music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpınar
recorded by can aykal
recording engineer assistants: ali altun cevahir, berkant "doktor" kılıçkap
mixed by pharaoh talin

berke can özcan: drums
dilara sakpınar: vocals, shaker
feryin kaya: bass guitar
arda erboz: acoustic guitar
seçil kuran: vibraphone

swim against the waves
in deep deep waters
drain in gutters
swift on clouds that are enormous

take things one by one out of my green bag
let the tide of life
be watched by my eye

i go away
find a place to stay

i ride the whole world
stroll along with no urge
fill my lungs with what i desire

need to spill out all my words
and then see what i have caused
i shake and twist and turn
do you think i will ever learn?

i go away
find a place to stay

green bag (live @ TRS)

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpınar
recorded by can aykal
recording engineer assistants: ali altun cevahir, berkant "doktor" kılıçkap
mixed by pharaoh talin

berke can özcan: drums, waterphone, cowbells
dilara sakpınar: vocals, synth
feryin kaya: bass guitar
arda erboz: electric guitar
seçil kuran: vibraphone, congas, bongos

havalarda uçuşuyoruz
birer toz bulutuyuz
rüzgarla uçup
yağmurla yapışıyoruz

karışıp gidiyoruz
çarpıp geri geliyoruz
sonra farkına varıyoruz
ki aslında hiç bir yerde yokuz

yokuz aslında hiçbir yerde yokuz

parçalanıp bölünüyoruz
görüntü verip çekiliyoruz
varmış gibi davranıp 
orada olmuyoruz

yokuz aslında, hiçbir yerde yokuz

yokuz (live @ TRS)

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpınar
recorded by can aykal
recording engineer assistants: ali altun cevahir, berkant "doktor" kılıçkap
mixed by pharaoh talin

berke can özcan: drums
dilara sakpınar: vocals, synth
feryin kaya: bass guitar
arda erboz: acoustic guitar
seçil kuran: vibraphone

i went in to a very dark cave
where i could see nothing
the bats were flying round my head 
walked to the cold end

i crossed my fingers round my back
hoping to see the light
so i could feel something, again

you have captured a heart
and it will never be the same again
you have gotten my heart
so you will never be the same again

again (live @ TRS)

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpınar
recorded by can aykal
recording engineer assistants: ali altun cevahir, berkant "doktor" kılıçkap
mixed by pharaoh talin

berke can özcan: drums
dilara sakpınar: vocals, synth
feryin kaya: bass guitar
arda erboz: electric guitar
seçil kuran: vibraphone, percussion

the sun's in my eye
kiss me
this is our place 
with the things i've left behind

the clear blue sky, under we lie 
you lift me up with your smile
a touch from deep inside

i breathe you in, 
while you breathe me out
and the sun in the arms of love

as if it is an endless day
we don't rush for anything
as if we have so much time
we feel safe

i breathe you in while 
you breathe me out
and the sun in the arms of love

sun in the arms of love (live @ TRS)

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by can aykal at the stone house in bodrum, turkey
mixed by kai andersen at athletic sound, halden, norway
mastered by bjorn engelmann at cutting room, stockholm, sweden.

ilhan ersahin: saxophone
dilara sakpınar: vocals
burak ırmak: rhodes, synth
feryin kaya: bass guitar
berke can özcan: drums

the sun's in my eye
kiss me
this is our place 
with the things i've left behind

the clear blue sky, under we lie 
you lift me up with your smile
a touch from deep inside

i breathe you in, 
while you breathe me out
and the sun in the arms of love

as if it is an endless day
we don't rush for anything
as if we have so much time
we feel safe

i breathe you in while 
you breathe me out
and the sun in the arms of love

sun in the arms of love feat. ilhan ersahin

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by can aykal at the stone house in bodrum, turkey
mixed by kai andersen at athletic sound, halden, norway
mastered by bjorn engelmann at cutting room, stockholm, sweden.

