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Derun: Behind The Music

Lovestruck by their hometown of Istanbul yet a favorite on the international club circuit, Derun make music that’s hard to pin down, even for the duo themselves. Ineffable yet tantalizing, textural, and far-reaching in its influence, their music comprises ever-more complex combinations of sounds from myriad sources across the Eastern Mediterranean with a result that's often intricately detailed yet cooly composed.

Which images do you connect to your music?
Open water, a sunny day, bravery and joy. We bring with us the scent of the open sea. Our skin has been burned by the sun and the morning chill has made our eyes red.

 

Can you give us three adjectives to describe your music.
Courageous. Unbound. Earthly.

 

How has your music journey evolved until now?
We never had any musical plans. We've always just allowed this process to flow. Taking a moment to step back and take note of this “flow”, we’ve realized a few things: it goes without saying that humans are naturally curious creatures, and it’s only natural that one’s environment makes an impression on one’s outlook. This applies to our musicality as well. We’ve travelled and picked up many influences, and also shared our music with many. However, the notion of home is something that’s also central to how we see ourselves, how we see the world, and how we create. Whenever we come back to Türkiye, it’s like a recalibration of the spirit — and by extension, our music.

“OPEN WATER, A SUNNY DAY, BRAVERY AND JOY. WE BRING WITH US THE SCENT OF THE OPEN SEA.”

How would you like people to feel hearing your music for the first time? How do you integrate new influences in your work?
We create music in response to every sound we hear, just as the brain recognizes and reacts to a smell.


Do you collect music/samples/field recordings during your trips abroad?
Of course. This is exactly what makes us different.


Other than in music, where do you find inspiration?
Movies, the stories we listen to, and architecture.■