TOLGA FIDAN (Vakant, Cadenza) INTERVIEW
Photo by Fernanda Mattos
Hailing from Paris via London via Istanbul, don’t call our multi instrumentalist French. Born and raised in Istanbul, studied in London, relocated to Paris in 2005, and actually Berlin-Based, Tolga Fidan considers himself Turkish above all else.
At just 14, Tolga was playing bass and guitar in post rock bands. Always drawn to experimental music, he was taken with the sounds of Sonic Youth, Autechre, Pansonic, and Austrian experimentalists Fennesz. From this past, Tolga’s musical interest organically morphed into deep techno, signed exclusively with Vakant, and became the label’s youngest-ever artist.
Since breaking into the electronic dance music consciousness with his first release on Vakant in 2006, he has earned the esteem of fans and techno heavyweights the world over in record time. His music has found appeal with the masses, with tracks licensed to Cocoon for their seventh and eighth season Ibiza mix compilations.
Always in evolution, Tolga Fidan works with layers of complex electronic soundscapes. His roots and subsequent movement around the globe lends a fluid ethnic feel to these productions, drawing on his diverse influences, restructuring the boundaries of techno and experimenting on grooves.
Greatest inspirations or influences Tolga ?
Well musically the list would be way too long and pretentious. But anything ranging from post rock to idm to (quality) hiphop, garage and back to free jazz, ambient etc.
Otherwise anything else could be a source of inspiration, friends, lover, cities, synths, drum machines, errors.
Most memorable set so far ?
Most of the Vakant nights at Watergate in Berlin are always memorable, otherwise, although I’d say I don’t always go crazy about Ibiza.. ..Cocoon @ Amnesia was great and as it was only the 20th time I was playing in my life, it made it even more intense in every sense
What’s coming up this year for you?
Collaborations, events, etc. there’s a record on Cadenza due in December, another one on my good friend Adam Marshall’s label New Kanada probably in January or February 2011 and a few secret ones on their way.... Favorite websites/blogs?
Between music, breaks at failblog or youtube are pretty relaxing.
Anything else you'd like to share with our audience? Hey people, here comes my first time ever in NYC... so I’m more than excited!
27-Nov Tolga Fidan @ RESOLUTE, NYC (US)
25-Dec Tolga Fidan (Live) @ HARRY KLEIN, München (DE)
