Islandman

Islandman — A Contemporary Musical Dialogue Emerging from Anatolia

Islandman reimagines the deep-rooted expressive forms of Anatolian music through contemporary sonic design, bridging ancestral melodies with modern composition. For Islandman, Anatolia is not a relic of the past, but a living cultural memory that continues to evolve with the present. Rather than preserving tradition in a fixed form, they let it breathe, stretch, and grow naturally into today's soundscape. Their approach gives rise to what they describe as Neo-Turkish Psychedelia—not a reinvention, but a continuation: a way of letting Turkish psychedelic music live on, mature, and speak in the language of today.

Born from the imagination of Tolga Böyük, Islandman gradually transformed into a trio— completed by the psychedelic guitar work of Erdem Başer and the meditative percussion of Eralp Güven. As a sonic collective with no fixed borders, their live performances unfold at the intersection of the acoustic and the electronic: part ceremony, part dancefloor, often reflective, always immersive.

The Album Journey: From Roots to Utopia

Their debut Rest in Space (2017) introduced a dreamy, Balearic-tinged soundworld— gentle yet conceptually rich. This was followed by Kaybola (2020), which marked a shift toward a more conscious fusion of Anatolian and Western sensibilities, mapping a musical migration through vocals, bağlama textures, and synthesized layers. Taking it further, Godless Ceremony (2021) revealed a more introspective and organic sonic architecture. Finally, with Popsicle Obstacle(2023), Islandman transitioned from the dream-state of the archaic to the digital utopia—layering sounds that bridge time, technology, and memory.

Island5: The Neo-Psychedelic Soul of Istanbul

To be released in the autumn of 2025 their fifth studio album Island5 is Islandman’s most detailed and refined narrative to date. Channeling the multi-layered spirit of Istanbul, the album reflects the group’s inner evolution in both aesthetics and process. This new sound realm—described as Neo-Turkish Psychedelia—preserves the group’s established musical codes: Ambient textures, modal scales, and ceremonial percussion, while embracing a richer sonic architecture shaped by analog synths.

Islandman’s music offers a natural continuation of Turkish Psychedelia, letting its spirit mature and find new forms in the present. Rather than preserving the past in amber, they allow it to flow into today’s soundscape—evolving through new textures, new feelings, and new ways of listening. Their work is not about revisiting what was, but about carrying its essence forward, alive and open to transformation.