ITU Classical Turkish Music Choir and playing with some of them, I go on my musical career.

I also have the experience of going to tours with popular Turkish musicians (Dogan Canku, Vedat Sakman, Kazım Koyuncu, Nilgül) But I won't do it again.

By using education system by name of Advanced Drumming Instrument Techniques, which I improved myself I train students.

So and so, in the end of 2008, with the video recorder (I personally call it fancy of my sunflower) entered my life I've lost myself (again) and started wandering and becoming more and more transparent in the pool of joy that I composed myself. And I'm getting blushed when I hear that there are other people who wants to get wet in my pool. That's all for now…"

 

 

Volkan Ergen, body, people, nature

Reading

Film as Film: Formal Experiment in Film 1910-1975 (1979) is a catalogue of an exhibition held at the Hayward Gallery in London from 3 May until 17 June 1979 on rare, essential and controversial avant-garde film history.

Links

 

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