MUSICAL DUO KRONIK LEILA
Arda Tuncer and Başak Tuncer, aka Kronik Leila, are twin sisters based in Istanbul. After turning twenty years on their classical music journeys together, they decided to switch the route to electronic music and they are behind the wheel in the lyrics, arrangement, vocals, production, and even the mixing and mastering stages of the songs. In July 2021, they made a strong start with their debut single, "Yuva", combining different genres such as trip-hop, escape room, and art-pop. Continuing with the preparations for the debut album, Kronik Leila welcomed 2022 by releasing their third single, "Secret Tale" In addition to their music, the duo also directed all their video clips.
While blending the electronic infrastructure with experimental beats, the musician sisters add choral music to their work with polyphonic vocal recordings. While the piano introduces the basic chords, and from time to time, the theme in their songs, the clarinet, which is the main instrument of sisters, shows itself by nodding sometimes to the long air of Anatolia, sometimes to jazz solos, and sometimes to symphonic works.
Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences?
Every artist, piece of art, or story we come across impresses us, inspires us, and gives us new ideas no matter what their genre is.
Arda: Personally, I love Baroque arias, and as a clarinetist, I never had the chance to execute music of the Baroque period, except for certain adaptations, because the clarinet was not one of the most popular instruments of the era. Now, having the possibility to blend the Baroque-style musical structures with electronic tools in my arrangements is the Wonderwall that pumps me up!
Başak: I've been a big fan of jazz for years, so my ideas influenced by jazz rather than classical show up in our music. I've been listening to a lot of experimental R&B over the past few years. The use of beats in such a variety of ways today has been a huge source of inspiration. Even for us, it was a surprise that we used the human voice as an offbeat in our last release, "secret tale." It was fun!
Tell us a bit about your creative process?
We do every step ourselves in our home studio. We also own the lyrics, music, arrangement, vocals, instruments, mixing and mastering, and even our videos' shooting and editing stages. Sometimes we start with the lyrics and bring the rest; sometimes, a melody or beat idea becomes the starting point. We do not follow a single songwriting technique, and this further freedom fuels our creative process. Since we have been developing our musical and writing skills from a very young age, this flexibility does not allow us to lose our way but instead will enable us to be guided by each different idea.
How has the pandemic affected your creativity and how do you see the world-changing?
Başak: The pandemic caused us to enter this path together.
Arda: We experienced a kind of awakening in that uncertainty, bad news, and anxiety, and we saw that it was not just for us. There were losses worldwide, and everyone was asking, "What would I do if these days were over?" pondered the question. So we see that people all around the world are entering a period of making up for something.
Başak: I was already doing my own thing as a photographer, but I had never made my music before. So then, shortly before the pandemic, I started working on instruments and vocals again. At that time, I just wanted to reconnect with what has truly made me happy since I was a kid, nothing else on my mind. But, on the other hand, the pandemic made me realize how vital this bond is and that I do not want to go away again.
Arda: On the other hand, I built a classical music career as a clarinet artist in Europe for about ten years, and frankly, I was warmly welcomed by music societies in France and Italy; my work was paying off. But at the same time, there was a growing longing in me that I didn't know what it was. It wasn't a longing for home. It was a longing for my creative side, which I had put aside for so long that I vaguely remembered its existence.
So when Başak came up with this idea of producing our songs, something stirred inside me for the first time in a long time, and I said, "Let's get started right away."
Who do you consider to be an icon of our time?
The prominent name for both of us is David Bowie. His ageless innovative music, influence on fashion, and breaking the bigoted view of many people against diversity make him one of the greatest icons of the century we left behind and of the 2000s for sure.
What does wellbeing mean to you, and what do you practice?
Arda: I think, well-being is seeking and finding what makes you feel good and be present in life, other than what you have been told. When we feel that something is not right, stopping and listening to that feeling, taking time for ourselves, especially paying attention to the signs our body sends us, all lead us to the path to well-being. I am experiencing that writing, meditation, and yoga are transformative practices, and I intend to continue.
Başak: Writing, meditation, physical activities... these are the things I regularly practice too for well-being. For example, at one point, I was feeling lost, having a hard time feeling well, but I didn't know why or what to do to get out of there. Just then, I came across the following questions in a book: "What made you happy in your childhood, what did you want to do and be in your childhood?". Finding answers to these questions helped me a lot at that time. Since then, I have been trying to keep my heart's wishes in mind. Besides, it's good to read books and develop new skills.
Anything else you would like to share?
We are grateful for living in such a time. We can find various tools that make it possible to produce music anywhere, anytime we want, and publish it. Furthermore, we are here giving an interview despite being in different parts of the world. Thank you, Leila! And who knows what else will be possible in time?
