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DJ Yakuza
Turkish native Can Utkan, also known as DJ Yakuza, began his DJing career playing jazz and brasil in several clubs in Tokyo. Soon he started spinning at Kiss, alongside names like Jazz Brothers, U.F.O, Shuwa Tei and Silent Poets, focusing on styles like drum’n’bass, break-beat and downtempo.
Moving back to Turkey in 1999, he began working at Radio Oxigen, one of the most respected radio stations in Istanbul. With the help of his diverse taste of music, he defied the musical trends of the city and managed to be known as one of the very few creative DJs in his country. Not satisfied by only DJing in several cities of Europe and USA, he soon began working as a producer, collaborating with well-respected jazz musicians. Being influenced by his roots and ethnic sounds, he combined forces with Cem Yildiz, Richard Hamer and Murat Uncuoglu for the project Orient Expressions. They soon released their first album 'Divan', in which they created a synthesis of Turkish melodies, vocals, instrumental forms, electronic and jazzy sounds. They performed across Europe and have upcoming dates in Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. Orient Expressions second album 'Kulliyat' featuring Sabahat Akkiraz was released at the end of May 2006.
He is currently holding regular dj spots in Amsterdam & Istanbul and 2007 will see him traveling some more, as far as Tokyo. He was also voted Turkey’s No.1 Dj by the newspaper “Hurriyet” not really an award to be taken literally he points out but more of a testimony to his wide reaching body of work including dj’ing, productions and his radio show. The journey continues… |
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