“The music scene in Istanbul is inconsistent and diverse,” says Kutay Soyocak, frontman of Turkish synthpop outfit Jakuzi. “It’s a metropolis that has a cultural conflict; it inspires you to find your own form of expression.”



Soyocak founded Jakuzi just last year with Taner Yücel; both are Istanbulites, and their songs summon a swirl of past influences and present tensions. There are glimmers of the Turkish psych tradition, and plenty of soul-baring, new wave weirdness and romance, songs reminiscent of a Brat Pack movie soundtrack on the Bosphorus strait.

Jazuki’s fondness for 80s electronic themes extends to their DIY visuals: in their videos for Koca Bir Saçmalık and new single Bir Düşmanım Var, they’ve salvaged a shedload of VHS video effects. They’ve also had to be self-sufficient. If creative struggle is the indie musician’s lot – striving for free expression, for a platform – it intensifies in a conservative climate.

Turkey’s independent artists have previously faced challenges. Soyocak recalls that record labels and pressing plants were shut following the 1980 military coup (“The only genres that were alive were Arabesque and terrible mainstream pop music”). Today, economic moves such as Turkey’s ban on PayPal scupper local musicians from using sites such as Bandcamp while the fear of terrorist attacks, such as the mass shooting in an Istanbul nightclub earlier this year, has also had an impact on the music scene.

“More and more foreign artists are refusing to come to Istanbul,” says Soyocak. “Because of this, promoters are working more with local bands than they used to.” As a result, a new Istanbul underground is flourishing, with Jakuzi’s peers including Ah! Kosmos, Iskeletor and Kim Ki O, some of whom appear at Sonar festival’s first Istanbul edition later this month. “This causes people to accept the new sounds, but also makes us musicians wonder how long it will last.”

Coming up roses: Jakuzi. Photograph: Berk Cakmakci/PR

Jakuzi are careful to state that they don’t have a political discourse, which might be telling in itself. But there’s no veiling the progressive spirit of their songs: one track, Lubunya, expresses solidarity for their trans community, while they’re conscious of making their gigs a safe space for anyone whose identity or sexuality is oppressed.

Soyocak describes Jakuzi’s connection with their crowd as “an emotional explosion”, so it’s understandable shows can get messy. “People dance naked, argue with boyfriends in the audience,” he says. “We see people behave strangely and bravely.” Jakuzi should resonate with British audiences, too – this is music for lovers and fighters of all persuasions.

Fantezi Müzik is out on Friday 24 March via City Slang