Istanbul Ghetto Club run us through a few Top Tracks, from the first illegal CD bought in a rough part of Istanbul to a track about choosing not to participate in society today.
Berlin-based anonymous collective Istanbul Ghetto Club have hidden their debut album where algorithms can’t reach it: inside a book. Some Tales to Boost Your Unnecessary Mind Activity conceals a one-take live recording that behaves more like performance art than a conventional release.
Blending anonymity, improvisation, literature, and installation, IGC resist visibility in favour of physical discovery. The result is a tactile archive of acid-driven, unrepeatable moments — music meant to be found, held, lost, and rediscovered, rather than streamed. Interesting. Right?
So we asked them to tell us the musical journey that got them to this point.
What’s the first record you ever bought?
I didn’t buy a record. I bought a stack of pirated CDs from a sketchy guy in a rough part of Istanbul. They were cheap, illegal, and the guy was on heroin, like many people I knew back then.
I was always genuinely happy when I saw him, because he was nice and the only source I had for those CDs. That first batch was probably Velvet Underground, The Smiths, maybe some Anti-Flag, NOFX and The Prodigy.
One day, I saw him with a broken hand; he was nervous. I asked what happened, and he just said “nothing.” After that, he disappeared. I never saw him again. That turned out to be my first experience with a music dealer. It also taught me a thing or two about how underground distribution really works.
The first time you remember hearing electronic music?
Super Mario and 8-bit rewired more brains out there than Mr.Beethoven ever managed to do.
Your favourite ever record?
Doesn’t this depend on where you are in life? Still, I’d say Surfer Rosa by the Pixies had a deep impact on me.
The guaranteed floor-filler?
With Istanbul Ghetto Club, we talk to machines, the machines talk back, and humans start moving and dreaming. Still working, no refunds, that’s all I know.
The best tune from last year?
I literally hit the floor and lost part of my memory, did I even listen to music last year? The last one I truly remember is Maya from John Frusciante in 2020.
With Istanbul Ghetto Club we talk to machines, the machines talk back and humans start moving and dreaming. Still working, no refunds, that’s all I know
The guilty pleasure?
Rihanna and a plate of mantı (Turkish dumplings) are strangely perfect together.
The last track of the night?
System of a Down – “Chop Suey” would definitely be a fair goodbye to everyone who pretends to be awake.
The best chillout record?
Not exactly a chillout record, but I always find myself relaxing to Philip Glass’s Music in Twelve Parts.
The record everyone loves but you hate?
Hate is a strong word. Let’s just say: maybe Fred shouldn’t be invited again. I’m sure he’s a nice guy tho. He looks nice right? Right?
The best record for a family party?
Kobra Murat – Acayip bi Roman.
The soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon?
Aphex Twin – “Alberto Balsalm”. Looking out of the window and saying: I won’t participate in society today.
The worst record you’ve ever heard?
My elementary school art teacher , or as we’d say, my painting teacher, used to say, “Paint every blank part of your page with color, or you fail.” I was a contrarian; I always left plenty of blank space. So I’ll leave this question… strategically blank-ish.
The record you’re proudest of?
Some Tales Which Will Boost Your Unnecessary Mind Activity. Not sure if it counts as a record. It’s part book, storytelling, part film, part music, partly our fault. But Istanbul Ghetto Club’s adorable community loves it, so we forgive ourselves.
The future classic?
Our next series of releases will be very wild, unpredictable and probably illegal in at least two countries.
¿madji-what? from Istanbul Ghetto Club answered the questions.
Buy Some Tales Which Will Boost Your Unnecessary Mind Activity here.
Find Istanbul Ghetto Club on Instagram.
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