Salon IKSV, the meeting point for alternative music lovers in Istanbul, continues introducing us to musicians who give us that feeling of discovery. If you are among the ones in this constant search, take a look at these five names worth checking out who will be visiting Salon IKSV in the following days.
You can purchase the tickets for Salon concerts through Biletix or the IKSV box office (open every day except Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00, without the service costs). For more information on the upcoming concerts, please visit our website.
The ‘king’ of rhyme: Şehinşah
One of the leading Turkish rappers ‘The king of kings’ Şehinşah was born in Erzincan. After moving to Istanbul with his family, he became involved in rap music with friends he had graffitied with and has stuck with it ever since. His first records were recorded in a studio that he built inside his house and he became the ‘king’ of Turkish rap through incredible rhymes in his songs. Our meeting with Şehinşah and his underground world is on 30 November at Salon IKSV.
Be ready to dance with Tsar B as if there’s no tomorrow!
23-year-old Belgian electronic music producer and artist Tsar B is one of the highlights of the last year with her R&B and soul music. She published a solo EP in 2016 after participating in several bands. After her EP earned her some much-deserved attention, she got the chance to create more music.
After performing in several music festivals in Belgium and letting audiences get the visual and musical experience of her performances, the famous choreographer Alexander Chung’s Escalate performance hit almost 25 million views on YouTube. This was when she was discovered by R&B lovers, which has led to her music spreading even more. Tsar B is getting ready to meet her audience on 7 December at Salon İKSV, after publishing her last album The Games I Played in October 2018.
Modern Pianist Federico Albanese
Federico Albanese, born and raised in Milano, played piano and clarinet during his childhood, and went on to meet with rock music and participate in a couple of bands. Further on, he discovered his interest in cinema and worked as a ‘prop man’ on several movie sets. During these experiences, he discovered the powerful connection between visuals and music and took the opportunity to develop his own music.
Federico Albanese refers to the seas with his last album By The Deep Sea… When his mother moved to the north coast of Italy, in between the rocks and in the middle of nowhere, he had to take 682 steps to reach the sea. Thus, the opening track of the album is 682 Steps. Federico, who describes his album as “modern, deep and evolving” invites his audience to connect them with the sea on 12 December at Salon IKSV.
Flight Number 34: Journey to Istanbul with Khruangbin
We can hear you ask “What is Khruangbin?”. The Texan trio named after the Thai word meaning “plane”, record their albums in a small barn in Texas. As the group members name their songs and their albums, they are very much influenced by their personal memories and interests. What inspired the name of their last album Con Todo Tel Mundo was a frequent dialogue between the bass guitarist Laura Lee and her grandfather where he kept asking “How much do you love me?” (“¿cómo me quieres?”), and only accepted one answer: “Con todo del mundo” meaning “with the whole world.” If you would like to join Khruangbin’s flight to Istanbul, you are invited to Salon İKSV on 8-9-10 February.
Wooden Shjips – Europe with RV
The music is a balm against the noise and negativity. –Ripley Johnson
Wooden Shjips is an American music band that has been making psychedelic rock albums since 2007. Back To Land, West and Dos are some of their outstanding albums. Their last album V. which was published in April 2018 includes chill melodies perfect to listen to during hot summer days.
Speaking of hot summer days, the singer and the guitarist of the band, Ripley Johnson is also the writer of these summer tracks of the album. When he was trying to write a ‘summer track’ the tremendous forest fire in Portland intruded on him during the summer of 2017. He was sitting on his porch and watching the ashes falling down from the sky as if the sky was burning and those apocalyptic feelings gave him inspiration for writing the lyrics.
Wooden Shjips is traveling around Europe with an RV rented from Berlin to introduce their last album V. created as the manifestation of natural and political situations during the summer of 2017 and their path will cross with Salon IKSV on March 16, 2019. Come along and enjoy Wooden Shjips jamming!
You can keep up with the full Salon IKSV calendar via their official site.
This article was co-authored by Meltem Erkmen. Living in Istanbul, she is in her last year studying Cultural Studies and is interested in art history.
Featured image courtesy of Salon IKSV and photographed by Anouk van Kalmthout.
