Discover the Sound of Turkey's Techno Scene with Ferhat Albayrak

Ferhat Albayrak

Jun 3, 2024

Ahead of his performance at The Moment & Beatport's 'The Moment Mix' show in Istanbul on June 8th, Jeton Records boss Ferhat Albayrak gives us a window into Turkey's thriving techno scene with tracks from some of his country's most talented producers.

Greetings! I’m Ferhat Albayrak — a passionate techno-head from Istanbul who has been DJing for two decades, is a producer, and is the label owner of Jeton and promoter.

Turkiye is, without a doubt, one of the most passionate scenes in the world right now. With events and parties spreading every week, especially in Istanbul, it has become "the go-to" place for A-listers around the world.

It is no surprise that Turkish producers are productive and stand out from the crowd from a global perspective.

I’d like to highlight Turkish Techno producers in this chart, including newcomers, underground names, and giants in the industry. Some of them are not residents of Turkiye, but I believe they represent our culture, diversity, and passion for Techno. It is a real crate-digging chart.

Enjoy!

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On June 8th, Ferhat Albayrak will perform alongside Ece b2b Y.Unan and Onur in support of Lily Palmer at the Istanbul edition of The Moment Mix World Tour — presented by Beatport & The Moment! This exciting night will offer you an unforgettable experience with the 360-degree stage set up at Volkswagen Arena. Buy tickets here.

Check out Ferhat Albayrak's 'The Moment Mix' chart

Kenan Olden – Hard Diyarbakır (Original Mix) [Jeton Records]

This is one the tracks thats shines out on Jeton Catalogue. Kenan Olden is a young talent, produced this track with some riff of Saz, a classic Turkish music instrument, which he sampled from YouTube on a famous Turkish TV Show, 'Ibo Show.' Flawless.

Atmospheric Conditions - Taksim Dub [Jeton Records]

I’m a big fan of Dub Techno, and it is not uncommon for a Turkish Producer to release some. Atmospheric Conditions is a young duo from Istanbul, and they are proof of how Istanbul's sound can be diverse. Dub at its finest.

Altinbas - Ionosphere [Non Series]

There is a typical sub-genre of Techno that is driving, hypnotizing, and energic at the same time. I called it “Oscar Mulero Sound." In my opinion, he is the innovator of this mesmerizing sound. Altinbas’s track is an amazing example of it. Every time I play this record, it takes me to another layer.

Neither Nor - Anamorphic [ODD Recordings]

Hovery, acidy, powerful and seductive. The duo is from one of the best-visited cities in the world, Antalya. Neither Nor delivers once more with this monster track. It has been heavily supported by Charlotte de Witte and destroyed dance floors in many continents.

Ferhat Albayrak – Dong! [Tronic]

This is one of my most played tracks of last year; it has a Detroit kind of stab, very powerful percussions, and a pumping bassline. It features a vocal sample saying “Dong” which I sampled from a Netflix Movie, a signal of an hourly alarm. It was amazing to witness Richie Hawtin playing this track several times in different venues/festivals. I witnessed it once at Sonar, Istanbul, which was breathtaking.

Havantepe - Calcite [Berg Audio]

Havantepe is one the pillars of Underground Sound of Istanbul who is not on the surface at all. He is a master of dubby sounds and very selective in terms of releasing music. He is also a mix/mastering engineer, polishing so many of our country's talents. "Calcite" is a great example of how dub synth is blending with effortless percussions.

Anil Butun - Muglak [Loud Underground]

This is a mermerizing track, coming from sunny Antalya. Anil Butun is an important figure both for Antalya and Ankara’s underground scene and his productions often feature clues from the vibrant cultures of these cities. A great closing track.

Jehra - Take it or Leave it [Monnom Black]

Whenever the tension of the night is getting hotter, you can drop this and watch the dance floor. Jehra is a solid figure in the high bpm side of Istanbul's underground scene. You can often feel the anger of the city when listening to his productions.

Magna Pia - Cybele [Northallsen Records]

Magna Pia is usually responsible for atmospheric, driving, penetrating sounds blended with great percussion patterns. "Cybele" is no exception but he melded an authentic Turkish instrument called “Ney” on this track, which creates an epic soundtrack.

Len Faki - Temple (Ø [Phase] Remix) [Figure]

Len Faki is probably the most recognized Turkish Techno Artist who is not born or raised in Turkiye. His wonderful imprint Figure is smashing without any pause, and this Ø [Phase] Remix on his track "Temple" is an absolute banger. Every time I played this track in a club, people just go mad!