.png)
Santi & Tuğçe are back again and they do it with a new release. This uniquely inspired duo have made a name for themselves through a handful of tasty songs.
The music of this unique duo is unclassifiable, but unrivaled. Close your eyes and let the sensations flow.
How was “The Witching Hour” born?
Santi & Tuğçe: The three tracks on “The Witching Hour” emerged at different points in time, and we have later decided to compile them together in the form of an EP. We decided to name the EP “The Witching Hour” as we feel the tracks together convey a story about transitions.
What is the concept behind this album?
Santi & Tuğçe: Here is how we describe the concept of this album: “It is the witching hour. It is the calm before the storm. The veil between worlds is torn apart. Beings from far-away places are here to play and spell their casts. Those who perceive the invitation receive the chance to join the chorus and add their charm to the boiling brew. So what is the final verdict? Are you awake or dreaming? Can you hear the call?” More generally, The Witching Hour is about liminal moments, the spaces in-between. It is about transitions, waiting, not knowing. The title references a rite of passage that we feel our planet is going through right now, with all sorts of ambiguities and possibilities.
How did you develop your sound on this album?
Santi & Tuğçe: The three tracks on the Witching Hour share some similarities, yet they are also quite distinct. The whole EP is a bit more energetic than most of our releases. One of the ideas of this EP was to combine high energy grooves with a meditative and calm vibe. The One introduces the EP with a mellow, nostalgic feeling on top of a driving beat. Before the Storm marks the transition from calm skies to thunder and rain. Finally, The Spell casts high energy waves throughout, with elements of funky synth and bass lines and disco-influenced drum grooves.
What software and hardware have you worked with for this album?
Santi & Tuğçe: On this album we have recorded our voices and a grand piano. The other elements of the album were created with Ableton Live and a variety of soft synths such as Omnisphere, Trillian, u-he Diva and u-he Repro. For mixing and audio effects we used Waves and Izotope plugins.
Where do you think your sound is developing?
Santi & Tuğçe: As our long time listeners know well, we are always reinventing our sound with each new release. This is one of the defining characteristics of the Santi & Tuğçe project from the very beginning. Our music is rooted in diverse musical traditions and ideas from all over the world, yet we invent a new soundscape for every album. Most recently, we have been featuring a jazz pianist in our recordings and are planning to keep featuring more instrumentalists. On the electronic side of things, we have also been working on sculpting warmer and more fluid synth and drum sequences.
Could you tell us about your present and future projects?
Santi & Tuğçe: We have a lot of new music on the horizon and in the making. We will keep collaborating with some incredible instrumentalists in this new line of productions. We have also been receiving some very exciting invitations for live events in Summer 2021, and planning some surprises for these events. Please stay tuned!
How do you see the present with the music industry? Do you have hope?
Santi & Tuğçe: We do have hope. The music industry is very competitive and it is hard to get a grasp of it since it is mostly owned by big corporations and it is constantly changing. However, we feel it is very important for musicians to keep learning and exploring new possibilities within the music industry. Many new platforms are constantly being created to stream music, to download music, to get support from fans, to synchronize music to video, to keep track of musicians rights, to sell sample packs, loops, etc. We feel it is important for musicians to learn about and explore available alternatives.
Do you have any final words of wisdom?
Santi & Tuğçe: “Follow your bliss and the universe opens doors where there were only walls”. These words of wisdom by Joseph Campbell have kept us going on our paths since our early days.
All tracks written and produced by Santi & Tuğçe, www.santiandtugce.com
Cover Art by: Pacaya, www.elpacaya.com
Piano (on the One): Pier Luigi Salami, www.pierluigimusic.com
