Orientation’s second, long awaited, CD-Production is finally ready. It took producers and band members Bekir Karaoglan and Andreas Advocado a long time, to be exact 3 years, to finish their new album “9 in Istanbul, 8 in Berlin”.

In 2002, they sketched some ideas for new pieces in a studio at the Aegeaian Sea nearby Izmir (Turkey) and then they decided to work like vintagers do with grapes: they let the music grow. „We did not have any time limits and were busy producing other artists like Sultana, Aziza A, Killa Hakan etc.“, states Advocado, who plays bass and guitar and is responsible for the unique harmonic structure of the songs. „In Turkey our first record Bosporus Bridge became something like a cult. Fatih Akin used some of the tracks for his movie HEAD ON and for his new documentary “Gegen Die Wand” about the music scene in Istanbul. For other feature films like KEBAP CONNECTION and SÜPERSEKS we contributed our music as well.“

With their new album “9 in Istanbul, 8 in Berlin” ORIENTATION focuses on the traditional Turkish wedding rhythm - a 9/8 tact, which „makes people spread their arms and start dancing immediately“, says Bekir, who worked as a wedding musician in his younger years and who also plays a great deal of Keyboards, Violins and Arabian Flutes (Neys). He also says, “With our music we want to prove that a 9/8 tact can be used as a Funky Beat, a Reggae or a Jazz-Rhythm. And with all these musical styles the indefinite world of Turkish percussion instruments goes very well.“

ORIENTATION continues with “9 in Istanbul, 8 in Berlin” a tradition that they established with their first record Bosporus Bridge: beautiful catchy melodies, longingly melancholic singing and lyrics, modern beats, arrangements and sound-design, and last not least: dance music. One track is titled BOSPORUS BRIDGE RELOADED, and only professional ears will encounter that this catchy work is based on a 14/8 tact, that itself is based on a 9/8 and a 5/8 beat.

Along with dance floor-tunes like on „Salla“ (meaning: „Get up and dance!“), “why I don’t know” and “Zanki Zaman Durmus” ORIENTATION offers somehow vulnerable and contemplative music with introverted lyrics as in “Hatalar“ and “Uçan Balik“ and some beautiful instrumental pieces, like “Yedi”.

Internationally well-known Guest musicians such as Richard Howell (Tenor Sax, Background Vocals) and Tilmann Dehnhard (transverse flutes, Soprano Sax) as well as Berlin All Stars Suleyman Celik (percussion), Ümit Urgen (Baglama) and Serkan Kaynarcali (Kanun) define the Sound of “9 in Istanbul, 8 in Berlin”.

A successful venture, and also the critical listener is once more shown that borders are there to overcome.

Orientation are:

Bekir Karaoglan (Istanbul/Berlin): Bekir is a breath-taking musician; he is frontman of the band, plays brilliant piano, keyboards, violin and Ney (Arabian flute). His stunning voice hypnotizes the audience and drives the music into mystical fields.

Babak Akhoondi (Teheran/Berlin): Guitar player of the cult band “Rumi Music” from Teheran, Specialist for Persian music.

Enno Kuck (Berlin): Drummer from the German band Rosenstolz, Beat’n Blow and other successful bands “Made in Berlin“.

Suleyman Celik (Istanbul/Berlin): Expert for Turkish and Arabian Percussion, also well known in the Berlin Jazz scene around Hans Hartmann, Jan von Klewitz and others.

Andreas Advocado (Berlin): Bass player and Mr. Funk himself. Played and still plays in countless bands abroad and in Germany like Zsa Zsa Buschkow, Shank, Tanmoy Bose, Richard Howell, Sultana, Aziza-A. and many more.

Serkan Kaynarcali (Istanbul/Berlin): Master of Kanon (Turkish Zither), Also master of traditional Turkish wedding and classical music.

Ümit Ürgen (Berlin): Kuru Baglama and electric Baglama, backing vocals, a young talent from a very special suburb of Berlin – Kreuzberg.





Tracklist: 01. Dream of the Wedding Dance 0:59 // 02. Salla Yavrum 3:52 // 03. Sanki Zaman Durmus 6:07 // 04. 9 in Istanbul, 8 in Berlin 7:38 // 05. Bir Varmis 4:41 // 06. Bosporus Bridge Reloaded 7:12 // 07. Hatalar 6:10 // 08. Son 5:11 // 09. Ah Annem 5:52 // 10. I don´t know why 4:18 // 11. Why I don´t know 2:52 // 12. Ucan Balik 3:12 // 13. Yedi 3:45

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