Islandman are an electro-acoustic downtempo ensemble from Turkey led by multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Tolga Böyük. Their mercurial, shapeshifting sound weds liminal neo-psychedelia, ambient and atmospheric electronic structures, and organic and synthetic dance beats to silvery, spacious guitars, saz, and keyboard interplay. 2016's Agit and subsequent remix EP drew notice from critics. The 2018 long-player Rest in Space won positive reviews across Europe and enabled them to tour. 2020's Kaybola marked their global breakthrough. They followed in 2021 with the live Karavan Sessions EP and the studio offering Godless Ceremony. 2023's Direct-To-Disc Sessions was cut in collaboration with two Turkish legends (and life-long idols) percussionist Okay Temiz and saz maestro Muhlis Berberoğlu.

Böyük founded Islandman as a solo act in 2016. He grew up under the sway of two primary approaches: The folk and classical traditions of the Ottoman Empire on the one hand, and Anatolian rock on the other; the latter eventually expanded to include dance and electronic music. He learned to play saz (aka "baglama"), a long-necked traditional string instrument. To this day, he composes melodies on it rather than guitar or piano. As a teen he was drawn to the psychedelic music of musicians such as Erkin Koray, Barış Manço, Cem Karaca, and Okay Temiz, who put Anatolian rock music on the map between 1966 and 1980.

His earliest release was Agit, a four-track EP that wed multi-layered Robin Guthrie-esque guitars to basic drum machine beats, synth-electric bass, and more. Its international ambitions were present even then. The Malian desert blues tradition anchors the title track and "Tawid," while ambient dub, layered strings, keyboards, and primitive rhythms drive the exotic soundscape "Ikaru." Further, layered, overdubbed saz and atmospheric reverb frame "The True Word of the Wind." It was followed by two volumes of collaborative remixes.

In 2017, he recruited others for a band that could play live. He enlisted drummer/percussionist Eralp Güven and guitarist Erdem Başer. Böyük played bass, electronic drums, synths, and other keyboards as well as percussion. He also produced the set. Based on the previously issued work Böyük created under the Islandman name, the trio were able to sign to DJ/producer Kenneth Bager's Copenhagen-based label Music for Dreams. They spent the last half of 2017 honing their ambitious sound. They wed Anatolian and Western rock, African traditions, electro-acoustic and EDM sounds with folk from various Eastern traditions. It garnered positive attention from Turkish, Lebanese, and European critics and DJs. It also gave the trio the opportunity to tour. They played everywhere from coffee houses and dingy rock clubs to spacious dancefloors in Ibiza and elsewhere, developing a following for music most listeners could enjoy immensely but not classify.

In October they collaborated with actor/vocalist/writer Elisabetta Fadini and DJ Phil Mison (aka Ambala) for the "Alla Vita" single and its remix. Islandman broke through internationally with the release of 2019's Kaybola. Set-opener "Dimitro" wed classical percussion and string instruments to reverb-drenched ambient dub loops, synthetic beats, and the otherworldly vocals of Elis Dubaz. The track floored global DJs and sampling producers and became a chillout room standard before the year ended. Other notable collaborations included "Sahara" with Turkish pop singer Barış Demirel and "Lumiere" with Danish electronica producer the Swan and the Lake (Emile Svane Breum) and vocalist and producer Langkilde. The track "Sem Voce" included DJ Pippi and Music for Dreams label boss Kenneth Bager as Copenema. The prime accomplishment of the album's popularity was that they were given ample opportunity to tour. In 2020 the recording was reissued with bonus material in a deluxe edition.

In March 2021, Islandman's live Karavan Sessions -- recorded and filmed in concert in 2018 -- appeared on video and digital release. The two electro-acoustic instrumental selections separated 40 uninterrupted minutes into a single jam. Its exploratory nature, expert use of folk and Middle and Far Eastern classical traditions, jazz improv, and graceful production all served to showcase the trio's dazzling musicianship. Gilles Peterson made the entire 40-minute record part of his radio show.

The full-length Godless Ceremony followed in September. A curious set, its track list offered a remix of Tamikrest's "Tarhamanine Assinegh" with the band playing behind the original vocals. "Aku Membawa" joined trance house and techno, and organic and electronic percussion by labelmates DJ Divo, OliO, and Bager, as Böyük chanted in Indonesian. By contrast, "Istanbul Lockdown" is a quiet, cinematic classical crossover composition; it reflects the influence of Armenian duduk master Djivan Gasparian. "Amarnos Ahora" showcased Ecuadorian singer Huaira, giving Islandman an opportunity to paint instrumental electronic contours around her with deft chops and warm humor. The off-kilter Bahrain funk in "Eros Dosco Bossa" employs samplers and rhythm tracks in a hypnotic dance tune that is equal parts Tangerine Dream and the Orb.

2022 saw the Bahar EP released in May. Gorgeously arranged and produced, its lithe mix and delicate playing juxtaposed various Eastern-inspired modes and melodies grafted onto fingerpopping nocturnal beats and ambient dub. The driving single "Yorgunum Capta," containing a sampled disembodied vocal by legend Cem Karaca (he died in 2004), was a hit in the clubs of Ibiza, Berlin, Rio, and Chicago.

Amsterdam's Night Dreamer label invited Islandman to play one of its Direct-To-Disc sessions. Güven contacted Turkish percussion legend Okay Temiz, who enthusiastically agreed to participate. Böyük also contacted young Turkish saz master Muhlis Berberoğlu, who quickly accepted the chance to play with the adventurous Temiz. Böyük arrived at the studio with simply produced tracks. Once the mike assignments were made, he let the ensemble improvise on his tracks organically. Temiz assembled an eclectic mix of homemade instruments on a table. He placed stereo microphones on each side, playing while moving around the table, creating a live ambisonic sound. When combined with Islandman's subtle, exotic beat science and Berberoğlu's virtuosic agility and creative imagination, the album provided punters with infectiously melodic, incessantly rhythmic cosmic dance music. Titled simply Direct-To-Disc Sessions, the album was issued in March 2023. ~ Thom Jurek