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"We had an old radio in our kitchen that always played traditional Turkish music. As soon as I could reach the dial, I started switching the station.”
Hakan Gencol discovered music through his uncle, the family black sheep, who ran a small bohemian bar frequented by artists, actors, and musicians. “Everyone thought he was a zero,” Hakan says. “To me, he was a hero.”
Hakan studied guitar and piano, formed a garage band, and began writing songs in English. Playing in other cities offered an early taste of freedom. After university, he moved to Milan. “There was so much going on,” he says. “Fashion, art, films, sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. I just soaked it all in.” The next few years saw Hakan constantly in motion, and the songs really began to flow. “Movement is inspiring. It makes you feel free,” he says.
Reaching Istanbul, Hakan lost himself in the crowds. There were bar fights, lost evenings, mornings waking up in unknown places. But Hakan was living a poet’s life. “Istanbul is a city full of stories,” he says. Those stories informed his songs as he gigged around the city.
In 2015, Hakan realized a lifelong dream when he made his debut release, 'Çocuk', enlisting American producer <a href="spotify:artist:7kfDWqAbZG6kMfwzWlxdCk" data-name="Tod A">Tod A</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:0F5fXdlx1bKwYFZ70bfuZ9" data-name="Firewater">Firewater</a>) to bring his musical vision to life. Recorded in a former brick factory in Milan, the album features musicians from Italian group <a href="spotify:artist:2H4AQcgDRqSXmmCNKZzBha" data-name="Figli Di Madre Ignota">Figli Di Madre Ignota</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0F5fXdlx1bKwYFZ70bfuZ9" data-name="Firewater">Firewater</a>, as well as several prominent Turkish musicians. The album was released as 3 EP's by SN Music.
Hakan Gencol discovered music through his uncle, the family black sheep, who ran a small bohemian bar frequented by artists, actors, and musicians. “Everyone thought he was a zero,” Hakan says. “To me, he was a hero.”
Hakan studied guitar and piano, formed a garage band, and began writing songs in English. Playing in other cities offered an early taste of freedom. After university, he moved to Milan. “There was so much going on,” he says. “Fashion, art, films, sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll. I just soaked it all in.” The next few years saw Hakan constantly in motion, and the songs really began to flow. “Movement is inspiring. It makes you feel free,” he says.
Reaching Istanbul, Hakan lost himself in the crowds. There were bar fights, lost evenings, mornings waking up in unknown places. But Hakan was living a poet’s life. “Istanbul is a city full of stories,” he says. Those stories informed his songs as he gigged around the city.
In 2015, Hakan realized a lifelong dream when he made his debut release, 'Çocuk', enlisting American producer <a href="spotify:artist:7kfDWqAbZG6kMfwzWlxdCk" data-name="Tod A">Tod A</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:0F5fXdlx1bKwYFZ70bfuZ9" data-name="Firewater">Firewater</a>) to bring his musical vision to life. Recorded in a former brick factory in Milan, the album features musicians from Italian group <a href="spotify:artist:2H4AQcgDRqSXmmCNKZzBha" data-name="Figli Di Madre Ignota">Figli Di Madre Ignota</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0F5fXdlx1bKwYFZ70bfuZ9" data-name="Firewater">Firewater</a>, as well as several prominent Turkish musicians. The album was released as 3 EP's by SN Music.
