oso

This city did not use to be like this; I mean, this vibrant. Or perhaps it has always been vibrant, but “vibrant” and “light” at the same time, allowing one to enjoy one’s fascination in peace?

No, lightness was something that happened to them, the genuine occidentals and their cities; whereas here, fanfare orchestras, really talented buskers (street musicians) and mud-washed festivals with on-site camping facilities were things we would only hear about, but never actually witness happening in our city.

That was a long time ago, though. Now, for the last couple of years, I have been thinking that Istanbul’s introverted mentality is changing. It is life on the street that best indicates the level of democracy in a country. Even by looking at the quality and diversity of the street performances, you can tell whether a city is “kinda hip” these days and, if busking in a city is generally OK with the least amount of institutional hassles, that means being an outsider is pretty much tolerated there. So, each time I see a band performing on the street, I get excited thinking my country is becoming more liberal, so to speak.

But none of these thoughts came to mind when I saw Oso performing near Galata Tower. There they were: performing for a huge crowd that gathered to listen to them and watching Phil on his unicycle playing his guitar and Tim beating his drums and his shiny Zildjian cymbals. Everyone was stimulated by their energy.

They are the two founding members of oso, a band all the way from Santa Barbara, California. They have been busking their way from London to Istanbul, and this is their last stop together on the “tour.” Phil Taylor, the band’s guitarist, singer and unicyclist, lives in Santa Barbara and works as an assistant teacher there. Tim Beutler, the drummer and accordion player, has just finished his M.A. in music from UC Santa Barbara. He is a composer and teaches music in Santa Barbara. The interesting thing is that they are both originally from Michigan, but they met in Santa Barbara, where they have been living for the last couple of years. It is an interesting story how they actually met: Phil won a bike race in Chicago, and his award was a free ticket to Seattle and, from there, he traveled to Santa Barbara. He met Tim there and they meshed really well musically and later on a bass player and a violinist joined them and that is how oso was formed.

Phil has been busking for 10 years now and Tim has been doing it for almost two. They perform in clubs and bars, too, and, as you can see from their Web site (http://www.myspace.com/thebandoso), they have quite a lot of fans who follow them around. Not to Istanbul, though. Their journey to Istanbul has been a pretty memorable and joyful one. After spending a couple of months busking in the UK last year, this year they started their busking journey in London, then they went to Germany and from there to the Czech Republic, Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. They have had quite the adventures on the road. They recall that busking in Sofia or Serbia was a little rougher than doing it here. When I ask them what their weirdest experience was, they tell me about how they basically hiked up a mountain in Sofia for a gig at a birthday party. When they actually reached the top, they saw there was almost no one at the party, apart from a handful of people. So, they say, it felt almost like a pilgrimage hiking up with a drum set, a unicycle and a couple of instruments all the way uphill.

The unicycle really brings great dynamism to their performance. Phil says the idea of playing guitar and riding the unicycle at the same time came to him only after he had to the Burning Man Festival in Arizona. Before that, he busked “conventionally,” but I guess “busking” and “conventional” are terms in an eternal paradox, so to speak.

Their experience in Istanbul has been great so far. They came with no expectations: Phil basically came for a dance workshop that will start in mid-September and Tim knew a couple of friends here. But they say the response they get to their music is very good here and that the people have been quite kind to them.

Merely by standing amidst an audience listening to these two talented and creative musicians who play their own original compositions, you can see clearly that another world is possible -- a world where good musicians unite and play the music they want and, just by being themselves, make the world a better place and spread positive vibrations. As I was leaving, the crowd around them was becoming bigger, and a Roma clarinetist and a darbuka player had taken out their instruments and joined them. Oso has a magical vibe that gets into your veins and inspires you to play, create and spread your own positive vibrations all around.

11 September 2008, Thursday
FULYA ÖZLEM ISTANBUL - Today's Zaman

It’s a well-known fact that when it comes to music, Santa Barbara’s cup is overflowing. In an attempt to introduce the public to these hometown musical gems, The Independent has joined forces with 1st Thursdays?—?a monthly downtown art extravaganza?—?to present S.B.-based musicians to the masses. And there’s no better place to start than with oso.

We first became aware of oso here at The Indy after coming across their self-produced album. Made entirely of bees wax, the album cover, we soon learned, was an apt metaphor for the band’s outlook on music-making. “We are interested in making some covers with organic materials. There is a stripped down and textile feel of the wax, and it is very durable, very engaging,” said Phil Taylor, oso’s singer and guitarist, who could just as easily be talking about the group’s sound.

oso strives to combine the interests of each band member to create a solid, original sonic whole. Avid violinist Nick Coventry (also vocals) delivers a gypsy sound, and as a student of electronic music composition, Tim Beutler (drums, vocals, computers) carries the beats. Andrew Fedders (bass, vocals) takes the band’s eccentricities a step further, interpreting his interest in the flight and dietary patterns of wounded hawks musically. Trust us, it’s way cooler than it sounds.

The members of oso write their own music and swear by the fact that all the lyrics exist in their heads, not on a pad of paper. As a result, they’re never quite sure how a show is going to go, just that it will most certainly rock. At times they play stripped-down acoustic sets. Other times they improvise right on the spot, trying to pass into the rawness of the moment with the crowd.

Their sound can be compared to technical-folk, math-rock, and world music. But the boys prefer their own lingo, referring to their sound as “technical autism folk, a mix of digital sounds, like a wind storm blowing a diagnosis of ADD with a wave of modern classical,” explained Taylor.

Speaking of ADD, it is Taylor’s enthusiasm that has people wondering, “What is he on?” But he swears the group’s a “fitness rock ’n’ roll band” that just happens to be highly caffeinated before each show. And their happy-go-lucky attitude carries over into the band’s future outlook, as well. Although they say they are not interested in signing with any major labels, they are interested in having smaller, independent representation.

Since the band has been booking more shows locally, with upcoming gigs at the Biko House and Co-opula in Isla Vista, the band’s internal dynamic has remained the same. According to Taylor, everyone is pushing individually and forming a collective solidarity. “We get along very well, which serves as an affirmation that we are doing the right thing.”

oso’s next big gig takes place Thursday, May 3 at Borders Books on State Street. They’ll be playing to the 1st Thursday crowd, a setup the guys seem to be pretty comfortable with. “At times we feel like outsiders in some ways, and when we have people recognize what we are doing and have a positive connection with them, it is a fun and exciting thing,” said Taylor. “I have no idea what to expect. The least expectations make better shows.” And though Taylor’s expectations may be modest, judging from oso’s sound and style, yours should be high.

-Aly Comingore - Santa Barbara Independent