Merdan Taplak's mash-up of past and present

© Jimmy Kets Lees het Nederlandstalige artikel

After conquering much of Europe as a Balkan beats DJ and later as a DJ with a wind band, Merdan Taplak has surprised everyone by serving up a solid dose of electronica on his debut album, In It for the Honey. “After a lot of musical wanderings, I’ve found my own sound.”

Merdan Taplak has been mixing diverse genres, including techno, house, Afro, Latin, dub, hip hop, and reggae since the turn of the century. During the Balkan beat boom the Antwerp DJ-producer with Turkish roots became one of Belgium’s most respected DJs in the genre. Two years ago he added wind instruments to his DJ set. His Balkan beats swept across Europe and he built up a serious reputation as a live performer. People have been looking forward eagerly to his debut album.

Surprisingly, on your debut you go far beyond Balkan beats…
Merdan Taplak: Yes, after a lot of musical wanderings, I have found what I want to do: a mash-up of past and present. All aspects of the world are included, with a stiff shot of electronica. I think it is important that my sound should be electronic, hip, and modern. I want to keep up with the times. I am convinced that those musical wanderings were necessary for shaping my sound.
It’s not world music any more.
Taplak: No, my music doesn’t belong in that niche. I take a much broader approach, including house, dubstep, and techno, with influences from Turkey, Africa, India… For me it is about the duality between electronic and not electronic. That musicality constitutes my identity: I have a dual background; I draw on two cultures to create a melting pot of sounds.
What is the title, In It for the Honey, about?
Taplak: It refers to the enjoyable feeling of being able to make a living from music. There is no sweeter feeling than entertaining an audience on your own. I want to supply dance floor material that people can party to!
“Join the Circle” reminds us a bit of the Chemical Brothers…
Taplak: It was never my intention to imitate anyone, but if I am compared to them, that is a great compliment. The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, the Prodigy, and Orbital are groups I was crazy about when I was young.

The hip-hop beat with traditional instruments on the title track recalls Chinese Man.
Taplak: I recorded that track with the Glimmers [a disco-house group from Ghent – BT]. Originally it was a completely different thing. Of the original that I sent off, hardly anything was left after their revisions. They introduced their own glimmer sounds, from their extensive record collection, along with scratches and samples. That was a really fine collaboration.
You achieve the best balance between tradition and modernity on “Join the Circle”.
Taplak: That track began as a loop of a sample. I added some catchy vocals by a Turkish woman singer from Ghent. She sang all sorts of stuff and I started to mould it. In a roundabout way, the number reached Fat Jon, a rapper from Ohio. His vocals steered the track in yet another direction. You start off with nothing (a sample, an idea) and you finish up with a result that is far away from the original. Amazing!

Merdan Taplak
18/2 • 20.00, €16/19
ANCIENNE BELGIQUE boulevard Anspachlaan 110, Brussel/Bruxelles,
02-548.24.24, info@abconcerts.be, www.abconcerts.be