Deep House, House, Tech House Tufan Demir
Tufan Demir - Live at Indigo (14 03 2009)

One of Istanbul's most renowned underground clubs, indigo - located in Beyoglu, closed its doors in February. "Hope to reunite in the future, when the music embraces us again.” they stated on their Facebook page with the hashtag #EveryEndIsANewBeginning. Despite the hint for future projects, the decision was heartbreaking for many since the club was one of Istanbul’s most important underground dance music venues, which attracted crowds who came primarily to dance.

It is worth mentioning that the most characteristic landmarks that made Istanbul’s Beyoglu district special disappeared one by one in the last few years. Once the bohemian hotspot of old-world charm, culture and inspiring boutiques, Beyoglu is now simply deserted. Old taverns, bookstores, theaters, cinemas, authentic bars and clubs are all closed and replaced by mega shopping malls, nargile cafes and other tourist traps.

Back to the topic. It is important to say that Indigo raised the bar pretty high for Istanbul nightlife with its sound system, set up, visuals and line up. It was the only club in Istanbul that would provide an extra pair of phono needles ready in the deck back in 2005 when quite a number of venues abandoned turntables.

Many emerging club-oriented music began to make their way onto the Istanbul nightlife scene through Indigo, especially in the early 2000s when the clubs were the only places where you could listen to the freshest new music (pre-Beatport era). There is also no doubt that they introduced the best disc jockeys and live acts from around the globe.

For all those years I was privileged to be part of one of the greatest journeys of Istanbul’s nightlife and had the chance to share the stage with some of my musical heroes such Carl Craig, Wighnomy Brothers, Darshan Jesrani, Slam, Dixon, Dj Koze and so on. Unfortunately, there are not many recordings of live sets, especially from these early years. This vinyl only offering is the most complete recording I could find and hope it takes you back to the times when we didn't worry about our beloved hometown turning into a tacky urban space dominated by chain stores and faux-Ottoman shopping malls.