One of Turkiye’s most exciting electronic bands, Islandman, are set to return to London this autumn to perform at Camden’s KOKO. The venue, renowned for hosting dance music events, has a 1,410 capacity, making the concert the band’s biggest in Britain to date.
Formed back in 2004, Islandman is the musical brainchild of Istanbul-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Tolga Böyük, who says it is essentially a fictional character: “a musical persona, a dreamer composing the stories of a non-existing place.” Their music is certainly other worldly.
The band, now an electro-acoustic trio (Böyük, Eralp Güven on percussion and Erdem Başer on guitars) have a growing international fan base eager to savour their experimental global sound, a fusion of Turkish folk and world beats with mellow electronic dance and spacey live guitars set to shamanic rhythms.
It’s not just audiences who are attracted to Islandman’s hypnotic groove, but artists too. In recent years the band have shared the stage with a host of superstar Turkish musicians, including percussionist Okay Temiz, bass guitarist Ahmet Güvenç from Kurtalan Ekspres and Murat Ertel from BaBa ZuLa – the latter two as part of the Air Anatolia project.
The band are constantly evolving with their vibrant, pulsating music. Their most recent long play, a live ‘Direct-to-Disc Session’ featuring Temiz and saz player Muhlis Berberoğlu, gives a flavour of the band’s current sound. A sonic voyage into psychedelic Anatolia is (for Turks at least) where there is a constant air of familiarity, yet a total freshness to the music too.
Tickets for Islandman’s KOKO gig have just gone on sale and are flying out, so grab yours now for what will surely be one of the coolest dance events of the year in London.
Concert Details
Title: Islandman at Koko in London
Date: Saturday 04 November 2023
Time: Doors open at 6pm
Venue KOKO, London, 1a Camden High Street, London NW1 7JE
Admission: This event is for 18 and over – no refunds will be issued for under 18s.
For those new to the venue, you can also grab yourself some food and drink and the fabulous Cafe Koko ahead of the concert (pizza and drink is £15).
Ticket prices are £23.75 + booking fee. Please note, the booking fee for this event includes a Restoration Levy of £1.25, which is charged by the venue.
Tickets: buy online from the venue – click here.
