korhan erel is a computer musician, improviser and sound designer based in berlin. as a founding member of islak köpek, turkey’s pioneer free improvisation group, he was a key player in istanbul’s vibrant experimental music culture. his process of instrument design is based on live manipulations of field recordings, found sounds and electronic sounds using wireless controllers, resulting in instruments that create space around them for collaborators to participate. korhan seeks new ways of integrating the computer as a conventional instrument in free improvisation and new music ensembles through his instrument omnibus. korhan also uses electronics in some of his projects.
korhan’s passion and inspiration also lie in creating sounds, textures, and music for visual work. korhan’s sound design for theater, video and dance has been featured in festivals in turkey and europe. he designed sound for three theater pieces and has had collaborations with vienna-based video artist alexandra reill and sydney-based video artist fabian astore, with whom he has won the australian blake prize in 2012.
korhan is one of the founders and curators of unstumm, an improvised intercultural audiovisual project he co-curates with guitarist nicola hein. unstumm has been performed in germany, hong kong and singapore.
korhan was three times artist-in-residence at steim in amsterdam on sensors and instrument design. he was a guest composer at the electronic music studios in stockholm in 2011.
korhan has released seven albums since 2009, as well as several online releases, with his ensemble islak köpek, david rothenberg, tom soloveitzik, kevin davis, mark alban lotz, tolga tüzün, nikos kyriazopoulos, wilber de joode, and wolter wierbos.
as an improviser and composer, his work has been broadcast and performed throughout europe, russia, north america and the middle east. korhan has played in the following festivals and venues: moers festival (d), borusan music house (tr), an insolent noise festival (it), museum of applied and contemporary art vienna (austria), akbank jazz festival (turkey), amber festival (turkey), klangzeit festival (germany), klub katarakt festival (germany), tadaex 2 (iran), frischzelle festival (germany) as well as numerous other venues and events. he played the sound trips concerts series in north rhine-westfalia in november 2012.