In Conversation with Dylan Ware of The Infinity Chamber, Istanbul’s Metamorphic Folk-Rock Kings

Dylan Ware has long been an established yabancı on the radar of Istanbul’s music scene. Having lived in Turkey for over a decade, the veteran singer-songwriter has dedicated much of that time to writing music, honing his craft, and performing his unique folk-inspired sounds around the city. It’s no surprise that his band, relative newcomers The Infinity Chamber, is in many ways an extension of this sound. With the talents of guitarist Fatih Aygün, bassist Utku Karamuk and drummer Ertuğrul Akyüz – all of whom bring their own distinct influences – the four-piece outfit has quickly garnered a passionate following and put out an impressive catalog. Regularly putting on live shows, their distinct melodies and clear affinity for their respective instruments, sets them apart as a must see act for anyone keen on supporting the local music scene.

We took some time to chat with Dylan on The Infinity Chamber’s origins, their music and the influences that keep them ticking, their latest music video for “The Lonely Gnome”, and of course got some tips on which local acts to check out and the best places to catch a performance.

The Infinity Chamber has garnered quite a local following and is certainly recognized by those in the know of Istanbul’s music scene. For those who might not be familiar, could you introduce yourself and tell us how you came to form the band?
I’m Dylan Ware, I come from New Zealand, originally, and I used to travel the earth playing guitar and writing songs. About 15 years ago I wandered into Turkey and spent a few summers strumming and picking for holiday-makers and revellers during the heyday of Olympos, on the South Coast. I eventually settled here In Istanbul.

I met Fatih Aygün about 10 years ago through a mutual friend; we immediately hit it off, and eventually wound up collaborating on my third album, “The Infinity Chamber” in 2016. Fatih’s originally from Izmir, and fronted the rock group MAT (2004-2011), he also happens to be a kick-ass recording engineer and a great lead-guitarist, so when we finally decided to form the band, he was obviously in. One night I was passing a bar and saw another old friend I’d met while hanging out at Mimar Sinan University; the dark, solitary painter, Utku Karamuk. We shared a few beers, and decided then to form the band with him on Bass guitar. The same night, by some freakish and serendipitous coincidence, another dude (Erdem Eroğlu) came up to us, a guy neither of us had met before, introduced himself, said he was a drummer – working with The Wingmen, The Young Shaven, and Cupboard Creek – and that he really liked my songs and suggested we do something together. Presto, like it was destined to be, we had ourselves a band.

I already had a whole back-log of songs ready to go, so very promptly, we were gigging. The response was great. Erdem had to leave due to work commitments, but through another mutual friend, we were fortunate enough to meet Ertuğrul Akyüz, another accomplished painter, and a fantastic drummer. Since then we’ve been amassing songs, and thoroughly enjoying playing shows.

Very soon thereafter, we received interest from a record company, and late last year we began coordinating with them on the release of the new single/video, “The Lonely Gnome”.

Could you tell us a bit about the inspiration for the name?
The Infinity Chamber was an idea I had when I was about 19, when, like most 19 year old kids I plotted a lot about sex. I decided I’d build a reasonably-sized receptacle; a pentagonal or hexagonal room which would be completely lined on the inside – ceiling and floor included – with mirrors, and beautifully lit. And after entering through a door, my girlfriend and I would do it. It was a sort of a giant sex-kaleidoscope. It still is, really.

Considering your unique brand of folk-rock, who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
I think what makes The Infinity Chamber one of the more interesting bands to see live is the fact that the four of us have such a wide range of influences, it’s a wealth that permeates the shows. No two of our songs are all that similar, so the result is a very eclectic experience. As a song-writer I was profoundly influenced by Paul Simon’s early, literate, poetic “folk” songs, and of course that other guy who uses my name, well, seeing Bob Dylan play blew it all wide open for me, and I knew what I had to do. Occasionally I hear Bowie, Cobain, and definitely The Beatles in there. At the same time there’s a strong hard rock element underlying our songs. We’re all partial to thrash metal, and Black Sabbath. Fatih is, for example, a devout aficionado of Judas Priest and Dvorak, Ertuğrul of The Cream and Porcupine Tree, and Utku of Tool. But have to say, the result, The Infinity Chamber’s music, isn’t really a style I’ve heard before.

