A sonic journey through Istanbul.

débruit, the alias of French musician Xavier Thomas, returns this May with an album recorded in the Turkish capital and featuring a string of local musicians old and new.

débruit & Istanbul was commissioned by the Europalia Arts Festival and created following a two-week stay during which Thomas explored the city while recording and collaborating with various local artists including percussionist Okay Temiz, 1970s funk star Mustapha Özkent as well as upcoming musicians Melike Şahin and Murat Ertel of BaBa ZuLa.

The album reflects the experience in its varied tempos and approaches, from melodic to experimental, traditional to futuristic. “I wanted this album to be driven by the feelings I got from Istanbul and my encounters,” Thomas says. “Istanbul has such an inspiring mix of tradition and forward thinking vision. It has a pulse of its very own.”

Following early live versions and a museum installation in Brussels, the album will be released on Thomas’ own ICI label on May 27. You can hear the first track, ‘Above The Bosphorus’ below and pre-order via Bandcamp.

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