Islak Köpek’s original lineup of Korhan Erel, Sevket Akinci, Volkan Terzioglu and Volkan Ergen had their first performance in the summer of 2005. Following a series of performances at Galataperform and Jazz Cafe in Istanbul, Dirk Stromberg and Robert Reigle joined the band in January 2006. The six-piece band played regular gigs at Galataperform as well as other venues and also did some recordings. Volkan Ergen left in the summer of 2006 to pursue other musical interests. The five-piece band played at Transit Improvisation Days Istanbul with Le Quan Ninh, Kirstie Simpson, Talin Buyukkurciyan, and Yanaël Plummet in 2006 and then again in 2007, a sold-out concert at the Akbank Jazz Festival in September 2006, at the A.M.B.E.R. Body-Process Arts Festival in 2007 (www.a-m-b-e-r.net), The Triangle Project (a side project of the 10th Istanbul Biennial in 2007). Dirk Stromberg had to take a leave from the band to pursue his career outside Turkey. Islak Köpek will publish their first self-titled album in early 2008 on the Turkish label A.K. Müzik (www.akmuzik.com) The band members have been doing a show on free improvisation and free jazz called “The Other Jazz” on Acik Radyo (FM 94.9) since May 2006. The band members have also had performances in different combinations, including other artists in Turkey, the Netherlands (O301, STEIM), Romania, France, Belgium and Poland Islak Köpek members on this album: Robert Reigle: Tenor saxophone Volkan Terzioglu: Tenor saxophone, Bb Clarinet Sevket Akinci: Electric Guitar Korhan Erel: Computer (Audiomulch), Cracklebox, Melodica Dirk Stromberg: Electric Guitar Volkan Ergen: Percussion, Computer Processing