Names: Başak Günak aka AH! Kosmos, Büşra Kayıkçı
Occupations: Sound artist, composer (Başak Günak), composer, pianist (Büşra Kayıkçı)
Nationality: Turkish
Current release: Başak Günak & Büşra Kayıkçı's Bluets is out via Fuu.

If you enjoyed this interview with Başak Günak & Büşra Kayıkçı and would like to know more about them, visit their respective homepages: Başak Günak; Büşra Kayıkçı.

We also recommend our earlier AH! Kosmos interview.



For many artists, a solitary phase of creative development precedes collaborative work. What was this like for you: How would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your first collaborations?

Büşra: I think that individual and collaborative works contribute to the creative processes in different ways. To me it is difficult or impossible to find one in the other. While writing collaborative work I always felt like we are doing a puzzle. And each person holds the missing piece. You can not finish it unless it is all gathered together.

Başak: In my early first collaborations, collaborating with choreographers and theater played a very important role. It helped my thinking and imagining as I had a chance to stay more in an abstract vocabulary. Also I realized that imagining composition through body and movement helps me a lot.  

Tell me a bit, about your current instruments and tools, please. In which way do they support creative exchange and collaborations with others? Are there obstacles and what are potential solutions towards making collaborations easier?

Başak:  I love exploring different instruments, tools and methods. Encountering a new technique or tool opens up a space of motivation and leads to new sonic fields. Mostly, I use the computer, and synthesizers as my main instruments. But I encourage myself to leave them on some occasions.

When collaborating with others, finding a common language is important. This common ground can be established with tools or methods. With Büşra it was easier to communicate and experiment. We tried different methods, we experimented with initialization and development. During the making of our album Bluets, our obstacle was the distance and we looked for ways to use this obstacle's potentiality.

Büşra: Currently I am using an upright piano most of the time. To create different sounds and layers in my compositions I manipulate the instrument and microphones a lot. Sometimes people think it is a synth but it’s actually mostly my upright piano processed in Ableton. We also recorded some percussions in our album with this instrument.

What were some of your earliest collaborations? How do you look back on them with hindsight?

Başak: My earliest collaboration was with the choreographer Tuğçe Tuna. I composed for her dance piece. Her keywords for movement were very helpful for me.

As for writing a song together, it was ‘Mavi’ which I have written with singer-songwriter Mabel Matiz.

We got together to write a song for deceased friends of ours who were activists who played a very important role in the LGBTI+ movement in Istanbul. It was a very deep and intense time to write this song while going through grief together.

Besides the aforementioned early collaborations, can you talk about one particular collaboration that was important for you? Why did it feel special to you? When, why and how did you start working on it, what were some of the motivations and ideas behind it?

Büşra: Recently, I was very happy to be part of a collaborative album project by Modern Obscure. It is called Architecture and Music. All artists were asked to record a building in their town and compose a piece with it.

I chose my father’s workshop rather than an iconic building because I believe artists are bringing inspiration most of the time from their first circle. The people and places we are highly in touch within our daily lives. And since my major is on Architecture, it was a very exciting and inspiring process.

What are some of the things you learned from your collaborations over the years?

Büşra: ‘’There is always something to learn from an another’’. Well this is not something I’ve realised with the collaborations, I always knew it ...

It was a great advice from my parents but the collaborative works are strongly proving this all the time!

How do you feel your sense of identity influences your collaborations? Do you feel as though you are able to express yourself more fully in solo mode or, conversely, through the interaction with other musicians? Are you “gaining” or “sacrificing” something in a collaboration?

Büşra: Absolutely gaining! It made me realize that there are multiple ways of expressing yourself. It is still me - but in a different shape …

Başak:  I find collaborations very positive. I believe everyone's unique approach influences each other in a very positive way. This leads to new spaces to explore.

It is so valuable to build a shared vocabulary, getting introduced to new references, and connect with each other through the creative process.

There are many potential models for collaboration, from live performances and jamming via producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?  

Büşra: We tried both to see which one works. In the end, actually both worked … Because I believe we have a great musical harmony.

Is there typically a planning phase for your collaborations? If so, what happens in this phase and how does it contribute to the results?

Büşra: To me all works are very intuitive.

Başak: I love having structures but I also enjoy and have a big tendency to deconstruct them.  
 
What tend to be the best collaborations in your opinion – those with artists you have a lot in common with or those where you have more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?
 
Büşra: I don’t prefer to call things as ‘best …’ All types of collaborations have something different to tell because there is no one way of expressing yourself especially when it comes to music.

Being outside of your comfort zone is always something that develops you a lot. It allows us to explore and dive deep.

Do you need to have a good relationship with your collaborator? Or can there be a benefit to working with someone you may not get along with on a personal level?

Büşra: Yes, a good relationship is definitely needed. It is important to stay respectful, kind, and flexible.

Başak: Collaborating potentially comes from our furious need to connect. It is very crucial for me to have a good relationship with my collaborators. The way we handle the creation process is very important to me. I’m open for challenges and discussion but I place a lot of emphasis on having peace on a personal level.

Making a collab album might be very challenging, but with Büşra we kept a very respectful and kind relationship with each other and handled the music industry's challenges.

Some artists feel as though the creative process should not be a democratic one. What are your thoughts on the interaction with other musicians, the need for compromise and the decision making process?  

Büşra: Democracy doesn’t work all the time because we can't always be in a good mood at the same time. There are times I remember I wanted to leave the decisions to Başak because I was suffering a lot from being very indecisive and I see no harm in that.

Başak: Collaborations are spaces to practice on the ability to let go and make compromises. With Büşra, I experienced the advantages of this decision making process. Thinking and sharing thoughts with her was very fluid and it was helping us to come to a decision.  

What's your take on cross-over collaborations between different genres?

Büşra: Creating a new genre which is exciting?

In a live situation, decisions between creatives often work without words. How does this process work – and how does it change your performance compared to a solo performance?

Büşra: We had only one concert experience like this. I realized that the presence of another person gives a different kind of comfort and security. Felt really good actually!

Başak: On stage, I enjoy being in the company of other artists. The non-language communication on the stage excites me a lot and witnessing those moments. With Büşra, this fluent language happened from our very first gig.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you as part of a collaboration? In which way is it different between your solo work and collaborations?

Başak: Imagining together. We can propose other worlds that exist and find out how we feel about them. And then we need to practice together to carry on imagining.

Büşra: To me, the sense of responsibility increases, you do not want the other person to experience a feeling of disappointment and you seem to be more possessive.

Collaborating with one's heroes can be a thrill or a cause for panic. Do you have any practical experience with this and what was it like?

Büşra: Yes I had … I wasn’t panic but very happy and excited to hear the unexpected harmony.

However, heroes obviously do not share your excitement when they realize the effects on you about doing something together. And it is definitely wearing down the creative process. It didn’t work the way I expected to be honest …

Başak: I had a chance to collaborate with one of my favorite directors. It took a good amount of time to settle into a more grounded state after the initial thrill.