Alican

As one of the key figureheads in Istanbul electronic music culture Alican has been a driving force behind the growth of the city’s scene. Compelled to share his deep passion for electronic music over the past two decades, his unwavering spirit and dedication to nurturing a healthy club culture has led to the formation of a mini empire that includes a successful record label and affiliated events wing; Isolate. As a selector and producer, he has established himself as a highly skilled, intuitive artist who blends emotionally charged atmospheres with deeply hypnotic rhythms and consistently positive energy. A forefather of Turkey’s fertile contemporary electronic music culture, Alican holds a lofty position in his home nation, while maintaining a humble outlook. Almost 20 years since he first became immersed in the scene, he continues to work tirelessly to support the music he loves.

Alican’s story is equal parts hard work and passion, with a sprinkling of fate. In his late teens he became immersed in Istanbul’s club scene, learning to produce on his own and by the mid-2000s he was achieving international success with a series of well received releases, hitting the road, playing across the country and picking up bookings beyond the country’s borders too. In fact, he even played Love Parade that took place in Dortmund in 2008.

A few years later, his good friend Murat Uncuoglu came to him with an offer to take over the running of a club called Indigo. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and the two men channelled their creative energy into reinvigorating the club, programming all of the nights, DJing, picking up the guests and transforming the venue into one of Istanbul’s most popular club spaces. Parallel to his work at Indigo, Alican became a prolific producer, embarking on a deeper exploration of his musicality. He released with a variety of respected labels; Innervisions, Kompakt, Gigolo, Get Physical, Multinotes and picked up an array of high-profile bookings at influential clubs and festivals across Europe. The exhaustive list of the cities where he’s performed includes Amsterdam, Moscow, Ibiza, Madrid, Milan and many more.

Not only did Alican carve out a sterling reputation as one of the masterminds behind Indigo, showcasing his curatorial, DJ and production skills on a weekly basis, but the space also became an incubator for Istanbul’s next generation of producers and promoters. Around 2016, Alican invested his spare time into launching an event series with his friends called Isolate. Initially taking place at Indigo, before moving to other locations, the party gave him the opportunity to showcase artists that represented his ethos. As all good things do, Indigo began to peter out, but the end of the club marked the beginning of a new era and Isolate blossomed, gaining traction as an events outfit before evolving into a record label in 2018.

Modest, grounded and deeply committed to electronic music, Alican is one of the most influential figures in the Turkish electronic music scene, though he would never say that himself. An artist who is constantly seeking out pastures new, renewing himself and driven by unassuming goals, Alican never lets his ego outgrow the music. It’s this authenticity - pure, untainted - that has propelled him to his influential status and earned him universal respect. Still driven by the same genuine energy that spurred him on to experiment with electronic sounds as a teen, Alican continues to stay true to his scene, and himself, with heartfelt commitment...