The Istanbul-based collective, ha za vu zu, crafted their artistic mode of expression through situational aesthetics and performative gesture, often incorporating music among many elements. The collective has since spawned another grouping, guguou, where music plays the lead role.
guguou was founded after GüneÅŸ Terkol was invited to the Sao Paulo Biennale in 2017. Terkol was already performing with Güçlü Öztekin, and for the performance in Sao Paulo, they were joined by OÄŸuz Erdin on acoustic/electronic drums and sound processing. The three have been collaborating for the last four years at their home studio.
gugugou draws on the forms, techniques and the strategies of experimental pop music. They utilize electronic tools to manipulate sound and vocals, experimenting with, or stretching popular forms, as well as processed sounds, low technology, electro-acoustics, repetition and highly rhythmic music, accompanied by short and simple idiosyncratic vocal-ism. While the lyrics derive from every day encounters, meticulously rehearsed music performances are born from collective improvisations.
Pas Matri is the product of this interdisciplinary nature of their practice, of their range across an array of different mediums. They decided to record the album in late 2018, also using various material from old recordings.
The album was recorded between 2017 - 2019 and was released on 2019 October via Shalgam records. After their first album release the band continued their live performances and started to work on their second album Worlbmon.
A selection of events and venues that Guguou has performed in are as follows: the 32nd Sao Paulo Bienale (2016), Cite Internationale des Arts Paris (2016), Soho Istanbul (2016), French Cultural Center Istanbul (2016), Dirimart Istanbul (2017), the 16th Istanbul Biennial (2017), Kino Armata (Kosovo 2019), Salon Istanbul (2019), Arkaoda Istanbul (2019), Nonsenselessness (Berlin 2020), the 27th Istanbul Jazz Festival (2020). During the pandemic they produced a 24 minute video performance titled "Fez-Gez" which has been exhibited in Berlin (Sameheads, 2022), Istanbul (Bilsart, 2022) and Paris (Art Explora, 2023).