![.: a history [of violence]:.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AT_MmLOoH_8/So47kmyFQvI/AAAAAAAAAnA/MvwG3MJjzWY/S1600-R/ege+copy.jpg)
This time 5to1 has a quite different victim.
Well, he is a musician and a very well-known one in his own country's territories but he's also a graphic designer working with bands like Lividity, Nafrat, Carnophage, Embrace Damnation, Decimation and Kasatura not to mention he's also doing the artworks etc. for his own musical projects.
so here we go:
1Let’s start with what you are up to these days Ozan.. Any new projects in progress?
Well.. i’m pretty busy nowadays.. We are working on the new songs for the upcoming RAVENWOODS album, the recording process will probably be over by the end of the first half of 2009. Also, as Sarcophagus (my side-project), we have completed our work for the LP named "HATE CULT", which features Niklas Kvarforth of Shining on vocals will be sold by OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS. Furthermore, "Towards the Eternal Chaos", again by Sacrophagus, will be out on the market on 2009. That’s how my musical career is going on. Other than that, as you know, I’m designing graphic stuff to make a living. The latest update about that is; my new t shirt illustration for Lividity is currently available on relapse merch store. I am currently working on artworks for many local and international bands . That includes a new illustration I have done for Suffocation, which I hope that will be used with their new album. You can always follow the newest updates on myspace.
2Apart from being a designer and a fellow metalhead, you’re also quite well-known with your musicianship as you've mentioned above… Especially with one of the Turkey’s leading extreme acts RavenWoods. Can you tell us more about your career in “metal world”?
I have been trying to create something in this “metal world” since the day I got into it. I have been playing in RAVENWOODS for 12 years, participating in many gigs, fests and records. We have always kept our standards high. I’m trying to do my best for either my bands or Turkish metal scene. Turkey is a tough country for that stuff but we have always believed in the spirit of these acts and that’s how I survived. I think we have affected the Turkish metal scene with what we have done as RAVENWOODS, forcing people to try harder and harder to make a progression.
3Tell us more about the way you design artwork, myspace profiles or band logos? An artist or band comes up with an idea or you tell them about what you have in mind according to the concept of the work?
The bands get in touch with me via myspace or my website and inform me about what they want. I work on projects by the ordering time. I start working on the project as soon as we come to agreement with the band. I prepare some sketches and send them to the band. If they like it, I finish working upon that sketch and send them the final documents as soon as I recieve my payment. You can also check out the "how to request artwork" section on myspace or my website. As far as my principles goes, I just try to do my best for any band, regardless of their genre or fame. If they don’t like what I have done for them, I don’t demand more payment, I just come up with new ideas and work on them until they are satisfied. I used to work for commercial agencies and work on boring designs all day. I gave up on that and just concentrated on creating extreme stuff for extreme people, and that’s how I kept on going for 2 years in my own art studio.
4It's kind of a must to ask about your influences and about people whose work you admire. So yes i want names :)
Other than that, there are lots of illustrators and designers that i admire their work.. The first one is Dan Seagrave, commonly known with his work for Suffocation. I think I had learned a lot
from him.We are in contact with him through myspace and I sometimes get his opinions about my work. I use his comments to improve myself and my work. He is just an awesome artist.. Also, Mark Riddick is one of my favourites, his work and style impresses and influences me.. And of course, Chris Moyen, the spirit and darkness in his work has always amazed me. I hope I can be as good as them one day. I am doing my best with my amateur spirit for extreme music in Turkey and I hope it satisfies people.
5You think an artist/designer always has to reflect a unique style which will be his trademark or you think sometimes its only important to do whats to be done and get the job finished on time? Do you think every single work you did up to now has a speacial unique “Ozan YILDIRIM” style?
Back in the days when I worked for commercial agencies, I was doing graphic designs fort he market, I just used to do what they want from me without adding any extra effort or soul, because none of that works had an artistic value. They didn’t need artistic value at all either. Then I realized that those stuff would never carry me forward. I hated business people with no taste whatsoever who thought they knew it all, and I quit. I started doing stuff about the subject that my soul belongs to, so now I care about artistic values. I am trying to do my best for any job, huge or small, doesn’t matter, trying to reflect my style too. As far as the deadlines go, of course getting the job done by the given time is crucial for me. A proffessional job must be delivered whenever promised earlier, or your reliability burns to the ground and nobody offers you anything.
Thanks for the great interview. HAIL CHAOS !
for more info and visual samples here are the links:
www.myspace.com/ozanyildirim
www.ozanyildirimart.com
