Electronica Festival has come a long way since their debut entry at Parkorman in the now distant summer of 2004. Featuring headliners Planet Funk, Chicane, and Deep Dish, it was a wholly different era in Turkey’s music landscape and a real testament to the organizers’ vision and faith in the evolution of electronic music that would take place over the next fifteen years. As electronic gradually cultivated a fan base globally over the following decade and a half, Electronica Festival – with support from Future Generation 93.7 and 100% Music – also put time and effort into fostering their unique festival experience and attracting local and international talents from around the world. With the introduction of a secondary festival on the beautiful Çeşme coast, the festival has hosted over 150,000 attendees to date, and featured over 650 performers from the likes of David Guetta, Fischerspooner, Felix Da Housecat, Claptone, Orbital, Riva Starr, Markus Schulz, Stavroz, Seth Troxler, and more.
Building on their legacy, this year’s Electronica Festival Istanbul is a monument to the level of talent the organizers are able to attract. Taking place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July at Life Park, it’s the third grounds to host the festival in as many years, having taken place at KAFES and Suma Beach in the two years prior. Adaptation has never been an issue for the organizers, and this year’s festival hub is the most expansive and easily accessible of destinations thus far. It’s almost certain that in addition to the massive main stage for headliners, that the forested locations and boardwalks will be taken full advantage of, providing distinct offerings for stages and unique musical experiences. With plenty of areas for attendees to lounge and for stalls/kiosks to be set up, it’s sure to be an all day affair with plenty of opportunity to soak up some sun. The full program of performers is broken down as follows:
July 13, Saturday: Agoria, Alan Cutt, Ali Efe Dinc, Altan Balgir, Audiofly, BeeGee, Buber, Carlo Whale, Deborah De Luca, Emre Senol, Ferhat Albayrak, Guzy, Jaffer, Milo, Häfliger, Omur, Red Axes, Schlepp Geist, Sezer Uysal, Upercent
July 14, Sunday: Alican, Aparde, Batur, Blawan, Boddika, Chloé, Doruk Guralp, Fur Coat, Gokberk, Jimi Jules, Jonathan Kaspar, Matador, Max Cooper, Murat Uncuoğlu, Rolbac, Sid Le Rock, Volkan Gündüz
Ticketing is consistent with prior editions and available via Biletix. Combined tickets offer a reasonably priced option to make the most of both days of the weekend’s full list of performers, while individual day tickets are still on offer for those interested in making it out for a single session. Tickets have been known to go fast in the build-up to the weekend itself, so a word of advice is to act fast if interested.
With a massive program spread out evenly over each respective date, we’ve put together a list of who we’re most looking forward to catching at this year’s edition of Electronica Festival Istanbul.
Max Cooper
A strong case could be made for Max Cooper being this year’s most intriguing stand out performer. Equal parts DJ, visual artist, scientist, and audiophile, his performances are a blend of each providing a totally distinct live experience. From art installations, to enthralling visuals that incorporate all available surfaces of projection, to audio experimentation, to incorporating the sciences into all of the aforementioned, it’s no surprise that Max has also managed to claim a PhD in computational biology and make valued contributions to various sectors within art and music. His album “One Hundred Billion Sparks” has gained critical acclaim and his performance at this year’s festival is set to be a must-see.
Deborah De Luca
Naples, Italy native Deborah De Luca has been making waves in the electronic scene since signing to her record label in 2013. Her unique blend of hard techno with minimal influences has seen her quickly gain in popularity, shifting from a career in fashion and dance to full-time music production that now sees her traveling around the world performing at festivals and as a headliner for her own shows. Having performed in Turkey in 2018, this won’t be her first visit here but it’s bound to be her biggest, as she’s made a name for herself here as a live show worth catching.
Agoria
Agoria (Sebastien Devaud), hailing from France, boasts one of this year’s most diverse catalogs of music, with his self-identified ‘drift’ style boasting an eclectic and ever-changing mix of genres that paint a broader performative experience. Touring the world over, he’s spent recent years emphasizing AI and space age technology, having recently worked within a collaboration between Sonar and NASA for his music to be broadcasted in space.
Red Axes
Red Axes has held a special place in our hearts ever since their Midnight Session here in 2017, which was a saucy, late-night affair that kept the dance floor lit until well into the early morning hours. The Tel-Aviv based DJ duo Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi were formerly post-punk outfit Red Cotton and have maintained a partnership of collaboration for well over a decade. Their most recent iteration, Red Axes, has lasted for nine solid years of mixing house, techno, and disco with their own personal stylings.
Audiofly
Luca Saporito and Anthony Middelton are the Spanish duo behind the widely successful Audiofly, who have been producing their own creative dance offerings for nearly 15 years. They also happen to be the driving force behind the platform Flying Circus, providing a variety of up-and-coming artists to the contemporary electronic scene and a clear demonstration of their penchant for recognizing what simply sounds good. Their most recent circuit has them performing in their home-base of Barcelona before setting course to Istanbul, Greece, and Ibiza for what’s sure to be another declaration of their recognized talent.
Fur Coat
First discovered by electronic household name Damian Lazarus, Fur Coat is the Venezuelan duo of Sergio Muñoz and Israel Sunshine, who have been collaborating on dark techno and electronic beats since 2004. It was 2012’s ‘You and I’ that really pushed the pair into the limelight, gaining critical acclaim throughout the industry and setting on them a course on which they’ve yet to look back. The seven years since have seen them continue to drop successful productions and focus more earnestly on touring globally.
Blawan
UK artist Jamie Roberts, operating under his alias Blawan, has been carving out a name for himself in world techno for more than a decade. Having formerly been a drummer, it’s no surprise that his deep tracks have much to say in the rhythm department. Having founded his own label in 2015, Blawan has continued his trajectory as a uniquely qualified producer with his 2018 album “Wet Will Always Dry” providing an intricate and varied sound that will hopefully filter into this year’s performance.
Murat Uncuoğlu
Murat Uncuoğlu is a perfect compliment to the broad palette of Turkish performers at this year’s Electronic Festival. Having been in the game for over 30 years, he also is an iconic figure in local electronic music and can safely be declared as having been well before his time, with other younger DJs in the program likely having been influenced by the many paths he has helped open. Having been a resident DJ at some of the city’s most popular clubs for years, as well as having traveled globally to perform at various festivals, it’s destined to be a masterful performance of keeping the dance floor entertained.
BeeGee
Offering some Istanbul-based flair, Birol Giray under his alias BeeGee, is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in Turkey’s electronic landscape since first entering the scene several decades ago. In addition to his dark, melodic techno sounds which are sure to keep late-night revelers entertained, he’s also the co-founder of Future Generation – FG 93.7 which brings us the annual gathering of Electronica Festival that we love so much. He’s since gone on to help create Lounge FM 96, and in doing so has also brought Chill-Out Festival to Turkey. A master of his craft and a firm believer in nurturing the country’s vibrant music communities, his set is sure to be a memorable one.
Of course, there’s plenty more to get excited about so do check out the full billing and explore via the official site for Electronica Festival.
Are there any other performers you’re particularly excited for at this year’s Electronica Festival? Let us know in the comments!
