Sublime Frequencies Communiqué: ERKIN KORAY San Francisco In Store Meet & Greet / Record Signing

Saturday, April 7, 2012 - 3:00pm until 4:00pm

Aquarius Records & Sublime Frequencies are pleased to present legendary Turkish musician

ERKIN KORAY in person at AQ records, SF.

In his first and only promotional event within America to date, Mr Koray will be visiting Aquarius HQ to meet fans, and sign copies of his recent Sublime Frequencies release Meçhul – Singles & Rarities.

This is a rare and unique opportunity to meet the true godfather of Turkish rock and psychedelia - an iconic guitar hero and songwriting genius with a voice of gold, who has carved out his legend across the last five decades.

Erkin Koray was responsible for founding his country's first rock and roll group in 1957. Forging western sounds with his own inimitable musical mastery, he self-produced singles and LPs throughout the 1960s and 1970s that shook and altered Turkish society.
Erkin didn't stop at rock and roll. Over time, he began to find inspiration in folk sounds from Turkey's Anatolian interior, and radio broadcasts received from Egypt and Lebanon. He looked to the east from his west-leaning Istanbul perch, and began incorporating these sounds into his own work. This amalgamation was as unprecedented and unorthodox in Istanbul at the time as rock and roll itself had been in the 1950s. The resulting hybrid sound ignited what became known as the Arabesque music movement in Turkey – which continues to this day.

While Erkin has recorded and performed tirelessly throughout the years, both as a solo artist, and with the powerful groups he formed, his extensive back catalogue only began to be explored by the international community in the 1990s.

He is now recognized as one of the foremost global leaders of psychedelic, folk rock, pop and balladry. His music has stood the test of time more than many of his western contemporaries and influences have managed to, and his prolific work ethic has not ceased. He continues to live and breathe music, performing epic concerts, and continuously plotting new recordings and strategies. His vision and integrity, coupled with his pronounced world views and inherent musical greatness, have made him the unique and magnificent living legend he is today.

After years of bootlegged reissues on the market, Koray has been engaged in a decade-long battle to win back the rights to his own music both within Turkey and internationally.

In 2011, Sublime Frequencies worked together with Mr. Koray to present Meçhul – Singles & Rarities (SF067), compiled by Mark Gergis and culled from the personal archives of Erkin Koray. It stands as the first collection of its kind, authorized and approved by the artist himself.

The album features tracks that have been previously unheard and/or unavailable in the west. Ranging from the sublime to the surreal, these tracks offer an essential glimpse into the extensive repertoire of the great Erkin Koray.