Derya Yildirim & Grup imek

• World Music

Derya Yldrm and her international band continue their psychedelic journey, meandering through Anatolian folk music and poetry with their electrifying grooves, while also delving into their own lives and personal experiences. New interpretations of Turkish classics and the band’s original compositions are seamlessly tied together by inventive arrangements and spellbinding grooves, transcending time as past and present collide in the space of one song. While rooted in Anatolian tradition, Derya Yldrm & Grup imek draw on a boundless cosmos of sounds and builds on the contribution of each band member.

Born in 2014, and with 3 albums and one EP under their belt, the group has forged a formidable reputation with their heady mix of Anatolian folk, 1970s Turkish psychedelia, pop and jazz. For their performance at the Elbphilharmonie, Derya Yldrm & Grup imek present a special programme featuring a string of new compositions. Their fans will discover these songs on their fourth LP, recorded in the USA in 2024 and due to be released in spring 2025. Special guests and surprises are to be expected, as the group has multiplied their connections over the years and expanded their visions of musical arrangements and stage production.

Yldrm grew up in the multicultural neighborhood of Veddel, where she was influenced by the culture and music of neighboring communities as well as that of her family, learning the balama alongside piano, saxophone and guitar. Despite being multilingual, Yldrm exclusively sings in Turkish: »It’s really important to me because that’s the language I can really express myself in – it’s my emotional language«, she explains. Graham Mushnik (organ, synthesizers) and Antonin Voyant (guitar, bass, and flute) are both members of London/France-based collective Catapulte Records and have played in l’Orchestre du Montplaisant, a quartet known for its cinematic, retro atmospheres. Capetonian drummer Helen Wells has introduced her own style from the South African DIY and psychedelic scenes into the live set since 2022.

PERFORMERS

Derya Yldrm balama, vocals

Grup imek band

Graham Mushnik organ, synthesizer

Antonin Voyant guitar, bass guitar, flute

Helen Wells drums