Berk Icli - Glimpses of an Eternal Bloom (2021)

An introspective dive into an ethereal atmosphere, Glimpses of an Eternal Bloom is the debut album of Turkish producer, composer and pianist Berk Icli. The album is an attempt to frame certain moments of “being” no matter the emotional state concerned, whether euphoric, sentimental or dark and contemplative. At times, this is done through orchestrations of strings, brass and woodwinds. Other times with solo piano, field recordings, electronics and the use of samples.

Glimpses of an Eternal Bloom opens with dramatic scenery enhanced with spiritual chants. Throughout the album, Icli incorporates simple yet emotive piano-led pieces in tracks such as “Lullaby for Laika”, “Unsan Musho”, “Postlude” and “Ils sont devenus Intemporels”. In “Bambino’s Nap” evolving rhythmic patterns with liberating vocals create a dreamlike state in which the sounds and sentiments get mixed up, evoking feelings of joy along with melancholy. Varying musical tones are set with the use of synths, bass-heavy soundscapes, a powerful brass section in the track “Blossoms”. It spirals in and out of tremulous episodes paving the way for a spirited ending. Berk Icli incorporates real-life field recordings from his neighbourhood, voices of his friends and the children from the elementary school he worked at. The tracks were composed in succession and sequenced to construct a coherent sensual experience.

Tracklist:
1 01. Berk Icli - Ouverture Pt.I (02:54)
1 02. Berk Icli - Ouverture Pt.II (02:50)
1 03. Berk Icli - Lullaby for Laika (03:37)
1 04. Berk Icli - Rite de Sortie (04:27)
1 05. Berk Icli - Unsan Musho (雲散霧消) (03:10)
1 06. Berk Icli - Bambino's Nap (05:58)
1 07. Berk Icli - Mutual Serenade (04:08)
1 08. Berk Icli - Pythagorean Interlude (01:24)
1 09. Berk Icli - Postlude (03:41)
1 10. Berk Icli - Ils sont devenus Intemporels (02:21)
1 11. Berk Icli - Blossoms (06:53)
1 12. Berk Icli - Outro (Ps.64) (05:20)