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GULBENKOGLU, AREK - Of Cruelty
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Edition of 77. “Arek Gulbenkoglu and I were sat for dinner having ordered the same meal, discussing its merit.
Its an expected conversation in such moments, but one at odds with the musical output of the
man sitting opposite me. The sound of Arek Gulbenkoglu defies anything remotely aligned with
the notion of expected. Having just met the man at a friendly dinner, I wondered how appropriate
it would be to assail him with questions inspired by many years of trying to absorb his output.
Then, after reflecting on these questions, it became apparent there was only one.
“Through a mouthful of cooling fries, I found the gumption to ask, “Whats the point of what you
do?” The question wasnt intended to cause offense; rather it was an attempt to gain insight into a
seemingly confusing sound world. Arek thought about this for a moment before replying, “I
respond to the world. The world gets the sound it deserves”. This answer surprised me. I was
immediately reminded of German filmmaker, Jörg Buttgereit who, when asked to defend the films
he made, simply replied, “society gets the films it deserves”. Arek Gulbenkoglu is a man who
creates in quiet response, rather than a provocateur like Buttgereit, but his response is no less
brutal and unapologetic.
“of cruelty could be considered a continuation as much as Gulbenkoglus oeuvre can constitute such
a concept. The interaction of shimmering tones on A foregrounding makes a mockery of the
beauty typically suggested by shimmering. When the spasmodic electronic chirps give way to a
thick wall of absence in Innards, the only joy one can feel while listening is in the tracks decision
to give you none. This theme reaches its apogee in Haste where, using primitive dance music
conceits, Gulbenkoglu forbids rhythm and groove, creating instead a loaded stasis – a dance floor
of the nearly-dancing.
“By the time the final track, Consequences reaches its conclusion, ones head has already been
scratched into flakes – the questions so many they become white noise. I am reminded of my first
dinner with Arek where I received the answer to a question I had been asking since Points Alone
[Impermanent, 2005] and realise, no matter how many answers he gives me, I will likely never stop
asking the same question.” – Matthew Revert.
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Its an expected conversation in such moments, but one at odds with the musical output of the
man sitting opposite me. The sound of Arek Gulbenkoglu defies anything remotely aligned with
the notion of expected. Having just met the man at a friendly dinner, I wondered how appropriate
it would be to assail him with questions inspired by many years of trying to absorb his output.
Then, after reflecting on these questions, it became apparent there was only one.
“Through a mouthful of cooling fries, I found the gumption to ask, “Whats the point of what you
do?” The question wasnt intended to cause offense; rather it was an attempt to gain insight into a
seemingly confusing sound world. Arek thought about this for a moment before replying, “I
respond to the world. The world gets the sound it deserves”. This answer surprised me. I was
immediately reminded of German filmmaker, Jörg Buttgereit who, when asked to defend the films
he made, simply replied, “society gets the films it deserves”. Arek Gulbenkoglu is a man who
creates in quiet response, rather than a provocateur like Buttgereit, but his response is no less
brutal and unapologetic.
“of cruelty could be considered a continuation as much as Gulbenkoglus oeuvre can constitute such
a concept. The interaction of shimmering tones on A foregrounding makes a mockery of the
beauty typically suggested by shimmering. When the spasmodic electronic chirps give way to a
thick wall of absence in Innards, the only joy one can feel while listening is in the tracks decision
to give you none. This theme reaches its apogee in Haste where, using primitive dance music
conceits, Gulbenkoglu forbids rhythm and groove, creating instead a loaded stasis – a dance floor
of the nearly-dancing.
“By the time the final track, Consequences reaches its conclusion, ones head has already been
scratched into flakes – the questions so many they become white noise. I am reminded of my first
dinner with Arek where I received the answer to a question I had been asking since Points Alone
[Impermanent, 2005] and realise, no matter how many answers he gives me, I will likely never stop
asking the same question.” – Matthew Revert.
