koray kantarcioğlu: loopworks

Originally released by Wounded Wolf Press as a limited cassette in 2016, Loopworks compiles Turkish visual and sound artist Koray Kantarcıoğlu's (b. Ankara 1982) loop-based work composed of samples taken from Turkish records released in '60s and '70s as source material. Loopworks impacts almost instantly mainly because it shows some familiarity with the recent work of Leyland Kirby as The Caretaker, particularly with the "haunted ballroom" effect. Koray explores the usage and the dynamic of these sounds as ambient music for different scenarios as well as the importance of a newfound life with the raw material he used to create these songs. The source material appears as enigmatic as these new sounds and activates a sense of discovery and constant wonder throughout Loopworks. With the vinyl release of Loopworks Discrepant continues to manifest the importance of showing how technology and geography create different and original approaches to the standard western interpretation of field recordings and sound manipulation. Kantarcıoğlu's work here is a strong manifestation of that and how "haunted music" can express a myriad of feelings and sensations. Loopworks has a tremendous vision of the metamorphosis that's been occurring in ambient music during the last decade. Sometimes it's dreamy and calm as aquarium music is ("500606" or "22 47 91 Take 1"); surprising and infinite as "263 Loop", one of the few tracks with a voice, in this case a mysterious and transcendental one; or part of a John Carpenter or David Lynch film yet to be made ("Organ Extract KP 001"). A fantastic voyage, from earth to space, through time or simply as the most beautiful and peaceful dive into the ocean, this is old music transformed into something new and unique; that's special.