This Fusion is Monster

Turkish-born & Montreal-based Mercan Dede (born Arkın Ilıcalı, 1966, Bursa, Turkey), aka DJ Arkin Allen, is a composer, ney & bendir player, DJ, & producer. He started the Mercan Dede Ensemble in 1998 as the culmination of his extensive musical experiences over the past decade both in Turkey & in North America. His ensemble of Turkish & Canadian musicians subtly fuse the Eastern spiritual traditions of Sufi music with contemporary ambient sounds to create a unique mix of old / new - sacred / secular - East / West.

The music is fully modern yet it clearly has grown out of the otherworldly heart of the sema ritual of the Whirling Dervishes. The inspirational force behind the work of the Ensemble is to carry the message of Rumi up through the centuries & around the world. ‘Dervish’ means threshold, & the ultimate aim for a Sufi is to meet & be met at the point where one space becomes another.

The Ensemble was originally Mercan Dede, Mohammad & Farokh Shams. They were joined later by Toronto-based world-musician Ben Grossman & are accompanied by Isaiah Sala, a young Sufi dervish whirler.

Fusion Monster is a project of Mercan’s alter-identity DJ Arkin Allen. FM leans more toward the electronic end of Mercan’s world-wide spectrum. He still conjures wonderful instrumental performances here, but they are set to big DJ-friendly rhythms. Although subtle & restrained with the energy serenely subdued, with no rush to break the beautifully constructed tension, it is still consistently eastern.

Arkin Allen – Fusion Monster, Numoon Records NM004, 2004.
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Tracklist –

Kıtmir  

Debernuş

Şazenuş

Kefeştetayyuş

Mernuş

Mekseline

Meslina

Yemliha 

Enjoy,

NØ