The Berlin-Istanbul-based turkish-german dj/producer/compiler İpek İpekçioğlu influenced with her eclectic music and characteristic mixes the multilayered Berlin club scene during the 90ies. Widespread magazine Zitty acknowledged exactly this when they ranked DJ İpek İpekçioğlu as one of Berlin’s most important cultural contributors. Berlin based queer DJ has developed herself into an exclusive Berlin export article, visiting festivals and clubs all over the world: New York, the desert Sahara of Mali, Salvador de Bahia, Stockholm, Marseille, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Novosibirsk, St.Petersburg, Glasgow, Cairo, Sana’a or Shanghai . She has toured in Spain with Ojos de Brujos and has made exclusive tours throughout China. In Stockholm, İpek is much longed for as annual host DJ at the RE:Orient festival. The Swedish queer magazine QX selected her hippest DJ in Europe, and the Londeners seems to agree, ‘cause in the World Beat DJ Competition at Electrowerk in they voted her the winner. Undisputedly, DJ İpek İpekçioğlu has earned herself a reputation in the heterogeneous land scape of international nightlife.
Facts
Just Married, now
Allah Love me because I am a lesbia
Very happy having this Life with many opportunities …
Questions
What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
As a kid, the love for music and being in choirs and creating with others… Later as a dj & producer making people dance, and flirting with the crowd especially those, who would never dance to this kind of music. This love and hate relationship is really a challenge…it’s tasty … New styles new challenges…music is for me a good way of expressing my feelings, anger, love, joy, depressions, politics, sex, break-ups
How and when did you get into making music?
In Turkey at school i took part at the choir and at traditionell dance-groups. Later in Germany i continued it. As a DJ 1994, when the SO36-booker came up to me and asked me if i was turkish descent, and lesbian, and if i could dj on their first queer-oriental-party. I couldn’t say no…. i put my burka on, and started to dj… New dj-star was born ;)
What are your 5 favourite albums of all time?
Really hard to answer…all time favoritssss. They don’t exist for me…There are albums, which expressed me the best for that time and i was listening to them in repeat function..but…. i am also so dynamic as person…i cannot stick with limiting…
What do you associate with Berlin?
Home, peace, easyness, wide streets, green parks, friends …. i am a Berliner.
What’s your favourite place in your town?
My home & Park an der Ratiborstrasse (i don’t know the correct name) , neukölln-Kreuzkölln, kreuzberg…
If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
There is no world with no music…but having alternatives is always good
Play Tisch-tennis – ping pong , hehehe, ) it’s fun, i am crazy for it….or kite-surfing or bungee-jumping (i guess not for 24 hours…)
What was the last record you bought?
Pomegranates Googoosh – Talagh
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Nitin Sahney & Sezen Aksu (Diva of turkish pop)
What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
There are lots of beautiful moments with the crowd, that i cannot make a hierarchy really.
In Shanghai being the single person on a 40 squaremeter stage on my own, …dancing with thousand s of people … i couldn’t walk 2 weeks long, because i was filling with dance moves this big stage…and having sooo much fun…
And at the Touareg Festival in Mali, when the desert wind came up, and the crowd was still dancing…and didn’t go away though we were all full of sand and my equipment was striking because of the sand …
After i performed at the Ethnosur festival in alcala de huelva with my band akasha crew / Mess the crowd of 30.000 people didn’t wanna leave and screamed for us, though we had already finished for 1 hour.
How important is technology to your creative process?
It rules me !!!!!
Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career?
I have 8 half – siblings and 1 brother alltogether we are many…my mother married just 5 times ;) i think they are all very proud of me …
Links: Soundcloud | www.djipek.com | Facebook | Interview with (name of the artist) by Digital in Berlin
