Ege Dündar aka Anatolian Man is a Turkish writer/musician born in Ankara. He plays the piano and the guitar and produced the weekly music show ‘Alternatif’ in Numberone TV between 2011-2013. His mixes have been published on various platforms, such as DeepHouse Italy, 8-DAY Montreal, Suprematic Records, Groove Podcast, Sweet Space, Like That Underground (LTU) Radio Berlin, Melodic Deep, and Past & Future Records.
He lives in exile in London due to political repression in Turkey, working at global NGO PEN International in the last five years, campaigning for free expression. He is the founder and director of the young writers’ network İlkyaz.
We caught up with Anatolian Man to talk about his current musical projects.
Electronic Groove: Hello Ege and welcome to EG. Where are you now? And what have you been up to for this past month?
Anatolian Man: Hello and thanks for having me. I am currently in Berlin. The past month I’ve mostly been working on the production of Creative Witnesses, a solidarity action series I’ve founded and organized with the global NGO PEN International where I work, for artists to create original pieces in response to and in solidarity with other artists at risk. To raise awareness, aid their campaigns, and inspire others to take action. For more info follow these links one and two.
Electronic Groove: Tell us about your musical background. How did you get involved with it?
Anatolian Man: I got involved with music early on, aged 5, through learning to play the piano. I was lucky that my parents enabled this to become an outlet over the years for me to communicate moods and emotions. My impatience as a kid forced a learning by ear rather than classical training, which to this day brings improvisation to the foreground of playing music. I’ve taught myself to play guitar later on and it helped songwriting from there, though I yet keep it largely to myself.
Electronic Groove: What are some of the artists that inspired you to take this route and why?
Anatolian Man: One of the first albums that I remember having a big impact on me was Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ that I found digging through my parent’s collection as a kid. The power of the lyrics and music captured my imagination as a form of storytelling and I started buying all their albums then. I listen to a diverse range of music being from Turkey, which is itself such a fusion of East and West. So being moved by Leonard Cohen much as Neşet Ertaş, Balkan music much as Middle-Eastern has made for a wide range of influences over the years.
For electronic music in specific, there are so many but I think I’d have to mention Ross From Friends, as finding him years ago lead to discovering many more. Plus, I think I’ve seen him one too many a time and met his mother and father too which makes me a big fan I guess!
Electronic Groove: How would you describe your sound? Where do you seek your inspiration? Are you influenced by your surroundings?
Anatolian Man: Like any creative, I’m definitely influenced by my surroundings. The warehouse in East London I used to live in and play on the rooftop provided a lot of inspiration, for example, much as the countless gigs, venues, and parties I’ve been to living in London the past 7 years. It’s hard to describe a sound but I’d say it’s leaning more towards melodic/deep house, and garage than hard techno. I think I tend to find creative ways to bring some oldies goldies to a new light or create memorable moments of elation for the listener whether that be through distinct lyrics, vocals, or instrumentals. It’s all about that otherworldly moments really where you get to take people somewhere in feeling.
” I’m currently in the process of work on my own songs on piano and guitar to slowly start getting them out there”
Electronic Groove: Can you name 3 tracks that caught your attention during the pandemic lockdown and what do you like about them?
Anatolian Man: ‘Lift of Love’ by Roy Rosenfeld, and ‘Nadia’ by Nitin Sawhney, because they have given me pure joy in troubling times. And I really enjoyed mixing ‘I Still Hate Hate’ by Razzy Bailey as it contrasts divisive trends.
Electronic Groove: Music wise, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
Anatolian Man: Well I hope to have more mixes in Berlin, where I’m currently in the process of moving to, and work on my own songs on piano and guitar to slowly start getting them out there in the long run, we’ll see.
Electronic Groove: What are your thoughts on how the industry will evolve after the pandemic is over?
Anatolian Man: I think one of the biggest impacts of the pandemic on society was a heightened appreciation for the sense of community. So I hope this translates to a stronger focus on finding innovative ways in extending this sense further into people’s isolation, reaching out wherever they are. Most end of summer, for example, I was lucky to play every Friday at this serene lakeside spot in London’s Hampstead Heath, where the wonderful Fairytale collective turned a spot under a big tree into a stage. They worked to provide a public space for furloughed creatives to perform, safely connecting people during lockdown duress. More frequent use of public spaces is a good way in this endeavor.
Electronic Groove: Thank you so much for your time!
Anatolian Man: Thank you for featuring me!
Follow Anatolian Man: Soundcloud
