IstanPOOL was another formation of Mark Lotz diving into the rich spectrum of Turkish music. He initiated IstanPOOL with his duo partner, laptop artist Korhan Erel.

IstanPOOL (2013) was a collective of musicians from Turkey and the Netherlands in a unique setting with two winds, two guitars, and two laptops. Six modernists from two vibrant urban metropolises joined forces in music.

They met in their shared urge to express and fertilize each other in composition and improvisation. The result was a powerful mix of atmospheric soundscapes and dynamic movement. It was surprising, pleasing, itching, bizarre, adventurous, funny, unpredictable, and visionary. Their tour in the Netherlands in October 2013 was a great musical success.

The members had a history together: Lotz and Moore had participated together in Chris Potter’s Tentet and recorded for Michael Baird. Lotz and Erel formed the Duo Lotz/Erel (the initiators and driving force of IstanPOOL) and performed together with Robert van Heumen. Akinci and Gürkal were both members of Islak Köpek and had performed and/or recorded with Moore, Erel, and Lotz many times in Istanbul.

This was a Lotz/Erel initiative with Stichting Doek, Amsterdam. The Utrecht performance (premiere) was made possible with the kind support of the City of Utrecht.