Twin Rocks Berke Can Özcan feat. Arve Henriksen & Jonah Parzen-Johnson

• 1Buried Palms Garden05:02
• 2Snake Behind Valley05:27
• 3The Way Back Hill04:03
• 4Hidden Village05:38
• 5Sea of B03:41
• 6Red Pine Bridge and The Crystal Clear Dead-End05:33
• Total Runtime29:24

Info for Twin Rocks

Istanbul born performing artist, producer, composer and instrument builder Berke Can Özcan takes you on a captivating journey through the depths of nature on the Lycian Way -a 520 km long hiking trail in southwestern Turkey around part of the coast of ancient Lycia, named after the Lycian civilization that once ruled in this region-. As Özcan ventures deeper into uncharted territory on the trail, he stumbles upon a sight that sparks an artistic flame, the Twin Rocks. In collaboration with critically acclaimed Norwegian trumpet mastermind Arve Henriksen and Brooklyn-based baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Özcan immerses the listener in a mesmerizing soundscape that echoes the wonder and mystery of the trail leading to ancient Lycia.

This collaboration weaves together a tapestry of sonic explorations that capture the essence of Özcan's journey. The ambient-jazz album's delicate balance between organic sounds and electronic manipulation creates a dreamlike atmosphere that transports the listener to the rugged terrain of the Lycian Way. Mastered by three-time Grammy winner Dave Darlington, each track on this ethereal album mirrors a different aspect of the journey to Twin Rocks, meticulously composed by Özcan, Parzen-Johnson and Henriksen with each section of the trail in mind.

The album is infused with melodic bird songs and sound walk recordings that add depth and texture to the ethereal soundscape.

Özcan’s array of self-crafted instruments made out of bamboos, soda bottle caps, straws, house keys, terracotta flower pots alongside with his long time companions like his steel drums, chimes, gongs, and vibraphone, serve as the medium through which he expresses the reflections of his encounters in his own world of rhythm and melody.

Berke Can Özcan, drums, percussion, vibraphone, prepared piano, synth bass, harmonica, vocals, samples, field recordings, tape machines, gongs, electronic beats, synths
Arve Henriksen, trumpet
Jonah Parzen-Johnson, baritone saxophone
Ozan Tekin, piano, organ, synth
Selim Saraçoğlu, electric guitar
Ozan Kısaparmak, bass on “Buried Palms Garden”
Mahmut Albulak, backing vocals & acoustic guitar on “Snake Behind Valley”

Berke Can Özcan
He began as a drummer. He has founded and killed many bands. He wrote music, sang, played the drums and many other instruments within a variety of projects, recorded and produced albums, travelled and received acclaim, but you know, everything keeps changing. He owns a digital label, Who Are We Who We Are and is proud to release his fellow musicians’ and friends’ albums. As long as the music’s good. And who says what music is good by the way?

Since the last couple of years, he’s begun to transform into something else. There has been many things going on, families falling apart, friends walking away, people being crushed by life, his country losing many things he used to take for granted and the world being stirred up by the crazy and the malicious.

He had to change, there was no other option for survival, so he started listening. He travelled and got acquainted with the many different sounds he heard. He began performing his solo show, accompanied by his big set of self-made instruments, steel drums, chimes, gongs and log drums. As his world expanded into something new, he started recording alone, which resulted as his new album ‘Mountains are Mountains.’

He still has many things in his pocket. Sounds from a variety of continents, some couple of oceans, many different islands, corners of the earth that not a lot of people know about. Work is in progress, work is always in progress and most probably will always be.

This album contains no booklet.