2017 may have been host to a fair number of quality summer music festivals in Istanbul, but for those who don’t favor electronic music, the season was essentially void of any sort of large, traditional experience. Fortunately, Babylon Soundgarden 2017 was here to be the full-on exception. Officially taking place on Saturday 9 September, the full festival included camping and kicked off from the evening of the 8th until the early morning hours of the 10th. Revelers were invited to a weekend of seaside relaxation on the not-too-distant shores of Kilyos, while also being able to take in a loaded program of performers that included Gorgon City, The Drums, Anne-Marie, Sevdaliza, Kadebostany, Kalben, Whilk & Misky, Wax Tailor, Adamlar, Kabus Kerim, Hey! Douglas, Derrick May, and many others.
Getting to Babylon Kilyos was a relative breeze, with shuttles available to and from Hacıosman (and Taksim after 23:00) throughout the duration. After passing through security, attendees found themselves at the top of a crossroads leading to the various stages of the festival. Near the entrance a wide array of food trucks, designer stands, and volunteer advocates from various non-profits were on display. Guests could also rent lockers to store their belongings and pick up programs detailing the various options on hand. In addition to the main stage, the Radyo Babylon, Red Bull Music Academy, Jungle, and House stage all had a variety of musical options to choose from.
Thus, the first obvious take away was simply the general diversity present. Everything from acoustic guitars, electronic DJs, surf rock, hip-hop, rap, to pop ballads was on the menu and it was incredibly refreshing to have some variety to choose from. It’s no secret that electronic is the new norm in Istanbul’s music scene and even though there were many styles to select from, the crowd seemed to gravitate in that respective direction. Fortunately for the rest of the festival goers, it meant a bit of extra wiggle room at the other sets. In no particular order, the standouts this year included:
Ezhel
Let’s give three cheers for some rap representation! Ezhel has been digging out a name for himself since 2008 and for good reason. While his beats might predominantly borrow from reggae rhythm, there’s enough Turkish musical influence to provide a unique identity for the young MC. A wide range in tow, he obviously has quite the following since his early set on the Radyo Babylon stage managed to generate a crowd out of seemingly thin air. His more aggressive tunes were especially good at hyping the crowd and he surely offered himself as a contender for main stage antics in years to come.
Kalben
A relative newcomer to Turkey’s music scene, Kalben has been generating quite a bit of buzz since her Sofar Sounds video gained traction in 2014. In the years that have followed, she’s been touring the country with regular performances in Istanbul and dropping several popular singles along the way (complimented by some quality music videos). Her early evening time slot was ideal for acoustic guitar driven tunes, as everyone lounged on the lawn and took in the approaching sunset vibes.
Kadebostany
The standouts of this year’s festival, no contest. The Swiss group had it all: killer tunes, tight choreography, an enchanting presence, and well-known singles that everyone could groove to. They likely also benefited from (and rightfully generated) the largest crowd. Above all else, they simply made it feel like a proper music festival. A full band on stage, with their experience shining through, is a reminder to the city that while pure electronic DJ sessions might be what’s popular at the moment, it isn’t quite the same as watching a group of musicians at work.
Wax Tailor
Wax Tailor is certainly the most varied performance of this year’s festival. The French DJ, alongside his talented guest performers, brought everything from serious hip hop influence, to swing, to electronica, to slow and steady silky vocals from a mysterious female vocalist. Of course, the standout bits were when we heavily entered into the freestyle realm with guest verses from an older MC whose name I never caught. The back and forth left between vocalists and styles ensured that nearly everyone was pleased.
The Drums
“Let’s Go Surfing” is essentially the reason I attended this year’s Soundgarden and this American indie pop, surf rock hybrid delivered on all accounts. They offered everything you might hope for in a live act of this nature — young, energetic, eccentric, and genuinely “cool”. It just felt rock ‘n’ roll. Considering their late night slot and the competition therein, they managed to pull a fun audience of people tossing themselves around recklessly as one might expect from the genre. Two thumbs up.
Gorgon City
The London producer duo of Gorgon City have done quite well in the brief few years they’ve been on the map and it’s not particularly surprising that they earned themselves the headline spot at this year’s Soundgarden. They offered a nice compromise between the city’s electronic inclinations and something that would be accessible for those who might not be huge fans of the genre. They often remind of club mixes from decades gone by and their hits “Ready for Your Love” and “Imagination” deserve all the praise they receive.
All in all, the crowds left a little bit to be desired, with so many clearly present for the late-night beach DJ mixes and not much else. However, full credit to Babylon for pushing past the trend to stock a festival that tried its best to stay true to its roots while also catering to modernity. Their unique location for the festival makes it one of the city’s yearly highlights and my personal favorite of the year.
All images courtesy of Babylon photographers.
