juSt b_music
The perfect contrast of softness & grit, with an uplifting cinematic feel underlying the emotional struggle evident of the time it was composed. Beautiful work Korhan.
Favorite track: All About Moments.
Set for release on Mesh on 15th October, ‘Simple Things In Hard Times’ is the new EP by Istanbul artist Korhan Oraydın AKA Non Square.
Note: The single 'All About Moments' comes as an instant download with EP pre-order.
Combining his own sonic world with inspiration from Alva Noto, Apparat, Jon Hopkins, Rival Consoles; Korhan created the sound of Non Square to be defined by solid bass, complex beat structures fed by noise and glitch, and immersive chords. Mesh label boss Max Cooper and Korhan met at Sónar Istanbul after being introduced by mutual friends Rival Consoles and Özge Cöne. Despite speaking different languages, the pair quickly found common understanding and committed to work towards a release. His debut ‘Hold On’ EP released in December 2020 was supported on BBC Radio by Gideon Coe, Mary Anne Hobbs, Nemone, Tom Ravenscroft and Unclassified and was profiled by Mixmag Turkey.
‘Simple Things In Hard Times’ was created entirely in Korhan’s home studio in Istanbul, he explains: “The pandemic was really badly managed in Turkey so we had to stay home for a very long time. Initially we had hard times but, due to human nature, we got used to it over time, or so we thought. We simplified our lives and enjoyed the simplest things. This process led me to look for the simple in production as well.”
‘All About Moments’ juxtaposes delicate, ambient musicality with crunchy, hammering drums and fervent electronics. “One day while I was sitting at my Roland piano, it suddenly started to rain heavily. The recorded sound of rain spreading over my attic apartment combined with piano created a very nice ambiance. It was such a good moment and I felt really good. That's when I started to think that our life is just a collection of good or bad moments and I made "All About Moments" to represent this thought”.
Rhythmic patterns sway and skitter over repetitive distortions on ‘Memory Palace’, which references a memory enhancement technique that uses visualization to recall information, but with this piece, Korhan chose to place sounds instead of images. While battling emotional pressure, the positive advice and guidance of Max and the Mesh team led him to respond with the high-energy, synth-laden, off-beat techno track ‘Sawing Spirits’.
Simple, strong and hypnotic, ‘Everything We Miss’ closes the EP and is the first ambient track that Korhan has released: "I use my own voice like a pad in almost every piece, but I think it is most apparent in ‘Everything We Miss’. For years, whenever I come up with a melody or an idea, I record it with the phone's built-in mic, without worrying about the environment or quality. For a while, I tried to imitate the recordings with a device or VST. But over time, I realized that what I really wanted was to add a piece of myself to my music with my own voice. I see this as a signature to my music. But I've never built the foundation of any piece on my own voice before. So as a result of trying, 'Everything We Miss' emerged.”
‘All About Moments’ is set for release as a single on 15th September before the EP’s release on Friday 15th October.
Istanbul-born electronic music composer, producer and sound designer Non Square, known as Korhan Oraydın is starting to
strongly carve out his own position within the electronic IDM music sphere. This new project seeks to touch the lives of many by creating its own sonic realities where it combines different technical disciplines and genres such as glitch, techno, ambient and noise....more
Barcelona's april the cruelest creates post-genre collages that examine internal self-hatred in response to systemic oppression. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 12, 2022
Inspired by Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Carnival Parades comes this epic synth symphony from Brazilian artist Fordmastiff. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 3, 2022
From the always-great label Umor Rex comes the latest from Lina Filipovich: A ruthless deconstruction of classical pieces. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 25, 2022
This left-of-center ambient collection from UK producer Xqui threads soothing, layered synth melodies through twisted arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 3, 2021