burak ırmak: rhodes, synth
dilara sakpınar: vocals
feryin kaya: bass guitar, drum and synth programming, piano
berke can özcan: drums

the sand burning my feet
i walk on the street
while you give me a big sigh
i go under, deep

finding everything i have kept inside

you lived in a big lie
i had you in my mind
why did you make me rely
don't you even deny

i've got so much to say

so much to say

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar, feryin kaya
recorded by can aykal at the stone house in bodrum, turkey
mixed by kai andersen at athletic sound, halden, norway
mastered by bjorn engelmann at cutting room, stockholm, sweden.

hakan kursun: vocals, electric guitar, gongs
dilara sakpınar: vocals
burak ırmak: rhodes, synth
feryin kaya: bass guitar, acoustic guitar, double bass, samples
berke can özcan: drums, percussion

havalarda uçuşuyoruz
birer toz bulutuyuz
rüzgarla uçup
yağmurla yapışıyoruz

karışıp gidiyoruz
çarpıp geri geliyoruz
sonra farkına varıyoruz
ki aslında hiç bir yerde yokuz

yokuz aslında hiçbir yerde yokuz

parçalanıp bölünüyoruz
görüntü verip çekiliyoruz
varmış gibi davranıp 
orada olmuyoruz

yokuz aslında, hiçbir yerde yokuz

yokuz feat. hakan kursun

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by can aykal at the stone house in bodrum, turkey
mixed by kai andersen at athletic sound, halden, norway
mastered by bjorn engelmann at cutting room, stockholm, sweden.

burak ırmak: rhodes, nokia synth, squeezebox
dilara sakpınar: vocals
feryin kaya: bass guitar, acoustic guitar
berke can özcan: drums, glockenspiel, kalimba, buddha machine

you have buried yourself into the dark
it was your head that made me stop thinking of you

i don't feel as i did before
i don't know you any more
will this keep me safe like home
how is it possible to solve,
is it possible to solve?

you never listen, you never give me the chance 
to tell you how i feel
you don't share
you don't give

no no, let yourself go
no no, you don't know,
how i feel

no no

grass (levni remix)

i don't know you girl (pharoah talin remix)

berkin

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by can aykal at hayyam studios, istanbul (january 2014)
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc
mastered by nathan james at vault mastering, az

dilara sakpınar: vocals, synth
feryin kaya: bass
berke can özcan: drums
arda erboz: electric guitar
seçil kuran: vibraphone, congas

hey stranger
what is it you're thinking of?
where is it you find yourself?
it's been a long while, are you ready now?
do you think it's time to speak?

have you been saving yourself?
is that the reason, but why wouldn't you tell?
it's been a long while, i've been waiting like a child
now i surrender

too late
for anything to say
there is no return
too late
i watch you go, letting it go
there is no return

hey stranger,
was this what you were looking for?
where is it you pretend to go?
waves to the shore,
we've seen this before

i guess this was meant to be
another story to be free
sad but true, i won't remember you
there is no return

too late
for anything to say
there is no return
too late
i watch you go, letting it go
there is no return

no return

fall

music: 123
lyrics: berke can ozcan
recorded by can aykal
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc
mastered by nathan james at vault mastering, nyc

berke can özcan: kalimba, drums, shakers, vocals
feryin kaya: acoustic guitar, bass guitar
burak ırmak: rhodes, vibraphone, harmonium
dilara sakpınar: vocals

patchouli scent is like the travel of a lover
sometimes earth comes inside tiny bottles on the back of camels
walking slow through the dessert
sometimes love does not have to travel
you can smell in the air, nearness of the soil scent
he walked and faced the sun again
nature drunk
with the smell in veins
she grabbed the rays of light from the sun
to touch his hands
with her love she saved
taking steps through the paths leads to huge trees made of old souls
taking steps through the paths leads to tall trees made of your soul

patchouli

music: 123
lyrics: berke can ozcan
recorded by can aykal
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc
mastered by nathan james at vault mastering, nyc

berke can özcan: synths, drums, electronic beats
dilara sakpınar: vocals
feryin kaya: bass guitar

