Film Istanbul

KiNo is a poet from London who expresses himself with works of music, film and literature. Drawing from the fundamental aspects of human beings and their pursuits, He uses images, sounds and words to communicate his visionary cosmos. He creates music, films, literature as the 21st century poet and presents live events and performances.

His musical nature took hold of him at the age of 6 while making songs only on the black keys of the family organ.

In his teens, his use of video camera and vcr recorder led him to grasp the technical aspects of filmmaking.

His literary heroes; the surrealists, gave him his concern about history, language, social and spiritual properties of the human psyche.

After graduating from the University of Middlesex with Film Studies and Art History degree KiNo arrived in New York, where he developed his artistic expression under the wings of his mentor-producer, a long term Pink Floyd collaborator Jeff Blenkinsopp (Vangelis, The Sweet, Secret Machines).

Inventor of analogue sonic devices, Blenkinsopp produced KiNo’s debut album Map of the Universe and its live presentation. Map of the Universe is a concept album that is constructed on the following evocation “Come and see the pretty chaos, in another form, the map of the universe is a human”.

For performances, he has been joined by legendary musicians; electronic music pioneer Malcolm Cecil (Producer of Stevie Wonder, Gil Scott Heron, inventor of the world’s largest synth Tonto) and Andy Rourke (Bassist of The Smiths).

Consisting a vast array of influences from psychedelic rock to disco, electronic to classical music, KiNo’s songs are crafted for his distinct voice and features adventurous forms while maintaining a melodic aesthetic. To him each song is a person, a sequence or a situation in filmic terms. They are the building blocks to manifest the crucial aspects of his character as 9 (pronounced: ‘Number Nine’); the child-core of the poet — the self within the self that refuses to be bound by the impure constructs of the world, i.e., nationality, class, conservatism, elitist economy, etc.

According to KiNo the world is as it is, at any given epoch, only to be deconstructed to look at specifically what it is to be a human being, what is the innate essence that defines humanity. His work aims to communicate directly with that faculty; the spirit.

In 2011, KiNo began documenting his creative journey and collaborations in the format of an ongoing web series called Live! www.poetofsoundandimage.com/releases/live.html

In 2012, he filmed Film Istanbul. A short featurette that alludes to Istanbul’s psychological and historical layers, set against the backdrop of the musical collaboration between Jane Birkin and Ilhan Ersahin (Nublu). Film Istanbul Site

With Cast a Pall of Win (2013), a 10 minutes long short film, KiNo coined the term film-song, seeking ways to save a song from the music video format. The themes about inspiration from alienation, self-criticism on being an independent in the isolating conditions of the current culture emerge in this project. www.poetofsoundandimage.com/releases/cast

KiNo is the writer, cinematographer, director and editor of his films. He is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and a versatile lyricist. He engineers his recordings and (co-)produces his music. His texts are ‘sharp, melodious pinprick of images that shock the eye of one’s subconscious’.

Up until now, the poet has released two books independently; Barb Concerto (2003) and Intermittent Lunacy (2012).

His biggest ambition is to launch a foundation that is dedicated to the education of underprivileged children with the works of art and music.

KiNo is based in New York City and lives in Los Angeles and Roma part time.