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mor ve ötesi was established in 1995 by four close high school friends in Istanbul, Turkey. The first album Sehir was released in June 1996 by Ada Müzik, a record label known for hosting and championing local talent with an edge and originality who would venture into unchartered musical and lyrical territories. Off the album, the first single “Yalniz Sarki” and its corresponding video garnered some popular interest and the album received critical acclaim.

1997 saw the band’s first show outside its hometown at ODTÜ (Middle East Technical University) in the capital Ankara – the educational institution typically known as a political hotbed. It was also the year the first line-up change took place with Burak Güven replacing Alper Tekin on bass. In 1998, the band began working on its next album while keeping a residency at the influential local rock venue Captain Hook. The album Birak Zaman Aksin was recorded by long-time school mate and sound-engineer Volkan Gürkan. Derin Esmer left the band after the recording, and was replaced by Kerem Özyegen on guitar. The band had found its current line-up and the album was released on March 1999, once again, by Ada.