EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | TERS AÇI

Blending the energy of Izmir with the unshakable power of rock and metal, Ters Açı greets a new era on the threshold of its 17-year deep-rooted history. Since 2009, the band has brought a fresh breath of air to Turkish rock music without compromising its unique style. Today, they are preparing to carry their success—crowned with the Kuşadası Golden Pigeon first-place award—to its peak with a massive 12-track album project to be released in 2026. To talk about this exciting journey of Ters Açı, which reflects a collective spirit in every note and values production quality without fearing heavy tones, the band’s lead singer Korat Eriş was with us. In this conversation, where we asked about everything from the challenges of making metal music in Turkey to their new album preparations, lead singer Korat Eriş answered our questions with complete sincerity. We leave you with this inspiring interview.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

“Ters Açı is a rock band founded in Izmir in 2009. From time to time, we have also included works in the heavy metal genre. For 17 years, we have met our fans with both original compositions and numerous covers, always prioritizing our own works. Our band has stood out with its unique style and gained the appreciation of many listeners across Turkey.”

How would you describe your creative process?

“Most of the songs usually bear the signature of our lead singer Korat Eriş and lead guitarist Kıvanç Sekü. However, with the recent addition of Deniz Öğünç on rhythm guitars, we have strengthened our sound by including his compositions as well. Even though we come together in very limited time frames, we use these moments so efficiently that we can finish a song in a single day. Of course, this is just the composing and creativity part. Then we move on to the recording phase, where everything passes through all of our ‘filters.’ Our drummer Rıza Şahin arranges and records the rhythm instruments and drums first. While Kıvanç and Deniz continue with guitar recordings, our bassist Kemal Kuş writes the necessary parts for the songs to have powerful foundations. Although we all work separately, we eventually criticize each other constructively in our WhatsApp group to finalize the song. Quite a few things get edited out during this stage.”

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?

“Although rock and metal music do not have a massive place in Turkey, we are trying to make people love this music with a new sound and a fresh breath. While we truly succeed in this with some songs, the small number of listeners is our biggest challenge. Despite having many metal-adjacent artists in Turkey like Pentagram or Şebnem Ferah, the fact that there isn’t a single metal playlist on Spotify Turkey accounts summarizes the situation perfectly.”

What has been your proudest moment so far?

“In 2023, we performed Nazan Palu’s composition ‘Duy Beni’ at the Kuşadası Golden Pigeon Competition. The happiness of carrying that song to first place, representing Ters Açı on stage with Kıvanç, was truly priceless. Now, we are in the preparation phase of a new album. It will feature 12 beautiful tracks, one of which will be ‘Duy Beni.’ We are very excited and impatient. We plan to release the album in 2026, crowning it with 12 music videos.”

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

“Our advice to young beginners is: do not be afraid of ‘heaviness.’ Entrust yourselves to successful producers who trust their word and have the best sound, and try to learn something from them. Rock and metal music need young people more than ever right now.”

What are you currently working on?

“Currently, we have completed the recordings for 10 out of the 12 songs on the new album. We can say that 4 songs are completely finished. We even shot a music video in the Çeşmealtı district of Urla. We want to crown our songs by working with truly powerful and special names. We want to shake the scene by making a Ters Açı album that won’t be forgotten for a long time.”

Any last words or messages you’d like to share with our readers?

“Finally, we would like to thank the listeners of ‘Ters Açı – Dilenci’ and all Orhan Gencebay fans once again. They continue to support and follow us on all platforms. We can only repay their love by being on stage. Therefore, they should continue to follow and support us. We are dying to meet them on stage with great new songs as soon as possible.”