Interview with Eren Basbug

Toni Marchante / Edko Fuzz

November 6, 2014

We got in touch with Eren Basbug, Turkish keyboardist and musician who surprised the world on YouTube with a magnificent version for orchestral of “Octavarium”, the emblematic theme of Dream Theater. This success led him to take charge of arranging and directing the strings on the songs “False Awakening Suite” and “Illumination theory” from the latest Dream Theater album. In addition, he was also the one who took charge of the arrangements for the accompaniment orchestra at the Dream Theater concert in Boston, in that very special concert where they relied on the prestigious Berklee College of Music, an institution closely linked to the band, as that its members were formed there and of which Eren is currently a student.

– First of all, we thank you for your time, it’s a real pleasure talking to you. For those who still don’t know who you are, could you tell us about your career until you went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston?

Hello, thank you for the interview! Before Berklee I was attending a classical conservatory in my hometown Turkey. I’ve started playing piano four years old and started conservatory directly at primary school, until university, always played classical music. I was participating competitions and masterclasses around Europe, which I got several prizes and nominations.

– You became well-known at global level thanks to your extraordinary cover of “Octavarium” which you recorded with an orchestra. Honestly, it was spectacular. How did the idea come up?

My cover of Octavarium happened in Summer 2011. Previously, in 2009 I had done Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which is where Jordan discovered me. I was thinking after that concert that I could do an even better looking and sounding one, and then Octavarium happened.

The idea behind, a long story in short, was a combination of few things. Listening to Dream Theater was always so powerful for me that I was playing along to the songs on piano. But that wasn’t enough. It was so powerful that I’ve heard 40 people playing at the same time in my head so I’ve arranged what I was hearing to orchestra, got together with my friends and did the show.

On the other hand, people from classical world were criticizing that I was listening to “noise”, and looking bad at me. I wanted for them to hear that it is a beautiful music, with a lot of crossover from classical world in terms of harmonies, melodies, form, etc. It was only the timbre of the sound (electric / bass guitars, drums, keys) that they weren’t used to, and disturbed them. I didn’t receive any feedback from them but many people who for the first time heard the pieces, including my father, became a DT fan afterwards.

One other thing is that I wanted us, students, to do a project on our own. That we are capable of doing music on ourselves, making beautiful things, by our intention, without anyone pressuring us to do so. 

And of course the final and probably most important one was to reach Dream Theater somehow that they would see / listen what we had done. It was my “thank you” to them for their amazing music. 

– It’s impressive that such a big band as Dream Theater will have you collaborating on their new album. Can you tell us how they contacted you?

Jordan contacted me through YouTube, he left a comment and sent me a private message, giving his email, asking me why and how I did these covers, then I’ve sent him an email explaining all. He then asked me if I was interested in doing orchestral arrangements for his piece “Explorations for Keyboard and Orchestra”, which I was extremely excited and accepted. We premiered it in Venezuela, played a two keyboards version in New York. After I moved to Boston for Berklee, Jordan asked me to arrange four string quartets for Dream Theater’s Live at Luna Park, which was my first collaboration officially with Dream Theater.

– I imagine that writing the arrangement for those two songs, “False Awakening Suite” and “Illumination Theory”, for such accomplished musicians as Dream Theater must have been a real challenge. How was the experience?

It was a remarkable experience to work with top quality high level musicians, and of course my heroes. The biggest challenge was to keep myself calm because I was extremely excited for my dream to come true and be together in studio with them. Otherwise, everything was so professional that all the process went very smoothly. I’ve written the arrangements, went to studio, conducted, recorded and done!

– When Dream Theater toured their self-titled album, from the very beginning they said that the Boston show would be special. They even said that it will possibly be released on video in the future. For that show, they had the Berklee College of Music and you were in charge of writing the arrangements and conduct the orchestra. I imagine it was another big surprise. Can you tell us about how the band chose you and how did you react to the news?

Actually it was my ultimate goal to be on stage with them featuring an orchestra, but while I was in Turkey it was logistically impossible. When I’ve came to Berklee, I shared this idea with one of my mentors, and he was very interested in the idea and got it running. I explained all the details and process, and the idea was when DT comes to Boston next time, we would host a bigger show featuring an orchestra assembled from my friends from Berklee, and we would video shoot it. Next thing happened is we contacted DT’s manager, and they were also very excited about the idea, fast forward today we have Breaking the Fourth Wall. When I first heard they accepted the idea and when we first booked the Boston Opera House, it was so exciting beyond I could explain it with words.

– I reckon that some funny situations took place during the whole experience. Can you tell us one that stands out?

The orchestra got shocked when they first saw The Dance of Eternity. Some didn’t believe it was playable. Some said it was the most difficult thing they have ever played in their entire lives. The shock reaction was very funny, we were all laughing how hard but beautiful it was. But in the end, after weeks of rehearsals and practicing they’ve made it happen, and in our first and only rehearsal together with DT before the show, John Petrucci said “wow” when we finished playing The Dance of Eternity in one take. Everybody was really happy.

– After working with them, are you still in touch with the guys in Dream Theater?

Definitely. I never know their possible future plans but I’m hoping there will be more for me to be part of again!

– Let’s talk about you again. Can you tell us about your future plans? Is finishing your studies at Berklee the top priority now?

Yes, this is my last semester at Berklee and I’m trying to finish college as soon as possible and enter real life. I’m writing my own music, making more orchestral arrangements, playing prog with my band. I want to continue writing arrangements for DT and other bands too, record and tour with my own music hopefully as well. It’s an exciting future!

– In all your work you show a talent for connecting classical music with rock music. It’s obvious that you enjoy all sides of music, but in your ideal future, you see yourself more attached to classical or rock music in a band?

I see a combination of both and more- also enjoying other genres such as IDM, trip-hop, electronic and ambient. Hopefully there will be a blend of all where I can explore who I am through the music.

– Aside from that, what are your music projects, current and future?

Currently I am playing keyboards with a lot of people and their bands, improvising, and writing few arrangements to be featured in few albums. And of course college is finishing in the end of the year. Hopefully there will be more in the future.

– Eren, we wish you success in your future career and we thank you for the time you gave us. It is now the time to say some words to your Spanish fans.

Thank you very much! I am hoping to come there in the near future, meet all and perform some great music. Thanks a lot for the support.