What is the music writing process for you?
Melodies, chords, structure, and the central thesis of the songs pour out easily. I do it lying on my bed usually, in the quiet. Then I spend ages summoning the words, finding the right ones, fitting them together, I’m careful about it, and it’s a slow process… I have songs gestated for a decade – longer… one for 17 years I believe. Some songs develop like embryos in a womb of thoughts, some like pus accumulating around a splinter, and some ejaculate explosively like vomit. I’m very conscious of the literary devices, the assonance, the diction, almost as much as I am of the integrity of the concepts themselves. The lyrics are fearfully important in our songs. When it’s ready, I tend to know it. I put down a rough demo for the rest of the band, and they independently work out their various parts. We then come together and the evolution accelerates. It’s one of my favourite things in the world to watch the harmonies unfold. The piece shifts and transforms and falls into perfectly groovy places like it was meant to be. We get it tight in the practice studio before we take it to the stage. There’s a lot of perfectionism in our band. We don’t play covers.

Could you share a bit about your discography up to this point?
In 2004 I released “Dark Wind Songs”, written on the road, recorded in Bulgaria and Istanbul. Primarily quiet, acoustic, travelling folk songs. I was very much on the move in those days, and it shows in the music; very solitary, contemplative.

Then in 2012 I released “Wolfsongbird”. You’ll find songs on both albums that are staples of our live act.

In 2016 Fatih and I completed a two-year creative enterprise that was the making of the album “The Infinity Chamber”. It was an intense and thoroughly enjoyable experience. A lot of fine work went into that album, and I have to say it’s really rather good. Some people struggle with the dark subject matter, but I don’t write for the intellectually timid.

A year ago we released the single “Sand Imaginings”. Our whole discography can be found online.

You’ve just released the single ‘The Lonely Gnome’, which you’ve labelled as a side-project. Could you share a bit about that?
It’s a digression I undertook, fittingly enough, alone. Fatih recorded, mixed and mastered it. It’s a somewhat quirky, eerie, psychedelic finger-picked piece ostensibly about a gnome enduring a bizarre week, except not entirely. It’s actually about the creative process involved in producing a song.

We shot the video in Istanbul and out at Riza in late Autumn with director Adil Akpakın. It was great fun, out there in the forest. The “leaves” of paper you see at times are actually inscribed with old lyrics and poems of mine which, given that they represent the residue of dreams in the story, felt very appropriate. The gnome is named “Chomsky”.

How are you finding the local response?
Great! We love performing live, and the venues are keen and supportive. The audiences have been wonderful, of course the more the merrier, so do come!

Any favorite venues?
Rock ‘n Rolla Live – good stage, good sound, good lighting. Pendor Corner is a solid live venue, a fecund hotbed for the scene. Actually part of the video is filmed on stage at Pendor. Red Rock Sahne is good too…

We’re under the impression you play a lot of shows, with bands that vary in genre/style. Are there any other bands or performers you’d recommend?
Steady Fingers – a brilliantly refined folk and acoustic blues player, and his band The Glooms is terrific too! The Young Shaven put on an excellent show. Housing Crash is worth seeing. I haven’t seen Eskiz play yet, but that’s something I mean to do!

What’s coming up next for you guys in 2018?
Charging into a new video for our song “No Honey”. We’re also planning to get into the studio pretty soon to record a bunch of new songs. And of course, pounding out the metamorphic folk-rock at live shows.

For more information, be sure to check out their official page, as well as follow them via Facebook and Youtube.

All images courtesy of Dylan Ware.