my time is running slow
my time is running slower
my time is running slower than yours
there i was passing by
there i was stepping on your grass
where i can stand and set my time to yours
it feels like running but slower
it feels like not having rush at speeding
feeling your rhythm and motion
keeps up the beat of my heart with free will

grass

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by 123
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc
mastered by nathan james at vault mastering, nyc

dilara sakpınar: vocals
burak ırmak: piano, rhodes, organ
feryin kaya: bass guitar
berke can özcan: drums, beat programming, samples

i am wearing the beams of light
wrap it around me
feeling strong against the world

dip my fingers in the cold water
of the hidden river in a forest
giving life to nature
the stream drain away
making curls
heading for an endless move

soon the night will fall down
a curtain of sparkles
covering life

then, the sun will rise again
shining across the fields of red
babys breath

should i climb up the cliff
so i can see the ocean?
would i then dare to jump into the air
hoping to fly?

i sigh and then i cry
my tears are the joy
my tears are the joy

niles

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by 123
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc
mastered by nathan james at vault mastering, nyc

berke can özcan: beat programming, drums, samples
burak ırmak: rhodes, organ, piano
feryin kaya: bass guitar
dilara sakpınar: vocals

will you ever change you're mind one day?
will you leave the place where you are?
and can you keep on going,
no matter what happens,
no matter what you see what you hear?

she walked and walked
the sun rose, the sun set
weather changed.
it was hot, it was cold.
she got tired, she got wounds

she screamed to herself:

i will come back!
i will find you!

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by 123
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc
mastered by nathan james at vault mastering, nyc

dilara sakpınar: vocals, rhodes
burak ırmak: rhodes, synth, harmonium, organ
feryin kaya: bass guitar, acoustic guitar
berke can özcan: drums, beat programming

i went in to a very dark cave
where i could see nothing
the bats were flying round my head 
walked to the cold end

i crossed my fingers round my back
hoping to see the light
so i could feel something, again

you have captured a heart
and it will never be the same again
you have gotten my heart
so you will never be the same again

again

music: 123
recorded by can aykal
mixed and mastered by mike nielsen

burak ırmak: rhodes, organ, harmonium, vibraphone
feryin kaya: bass guitar, electric guitar
berke can özcan: drums

aksel

music: 123
lyrics: berke can ozcan
redorded by can aykal
mixed and mastered by mike nielsen

berke can özcan: drums, vocals, shakers
burak ırmak: lido organ, glockenspiel, vibraphone
feryin kaya: bass guitar

soğuk sularda yüzerken beni unutma,
kuyruğunun ucuna al beni,
balina balina balina,
wow wow wow wow,
okyanuslarda yüzerken beni unutma,
kuyruğuna al beni,
en ucuna.

balina

Cover of Prince - Purple Rain. Recorded in 2011 for a TV Show.

Purple Rain

music: 123
lyrics: berke can ozcan
redorded by can aykal
mixed by brian bender at motherbrain, nyc.
mastered by nathan james at the vault mastering, nyc.

arve henriksen: trumpets
berke can özcan: vocals, drums, shakers
dilara sakpınar: vocals
burak ırmak: rhodes, synths, glockenspiel, lido organ
feryin kaya: bass guitar, acoustic guitar

first he didn't know what the moon tonight was after
then he walked the shore
where the light of waters could touch his barefoot
full moon illusion makes him feel the blue lagoon
he recognized before
that the tides around ment to rise and to fall
arve he was called
caught the waves with moonlight and the scent of lagoon
his full moon vision makes him come running back to the sea
he could keep it cold like a stone
for he's cried his eyes out earlier
he was the one to come after the beautiful pale white owl
he took the owls life away with his own two hands
arve he was cold like a stone
he took the owls life away with his own two hands
arve he was cold like the snow
for he's born to the days full of ice and snow


arve feat. arve henriksen

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by can aykal at the stone house in bodrum, turkey
mixed by kai andersen at athletic sound, halden, norway
mastered by bjorn engelmann at cutting room, stockholm, sweden.

