Category: Music

Features
The incredible life and legacy of Erkin Koray: the godfather of Anatolian rock, 1941-2023

The term ‘musical legend’ is overused, but in the case of Erkin Koray it is entirely justified. The free-spirited, guitar-playing singer-songwriter is one Turkiye’s most significant artists of the past 60 years; a pioneer of Anatolian and psychedelic rock, the composer of some of Turkiye’s most memorable hits and, together with Orhan Gencebay, the inventor […]

Features
Music inspired by Istanbul’s “kingpins and beggars”, electro rock band Lalalar bares all ahead of UK tour

Musically impossible to pigeon-hole, Lalalar’s sound is a futuristic mash-up straddling punk rock, Anatolian psychedelic funk, and dirty electronic beats. Iggy Pop is a fan, describing them as “Turkey’s most innovative alternative artists”. The band’s name is adapted from the Ottoman word ‘Lālā’ (meaning “wise man”), used to describe the teacher of Sultans. It’s an […]

HP Culture
Turkish indie rock star Emre Aydın to perform in London this autumn

One of Turkiye’s biggest indie rock stars, Emre Aydın, will be back in Britain in October for an exclusive date at London’s O2 Academy Islington. The singer-songwriter, whose accolades include winning ‘Europe’s Favourite Act’ at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008, has penned a host of hit songs, including Bu Yağmurlar, Son Defa, Sensiz İstanbul’a […]

Festivals
Erol Alkan joins stellar line-up for London’s Kaleidoscope Festival 2023

British Turkish Cypriot Erol Alkan has been making waves in his many creative guises, whether it be DJ, producer, label owner, club promoter, radio host or collaborator. In a career spanning decades, Alkan’s history as a champion of alternative and electronic music culture, reads “almost like mythology”. He is the shy boy who snuck out […]