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CHANTAGE was founded by TOLGA İNCİ and KIVANCH K. in 1990 in Bogaziçi University, Istanbul. With their combined musical taste and talents, they started their professional career as DJ's and became music producers in a short period of time. Soon CHANTAGE started playing gigs in well-known venues and pubs in Antalya and Istanbul, with a repertoire consisting of their own songs, and favorite covers from the New Wave, Indie, Punk, Brit POP, Synth POP and New Romantics genres. Their live performance was later enriched by various musicians including Nevzat Doğansoy, Hakan Özer, Mert Koral, Nihat Ayar, Umut Çağlar, Ali Şaylan, Burak Kurumak, Kerem Çorbacıoğlu and Deniz Güngör who joined CHANTAGE on stage. Following a positive review of their currenly unreleased EP by Depeche Mode, they were elected as one of the support bands, and backed up Depeche Mode in Kuruçeşme Arena in July 2006.
He was born in 1972, Istanbul. He graduated from Robert College, an American High School in Istanbul. He then studied in Bogaziçi University Advanced Vocational School, Electronics and Anadolu University, Economics departments.
He started music with the band named “Space Time Continuum” with his high school friends. The band was formed as an assignment for the “Advanced Music” class. He started as a keyboard player and later became the lead singer, by popular demand from the band members. He also started DJ'ing in school parties thanks to a small Depeche Mode vinyl collection he made during a visit to Germany. He became the resident DJ in Princess Hotel, Büyükada in 1990. In the meantime, he met Kivanch K, and they founded a group named “The Fourth Dimension” rehearsing in Bogazici University's music club room. Their first live performance was in Bogaziçi University – Spring Festival. When he was asked to be a resident DJ for Starlight Disco in Kemer, Antalya in 1991, he asked Kıvanç to come with. The duo was only DJ'ing at first, but they also started playing live in the club after a few months. Later in 1992, the group's name was changed to “Chantage” due to easier pronounciation and multi-lingual nature of the word.
Tolga has been a member of Chantage for 20 years, and also works as a Software Consultant for a private company.
Kivanch K played keyboards and was interested in music since he was 6. He entered TRT Istanbul Radio's Children Choir in 1982, and took private lessons from Sadettin Öktenay. He started the band “Chantage” with Tolga İnci in 1990 and started his professional music career. Playing in various venues around Turkey with Chantage, he succeeded in popularizing electronic dance music, being one of the pioneers of this genre in the country. Kivanch K started producing arrengements in 1992, working with leading artists of Turkish Pop, and he contributed as songwriter, arranger and producer for various polpular musicians.
Introducing the “remix” concept to the Turkish music scene and introducing crowds of all ages to electronic dance music with Sezen Aksu's Rakkas remix, Kivanc became the arranger and producer for various important artist such as Sezen Aksu, Candan Erçetin, Tarkan, Ajda Pekkan, Levent Yüksel, Asya, Yonca Evcimik, Nev, Rebel Moves, Reyhan Karaca, Ege, Yaşar, Umay and Emel. Kivanch K who also taught "Music Synthesis" lessons in Academy Istanbul in 2000, also became a strong influencer in Turkish Pop secene due to his long time collaboration with Sezen Aksu producing tens of hit songs.
The tracks named "Adı Menekşe" and "Sarı Odalar" that he produced for Sezen Aksu were published in Buddha Bar and Siddharta compilation albums. Kivanch K has more than 400 published arrangements, songs and remixes under his belt.