Tolga Fidan: The Sonic Alchemist Bridging Istanbul’s Soul & Berlin’s Techno Pulse
Tolga Fidan defies borders—both geographic and musical. Born in Istanbul, forged in London’s post-rock scene, and refined in Paris’ underground clubs before settling in Berlin’s techno epicenter, Fidan is a true citizen of the global electronic avant-garde.
At just 14, he was already shredding bass in post-rock bands, channeling the dissonant brilliance of Sonic Youth and the glitch-laden soundscapes of Autechre and Fennesz. But it was his metamorphosis into techno—spearheaded by his groundbreaking 2006 debut on Vakant—that cemented his status as one of the scene’s most innovative young voices. Now, as a Vakant staple and the label’s youngest-ever signing, Fidan’s productions—hypnotic, textural, and deeply emotive—have been championed by Cocoon’s Ibiza compilations and techno’s elite, proving that true sonic rebellion knows no boundaries.
The Interview:
Leila Antakly: You’ve described yourself as “Turkish above all else.” How does Istanbul’s cultural DNA seep into your music?
Tolga Fidan: Istanbul is chaos and poetry in one city—the call to prayer echoing over punk bars, the Bosphorus cutting between continents. That duality is in my music: organic vs. synthetic, melody vs. noise. Even when I make techno, there’s a Turkish melancholy lurking beneath the kick drums.
You started in post-rock. What triggered the shift to techno?
I was obsessed with Sonic Youth’s dissonance and Autechre’s fractured rhythms. Then, in London, I discovered Berlin’s techno scene—Vakant, Perlon, Ostgut Ton. It felt like a natural progression: both worlds thrive on tension and release.
Your 2006 Vakant debut was a watershed moment. What changed after that?
Suddenly, Sven Väth was playing my tracks at Cocoon, and I was getting booked alongside artists I’d idolized. But the real shift was internal—I realized techno could be as experimental as post-rock, just with a bigger dancefloor impact.
How does Berlin influence your sound now?
Berlin demands authenticity. You can’t hide behind trends here. My music became darker, more stripped-back, but also more emotional—like my track on Cocoon’s Ibiza compilation, which blends Anatolian melodies with Berghain-grade bass.
Dream collaboration?
Fennesz. His ability to destroy and rebuild sound is unparalleled.
Greatest inspirations or influences Tolga ?
Well musically the list would be way too long and pretentious. But anything ranging from post rock to idm to (quality) hiphop, garage and back to free jazz, ambient etc.
Otherwise anything else could be a source of inspiration, friends, lover, cities, synths, drum machines, errors.
Most memorable set so far ?
Most of the Vakant nights at Watergate in Berlin are always memorable, otherwise, although I’d say I don’t always go crazy about Ibiza.. ..Cocoon @ Amnesia was great and as it was only the 20th time I was playing in my life, it made it even more intense in every sense
What’s coming up this year for you?
Collaborations, events, etc. there’s a record on Cadenza due in December, another one on my good friend Adam Marshall’s label New Kanada probably in January or February 2011 and a few secret ones on their way....
Anything else you'd like to share with our audience? Hey people, here comes my first time ever in NYC... so I’m more than excited!
27-Nov Tolga Fidan @ RESOLUTE, NYC (US)
Photo Fernanda Mattos
