Photo: Frauke Joana
'This time I started the songwriting process at the beginning of August and finished it at the end of August 2022. I took the demos to the studio of my friend Sid Vision in September 2022, and we recorded all the songs in five days. ´
At NCOUNTERS, we are thrilled to introduce our readers to the rising artist, Güner Künier. With the recent release of her debut full-length album, Güner has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the underground music scene. Her background in post-punk, wave, and goth is evident in her powerful and evocative live performances, leaving a lasting impression on audiences.
The process of producing a full-length album proved to be a challenging endeavor. But Güner's meticulous crafting and arrangement of the songs resulted in a cohesive and compelling narrative.
On stage, Güner is a true original, being authentic and true to themselves, and adding a special significance by singing some songs in Turkish. Güner is an artist to watch, with a unique sound, powerful live performances, and a promising career ahead.
Kubi Ozturk: I remember listening to you live for the first time. It was one and a half years ago if I am not mistaken. It was the Vernissage of Magnus Krüger, and you played with ÖPNV. Later, police raided the show. I remember being impressed by your performance. It is amazing to see that you have released your first full-length album. Congratulations! I can imagine that producing a full-length might be more challenging than EPs. Can you point out any differences from EP production? What were the challenging aspects of producing the LP?
Güner Künier: While working on the EP, it was easier to decide which songs to choose for the final EP and to determine the dramaturgy. It was much more challenging for the LP. In the beginning, I had song ideas of 20-25 songs, and it was really hard to decide which ones to take and build a little trip with them. It was also difficult to determine the order of the songs. So I had more challenges in the final steps than in the production.
As far as I know, “Aşk” was your first studio production, and you collaborated with Sid Vision in the studio. How was the process of working with a producer in the studio?
It was actually the fourth time I worked with Sid in his studio. He produced two singles for my former bands, he also produced the EP “FLEXEL” and my latest release “Aşk”.
This time I started the songwriting process at the beginning of August and finished it at the end of August 2022. I took the demos to the studio of my friend Sid Vision in September 2022, and we recorded all the songs in five days. After this process, Sid added some instruments and worked on the sound, mixing, and mastering, all in exchange with me. Mid-October 2022, I had the final tracks. As you see, all happened last year within a quite short amount of time. But I have never worked differently so far in process of creating and recording music.
´ I do not even recognize that Berlin is dominated by electronic music or DJs, to be honest. I totally get what I want from the music scene, also with acts from other cities visiting Berlin and playing shows here.´
Photo: Frauke Joana
You already built some fanbase growing with you. In my opinion, this is key to magic as an emerging artist. How do you see the crowd in your shows? What do they have in common?
Pretty hard for me to tell, as the most shows I played so far are shows I shared with other bands or artists, so I do not think there is “one crowd of mine”. Still, one common thing is that all the people in the audience are very cute!
Some other cities are known for deep and rich post-punk, wave, and goth scenes. On the other hand, the city we live in, Berlin, is dominated by electronic music and DJ performances. It is not here to problematise or point out the lack of any scene. I was also lucky enough to catch many impressive acts including yours. How do you perceive the Berlin music scene in that sense? Are there specific places where you identify yourself?
There is a lot going on! Most of the people I know are playing in bands / doing music so I am going to a lot of friends' shows or shows thrown by them. I do not even recognize that Berlin is dominated by electronic music or DJs, to be honest. I totally get what I want from the music scene, also with acts from other cities visiting Berlin and playing shows here.
I personally believe your songs are strong. But one has to witness one of your performances to get the full context and artistic vision. How have you been building your stage persona as a performer so far? How do you perceive Güner on stage?
I just go on stage and play my music, and all you see is what I feel and how I feel at this moment. I never thought about building a stage persona or doing a performance, and I do not think I will.
´ I never planned to sing in Turkish. It just happened and felt very natural. So I kept going. I never have a plan or intentionally strive when I make music. It is more of a fusion of what I was listening to the last two years. When I produce new music, it just breaks out of me.`
Photo: Frauke Joana
It is personally touching for me to hear that you also sing in Turkish for a couple of songs such as “Dön Bak”, “Elimi Tut Dedim Sana”, and “Gel Gör”. I also know that we share a big appreciation for Baris Manco and Cem Karaca. I am not sure if I am more selective in my perception but I have the feeling that we witness more and more post-punk, wave artists producing their songs in Turkish. How is it for you to sing in Turkish? Was that a decision or a contingency? Do you think Turkish post-punk, wave music is making a revival? Are there bands that you follow or are inspired by?
I never planned to sing in Turkish. It just happened and felt very natural. So I kept going. I never have a plan or intentionally strive when I make music. It is more of a fusion of what I was listening to the last two years. When I produce new music, it just breaks out of me. I hope Turkish post-punk, wave music is making a revival, but I cannot really tell. One of the bands I love right now is “Kara Delik” from Berlin.
As an independent artist, it is not always an easy task to finance your art and life. It requires some courage to be persistent in your career as an artist. What would be your suggestion to up-and-coming artists to build their artist careers in that sense?
Don't question yourself. Keep on going, and share what is inside of you. There will be always people you gonna touch and inspire.
I am sure we will have many Güner Künier concerts in 2023. I hope we will encounter some of them. Is there a festival or city where you especially want to play a show?
That's a tough one! There are so many places and festivals all around the world I wanna play. But realistically for 2023, it would be nice to play some shows and festivals in England!
Photos: Frauke Joana
Editor: Kubi Ozturk
Photo layouts: Can Hatunoglu
NCOUNTERS, Berlin (2021)