arto tunçboyacıyan: vocals, percussion
dilara sakpınar: vocals
burak ırmak: rhodes, synth
feryin kaya: bass guitar, acoustic guitar
berke can özcan: drums

kapalı perdeler arkasında
saklanır gölgeler
takip ederler, her şeyi

karanlık sokaklarda
yol alır insanlar
gider gider giderler

uzun sürer yolculuk
geçer zaman, doğar bebek
açar gözlerini yeni bir dünyaya

farklıdır onun yüzü
anlatır hep gözü
heycanlıdır, keşfeder
yaşar, görür, öğrenir

varoldukça büyür
güzel bir gül olur, açar

sonra bir gün gelir
bilir, korkmadan
kapar gözlerini

trip feat. arto tuncboyaciyan

music: 123
lyrics: dilara sakpinar
recorded by can aykal at the stone house in bodrum, turkey
mixed by kai andersen at athletic sound, halden, norway
mastered by bjorn engelmann at cutting room, stockholm, sweden.

burak ırmak: rhodes, organ, synth
dilara sakpınar: vocals, lido organ
feryin kaya: bass guitar, acoustic guitar
berke can özcan: drums

iç çeker gecenin karanlığında
rüzgarın uğultusunda
yol alır aklı
başlayan gecede
gözleri izler teker teker
yanıp sönen ışıkları binaların
hepsini birer göz kabul eder
şu dünyaya bakan pencerelerden

gizlenir düşler ardında
koyu mavi arkasında
parlayan yıldızlar ve 
derinleşen uykular
hepsi akar gider birer birer 
nereden geldiği bilinmeyen
sonsuz rüyalar ve başka diyarlar
şu dünyaya bakar pencerelerden

hayal eder kaybolur gider
sessizliğin sesinde
açar kollarını bulur yollarını

binalar

dilara sakpınar: vocals, synth 
feryin kaya: bass guitar
berke can özcan: drums, percussion
+
arda erboz: guitars, trombone
seçil kuran: vibraphone, percussion

Starting their musical journey back in 2004, 123, in other words "one, two, three", released their debut album "aksel" in November 2009. "aksel" included 14 songs, that tells the story of a boy named aksel, an owl and a whale. "aksel" is a cd/book with 230 pages of illustrations made by Huban Korman. In May 2010, the band released an ep named "stereo love", that contains 6 tracks. Just before the end of 2010, 123's third album "arve" was released. "arve" has 15 songs, and it's actually the second part of the story that was started in the album "aksel". "arve" is also a cd/book with 190 pages of photography taken by Irmak Altiner. The Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen is a featured guest on the title song "arve". Another album entitled "anja" is being produced which is the conclusion story that started with "aksel", but before "anja", the band released their fourth album "LARA" in january 2012. "LARA" puts the emphasis on Dilara’s mesmerizing voice and poignant lyrics. The album also features three notable guest musicians - İlhan Erşahin plays saxophone on "Sun in the arms of love", Hakan Kurşun sings and plays guitar on "Yokuz" and percussionist Arto Tunçboyacıyan sings and plays on "Trip". All four albums of the band can be bought online through mikrop gramofon's web site. They can also all be bought on itunes.

123 is also known for its symphonic work. the band played with two different symphony orchestras conducted by ender sakpinar. more symphonic concerts will be following.

The band has played at many international events such as;
Istambul Agora Festival (Sao Paolo), Kolaj Istanbul (Paris), Glimps Festival (Ghent), Mini Europe Tour by Elle (Turin, Straubing, Munich, Oslo), Şimdi-Now (Stuttgart), Berlin Jazz Festival (Berlin), 0090 Kunstenfestival (Antwerp), Bridge to Turkey Festival (Munich), 123 feat. Gunnar Halle at Nordik Festival (Istanbul), Kings of Convenience + 123 at Nordik Festival (Istanbul), Efes One Love Festival (Istanbul), Urban Festival (Istanbul), Babylon Sound Garden Festival (Istanbul), Contemporary Festival (Istanbul), International Istanbul Jazz Festival (Istanbul) and Akbank Jazz Festival (Istanbul).

123theband

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