For the 38th chatper of the ECLYPSE INVITES Podcast series we’re happy to introduce you to a Turkish DJ whose music started very whose musical journey began far away from what brings us together now. So many artistic influences led him to find his path quite easily once he bumped into the right genre. We recommend you listen to this set with a different approach than usual because this is a full immersion in the culture of a region and the essence of bochka.
Welcome to Prøpaganda!
ECLYPSE: What is your name, age, and where are you from?
I am Pamir, 33 years old, from Istanbul, Turkey.
ECLYPSE: What inspired you to produce and when did you start?
I started DJing a year ago and producing in July 2024. I was always into listening and making music, played drums and guitar back in high school, was a metal head; mostly into aggressive genres like death metal, technical death metal and thrash metal which shaped my future likes deeply.
As for techno, I was inspired by the time I started listening to mental and hypnotic songs: at first it was groove techno and hard-groove. These ones had the elements I was looking for but they lacked the hard and heavy sounds I needed. Then, I explored industrial techno and started digging deeper and found Niki Istrefi’s songs, but it still wasn’t enough so kept digging until I found bochka. I knew that this was my music, this was the place I could express myself and my feelings in the most coherent way possible.
In addition, I was thinking of mixing local sounds from Anatolia and the Middle East and wanted to blend it with political events that shaped the world. That was the time the name “PRØPAGANDA” was born. A concrete example of what I mean can be found in this set where I included a Turkish folk song in the last part of my set, it’s called “zeyneb’e ağıt” from Çekiç Aliit’s (in case you’re curious about it, you can listen to the full version here) and it’s a lament for the dead. I included it as a tribute for the past events in the Middle East and also to represent the vast Anatolian culture
ECLYPSE: Who are the Producers and DJs you are looking the most up to?
I’m a very big fan of Niki Istrefi, I also admire the works of DRAAG, AHIRZAMAN, all of the Tunisian guys (Skoutchi, VOLK, WARHEAD, AK47, DA-LYSERGIC, Main Keta Uxi, ISOTRYK) and finally Parapher
ECLYPSE: What are your expectations for 2025?
2025 will surely be a tough year considering the troubles happening in the Middle East that are affecting the whole world.
So I wish peace upon people of the Middle-East first.
Music and creativity-wise, I am planning to release a VA for the first time. Unfortunately, having a day job restricts you from doing different thing during the week so you have less time for your self to be creative. A new year with more time for creativity perhaps?
ECLYPSE: Do you think Techno as a genre has evolved in the past years?
Definitely, it has evolved so much that it became mainstream. People are now used to consume everything they explore and they possess. So this led techno to evolve in many ways: we now have numerous amounts of DJs, and events and festivals are more accessible and so on. One can even say that sub-genres became mainstream genres thanks to social media!
However, this evolution of techno raised many questions along with the rising popularity: was the evolution of techno and the popularity necessary? The more popular is a thing the less quality it gets, therefore I would like to say that yes, techno has evolved but it couldn’t protect itself from the popular, fast moving culture
ECLYPSE: How is your local DJ scene?
Turkey’s scene for subcultures and alternative genres, including techno, is among the most challenging in the EU and Mediterranean. Subcultures face significant political oppression, making it difficult for these genres to breathe. Techno, being an alternative genre, struggles with limited venues offering a safe and quality environment.
Clubs and venues often favor DJs and promoters who align with their preferred music styles. Harder sounds, such as industrial techno or bochka, are less likely to be booked. While there are individuals and organizations working to carve out spaces for diverse sounds, this often requires financial resources or the right connections.
Many clubs with high-quality sound systems promote electronic or house music, while venues supporting harder sounds mostly lack adequate sound systems and cultural understanding of the genre. Additionally, the audience in Istanbul leans more towards hard or groove techno, leaving little to no support for niche styles like industrial techno or bochka. Despite these challenges, we aim to change this in 2025 by creating a safe, inclusive space dedicated to alternative and heavy sounds. Fingers crossed for this vision!
Thank you so much for accepting ECLYPSE’s invite, we are looking forward to promoting your music in the future on our label, we are honored to have you here!
Listen to 𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐒𝐄 INVITES: PRØPAGANDA on SoundCloud now!
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