The idea of recording an album came into my mind more than 15 years ago. Due to many reasons I couldn't complete the album earlier. However this delay has helped the songs to become more mellow. I composed Ruh Göçü (Change of souls) (2001) after having an interesting dream at age of 24. Marcin's brilliant string arrangments in Ruh Göçü and Anadolu Çınarı (Anatolian Tree) (2004) significiantly raised the artistic level of the compositions. Cezar's approach to Ruh Göçü proved to me again that he was the perfect choice for this song. When Marcin and me composed Aysuda (Moonlight over the sea) in 2005, Marcin asked me to give a Turkish female name to this song. I chose “Aysuda” from a name book as I really liked the name. In 2013 Marcin became a father and he gave the name “Aysuda” to his daughter. Aktur (1998) is my first fretless guitar composition. I remember the late nineties when I was falling into the fretless world. Those days I had my first fretless guitar and I was composing melodies in Aktur (a holiday village) near the Mediterranean Coast. Omm Ma Ra was composed in 2011, and while recording it in 2015 my 6 month old daughter “Aykız” joined the album with her voice and had her first studio experience. Again I need to say that time brought new ideas to the arrangments. Özlem (Longing) (2003) has deep memories inside me. I remember our recording sessions with Marcin in his very small room in Warsaw in 2004, where he was making magical music with an old computer. Özlem has been revised after many years and the guitars were recorded again in 2016 in Ankara. Uyan (Awekening) (2007) is an instrumental protest tune composed with the feelings around the political changes happening in Turkey in 2007. Daniel recorded several frame drums and sang in Tuva style. Bayram Peşrev (1998) is composed in Uşşak Makam. When I was watching Cezar’s drum solo at the Tygmont Jazz Club I had the idea of recording this song in fusion style. I think it became a very interesting part of the album. I invited Arto to record drums for the song Huzur (Peace of mind) (2011). I know him from “Night Ark” and his playing always impressed me, I am happy he joined the album. Spotkanie (Meeting) (2008) was recorded at home spontaniously with a simple 2 track recorder. Our aim wasn’t to record an album song but the energy and harmony in our improvisation was so satisfying that I decided to end the album with it. As the album was recorded over a long time period you may hear different sounds as recording and mixing technology has changed tremendously in last decade. But these sound differences shouldn’t be a reason not to publish the album. I am sad that my father, who passed away few months ago, didn’t have the chance to see and hear this album. I am sure music travels through the Universe and he listens to these melodies in peace. Speacial thanks: Hatıra Ahmedli, Şinasi Celayiroğlu, Murat Arkan, Önder Özkoç, Marcin & Gaya Malinowski, Gökhan Güneş, Mateo, Kenan Turgut, Ekrem Özkarpat, Anna Nawrat, Jeff Berg, Mehdi Gholami, Neşet Ruacan, Erkan Oğur, Gülsün Atalay, my mum, dad, brother, Eleonora and my lovely Aykız... Aysuda (Moonlight over the sea) Composed by Deniz Atalay & Marcin Malinowski Arrangment by Marcin Malinowski Fretless Classical Gtr & Ebow - Deniz Atalay Synth & Keys - Marcin Malinowski Double Bass - Paweł Pańta Drums - Cezary Konrad Percussions - Michał Rodzeń For my brother Anadolu Çınarı (Anatolian Tree) Composed by Deniz Atalay Arrangement by Marcin Malinowski Fretless Classical Gtr & Other Gtrs - Deniz Atalay Synth - Marcin Malinowski Double Bass - Paweł Pańta Drums - Cezary Kondrad Strings – Fair Play Quartet For my father Özlem (Longiness) Composed by Deniz Atalay Arrangement by Marcin Malinowski Fretless Classical Gtr & Classical Gtr - Deniz Atalay Synth - Marcin Malinowski Percussions - Michał Rodzeń Omm Ma Ra Composed by Deniz Atalay Vocal - Aykız & Eleonora Atalay Electric Gtr & Synth Gtr - Deniz Atalay Drums - Cem Aksel Ruh göçü (Change of souls) Composed by Deniz Atalay Arrangment by Marcin Malinowski Fretless Classical Gtr & Electric Gtr - Deniz Atalay Synth - Marcin Malinowski Double Bass - Paweł Pańta Drums - Cezary Kondrad Strings - Fair Play Quartet For Atatürk Bayram Peşrev Composed by Deniz Atalay Fretless Classical & Electric Gtr & Synth - Deniz Atalay Double Bass - Paweł Pańta Drums - Cezary Kondrad Bendir - Daniel Moński Uyan (Awakening) Composed by Deniz Atalay Gtrs & Synth Gtr - Deniz Atalay Bendir & Vocal - Daniel Moński Aktur Composed by Deniz Atalay Fretless Classical & Electric Gtr & Ebow - Deniz Atalay For my family Huzur (Peace of mind) Composed by Deniz Atalay Vocal - Eleonora Atalay Electric Gtr & Synth Gtr & Ebow - Deniz Atalay Bendir & Drums - Arto Tunçboyacıyan For Eleonora Spotkanie (Meeting) Improvisation Double Neck Fretless Gtr - Deniz Atalay Piano - Marcin Malinowski Mix - Yılmaz Yeşilyurt Mastering – Yılmaz Yeşilyurt & Aras Tüysüz Album cover picture by Gökhan Güneş CD booklet design by Mert Demir