Resimli Bar - Soaked / 15 Ekim CMT

Balamir Nazlıca: Composing, Lyrics, Vocals & Designwork

Hatice Arıcı: Keys & Back Vocals

Emrah Akar: Guitar

Yiğit Özkul: Bass

Here you are in the familiar realm of perfect melodic Synth-pop, but the band stands apart easily from the myriad of others. They make timeless music, and possess the sophistication associated with world class acts. These flawlessly produces songs are delivered in pure English, and curiously devoid of any hints that point to the origin of the band - Istanbul, Turkey would never be your first guess. The atmospheric tunes are punctuated by pianos and exciting synthesized bass. The earthy male lead vocals are occasionally accompanied by mellifluous female back vocals.

Music does not exist in a vacuum, and SOAKED knows this all too well. Not constrained within the boundaries of ordinary indie pop acts, they style themselves as a collective of performers, musicians and visual artists. SOAKED dreams of becoming a major music act, and also a force to be reckoned with. This is not power in the arena rock sense, but in terms of the implamentation of their aesthetic vision. The aim is nothing less than total sensory impact. As videographer, photographer, writer, designer, composer, poer, musician, lyricist, together they create the large canvas that is the embodiment of SOAKEDart, the ultimate experiment in artistic integration. Yet these complementary elements are not secondary to the music. Instead the music catalyses them, and they in turn intensify the very same emotions ignited by music.

In principle, SOAKED is a scaled-down art platform in itself. They step on stage as talented live musicians and artists creating the atmosphere that is part of the aesthetic appeal.

The same attitude is apparent in all their other creative products, which go beyond being catchy promotional items, their videos are self-contained mini-movies, while their photography and other visual work count as standalone artistic pieces. Band members have already collaborated with various photographers, directors, graphic designers and artists, and they are planning to incorporate work from others once the musical foundation is laid down firmly.

SOAKED is an Istanbul based band formed in 2003. At the time front man and founder Balamir Nazlica composed the music, and used his own illustrations. His vision was to combine his lyrics with electronic tunes and striking visuals. Initially there were only simple pure melodies on acoustic guitar and piano, but later these evolved into synthesizer based music.

SOAKED has been performing live shows since 2009.

2010 has been a rather prolific year for SOAKED. Their 5-song EP entitled "Into the Light", and a remix of their song "In Light" by DJ Tangun were released, accompanied by their first music video "In Light" directed by Emre Akay.

The band held 27 live performances at Efes Pilsen One Love Festival 2009, Adidas FG Street Party, As well as venues such as Ghetto, Roxy, Indigo, Dogzstar, and Otto as the opening act for Midnight Juggernauts, in the last quarter of 2010, SOAKED launched a new series of concerts, and unveiled their second video "Gemlike" also directed by Emre Akay. A brand new remix of the tune by DJ Cervus was also released. They are currently in the studio, working on their debut album which is due for independent release in 2011.

SOAKED bills itself not only as a musical ensemble but also as a creative artistic platform, and they are determined to provide the quality performance and art that Turkish audiences crave. SOAKED wants to produce works that encompass various artistic disciplines, integrating these into concerts, and work in tandem with domestic and international artists. SOAKED is involved in an ongoing collaboration with innovative design teams.

Balamir Nazlıca (compositions, lyrics, vocals and design work)

Hatice Arıcı (back vocals & keyboards)

Emrah Akar (guitars)

Yiğit Özkul (bass guitar)

http://www.soakedart.com/

http://www.myspace.com/soaked2009

http://www.twitter.com/soakedtheband

http://www.soundcloud.com/soaked