D.$AHIN is a Berlin-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose music reflects a life lived between cultures. Ahead of her performance at XJAZZ! Festival, OFFKEY author Alice Vyvyan-Jones sat down with her to talk about what it means to create from a place of uprootedness.
With her upcoming debut solo EP "BiiLINGUAL" German-Iranian singer MADANii turns inward to unpack what it means to reclaim the parts of herself she once tried to hide. It is sung in Farsi and English, emotionally layered, and unapologetically honest. We spoke to the artist about the fire that fuels her, the burden of being misread, and why joy and community are essential to her sound.
It's been less than two years since we last spoke to Enkhjargal Erkhembayar, known as Enji, about her career-defining album "Ulaan". Now, the artist released her fourth album, "Sonor", a beautiful tale of existing between two worlds. Anna Grubauer caught up with Enji to discuss the new record, concepts of home, and living in and embracing the in-between.
The Berlin-based festival for new Anatolian music, İÇ İÇE lost their funding as part of the massive budget cuts imposed by the German government. Now, the festival needs donations to take place this year. Author Öykü Naz Gümüş wrote about the importance of preserving a festival, which has become a unique meeting-point for queer and BiPoC people in Berlin.
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek recently released their new record "Yarın Yoksa". The album follows the acclaimed releases, "Dost 2" (2022) and "Kar Yağar" (2019), and was recorded in New York City. Ilo Toerkell met Derya Yıldırım and Helen Wells from the group to speak about working with Anatolian classics, folk music as resistance and the bağlama in Germany.
The Berlin-based singer Güner Künier is about to release her new record "Yaramaz". On the album, the artist embraces her heritage, singing in Turkish for the first time, and rejects societal expectation of women. Author Anna Grubauer spoke to Güner Künier about what's behind "Yaramaz".
The Ukrainian singer and composer Ganna Gryniva retells stories from Ukrainian folklore. Based in Berlin, she elaborates on tradition with jazz and electronic elements like loops and synthesisers. In conversation with Sophie Romy, she speaks about her songwriting process and her ways of incorporating tradition into music.
The Palestinian-American alt-pop artist Lana Lubany just released her new EP "YAFA", named after her hometown. It follows the acclaimed "The Holy Land", which garnered the singer international attention. Ahead of her headlining show in Berlin, Lana Lubany shares her thoughts on "YAFA", the meaning of community and how she found anger to be a useful source of power.
