Mark Lotz & Islak Köpek
Collaboration with Istanbul’s Premier Free Improvising Ensemble (2010–2012)
Mark Lotz & Islak Köpek
Şevket Akıncı – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, FX
Korhan Erel – Laptop, Controllers, Electronics
Robert Reigle – Tenor Saxophone
Volkan Terzioğlu – Tenor Saxophone
Mark Alban Lotz – Flutes
In May 2010, flutist Mark Alban Lotz had the opportunity to join Islak Köpek, Istanbul’s first free improvising ensemble. This collaboration (2010–2012) resulted in the debut CD Istanbul Improv Sessions May 4th, a blend of Lotz’s vast flute palette and the ensemble’s disciplined improvisations. The unique synergy between Lotz’s imaginative flutes and Islak Köpek’s sound exploration was praised for its depth and sonic innovation.
The album garnered significant attention from the media and radio, with praise for its profound, boundary-free expression. The collaboration extended beyond the CD, as Korhan Erel and Lotz were inspired by their duo recording to form the Lotz/Erel Duo. In 2013, the two initiated the Dutch/Turkish project ‘IstanPOOL’, which toured in Holland.
The album Istanbul Improv Sessions May 4th features the collaboration between Mark Lotz and Islak Köpek, capturing the dynamic, free-flowing improvisations that define their work together.
Performances
- Borusan Concert Hall (2011, Istanbul)
- Gitar Cafe (2013, Istanbul)
- IstanPOOL (Dutch/Turkish project, 2013 tour in Holland)
Press Snippets
Mojo Magazine (UK)
“An evening of tentative improv from German flute player Mark Lotz and Istanbul band Islak Köpek.”
Monsieur Delire (Canada)
“Ça grouille, ça bouille, ça vit. (This music is slithering and shaking with life.)”
Free Jazz Alchemist (Poland)
“For all I feel it’s profoundly humane, for all I know it doesn’t hold any barriers of culture, race, language, religion, time and space. A democratic and universal form of personal expression and communication.”
Band Members
