If you've ever been to a gig of your favourite indie band in Istanbul it actually is a safe bet that this show was then organized by Aylin Güngör and James Hakan Dedeoğlu - the creative minds behind Bant Mag and two of the nicest and most dedicated people you'll ever meet. Bant still is the only independent pop culture magazine Turkey has to offer, and even though it is a painfully time-consuming process to create this kind of platform against all odds, Ms. Güngör somehow still found the time to complete her long-awaited book “Oturdugum Yerden/From Where I Am“.

“They came to Istanbul, where I live. I claimed this city is sad, they thought it is undeniably beautiful. Through the eyes of these lovely people, the sadness I had always sensed around me transformed into joy and revelry - so their declarations of wonder convinced me every single time. After creating Bant Mag. back in 2004, one of our main motivations was trying to reach out to the musicians we loved the most from around the globe. Then it became about bringing those who have never been here and showing them around, hosting them and their friends, finding extra gigs while they are already in town. Sometimes we even end up arranging holidays together, or found ourselves saying “bring the kids next time, we have a lot of spare rooms”, or being a guest in turn in their house for days. In all these different experiences, we always felt blessed.

This book tells about all those wonderful moments I had with all these wonderful people. Even though, as a photographer I had experienced much more special moments than there are in the book, I always waited, staying where I am, not willing to ruin the moment, just enjoying it and then capturing it when I felt it is right to do so. It is 2014 now, and it is time to share those moments before experiencing new ones.“

Images from top to bottom: Moon Duo (2010) / Prince Rama (2011) / Tunde Adebimpe (2013) / The Bug & Daddy Freddy (2011) / Black Dice (2011) / Foetus (2005)

Get your copy of this great book over here.