Tolga Fidan: Bridging Istanbul’s Soul & Berlin’s Techno Pulse
Tolga Fidan
Born in Istanbul, forged in London's post-rock scene, refined in Paris' underground clubs before settling in Berlin's techno epicenter. Hypnotic, textural, and deeply emotive: proof that true sonic rebellion knows no boundaries.
Who is Tolga Fidan?
Tolga Fidan defies borders, both geographic and musical. At just 14 he was already playing bass in post-rock bands, channeling the dissonant brilliance of Sonic Youth and the glitch-laden soundscapes of Autechre, Pansonic, and Austrian experimentalist Fennesz. But it was his metamorphosis into techno, spearheaded by his groundbreaking 2006 debut 'Now I'm Weak EP' on Vakant, that cemented his status as one of the scene's most innovative young voices.
As a Vakant staple and the label's youngest-ever signing, Fidan's productions have been championed by Cocoon's Ibiza compilations and techno's elite, earning the esteem of fans and heavyweights the world over in record time.
- Istanbul born, bass at 14
- London post-rock
- Paris underground clubs
- Berlin Vakant, 2006
You've described yourself as "Turkish above all else." How does Istanbul's cultural DNA seep into your music?
"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."
"The call to prayer echoing over punk bars. The Bosphorus cutting between continents. 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."
"Berlin demands authenticity. You can't hide behind trends here."
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) hip hop, 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 at 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, another one on my good friend Adam Marshall's label New Kanada, and a few secret ones on their way... And a dream collaboration? Fennesz. His ability to destroy and rebuild sound is unparalleled."
"Hey people, here comes my first time ever in NYC, so I'm more than excited! Tolga Fidan at RESOLUTE, NYC."
"Friends, lover, cities, synths, drum machines, errors."
Follow Tolga Fidan on Instagram, and explore two decades of conversations with electronic artists in the Antakly Projects Electronic archive.
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