Erol Alkan

Have you heard the one about Erol Alkan? The humble 12 year old maestro-in-the-making who sneaks out the window of his parents flat to play gigs for a tenner? About the bearded studio-sorcerer worshipped by bands and DJs half his age as a living electronic idol? About the kid in his early 20s who’s founded that Trash night in London where they’re playing Bowie and basslines at the same time?

I heard that he invented the mash-up. I heard that he created the second coming of French Touch just by remixing Justice’s “Waters Of Nazareth”. I heard he bought guitar music back from the grave. No, it was electronic music. Or was it reggae? I heard he once revived a Roland 303 just by looking at it. Didn’t you hear? He’s bringing psychedelia back? Wait – I heard he’s bringing Disco back? Didn’t you hear?

That’s the thing about Erol Alkan – hearing is believing. Until you’ve borne witness to one of his legendary DJ sets, poured headily over one of his meticulously crafted productions, or been catapulted to a sudden sonic nirvana by the dropping of one of his remixes, you might be justified for dismissing his existence as an extremely elaborate myth of the musical underground. After all, how can one man, still in his early thirties, have kept so many kids dancing for so long?

Look no further than the well-worn T-Shirt: L.O.V.E. is the answer. What kept Erol on the cutting edge of the independent and electronic scenes for the decade he ran Trash until its final night in January 2007, and at the forefront of bold new territories in the musical cosmos in the years that have followed, is his unwavering devotion to the music he plays. His studious interests across the sonic spectrum made it inevitable that at some point he would cross the boards and start to create music as well as play it, and in 2001 he took his first steps under the nom-de-guerre Kurtis Rush. His alchemical fusion of George Michael and Missy Elliot resulted in 24 carat party gold, and “Bastard Pop” was born, with Erol as one of it’s founding figureheads alongside Soulwax and Richard X, reaching its apex with Kylie performing Erol’s infamous ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ fusion with New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ live at the 2002 Brit Awards. The Manchester legends, also one of Alkan’s favourite ever bands, loved it so much they returned the favour, often performing the ‘mash up’ live. Coupled with the electroclash earthquake that was rippling through London (epicentre: Trash, Monday nights), Erol found himself at the forefront of both movements, and with a gamut of notable new admirers and friends.

Whether he’s playing the latest in hardcore thrash or producing delicate anthems of spectral beauty, one thing’s for sure; music, truly fertile music, is never very far from Erol Alkan, and his sound can surely only continue to grow in the future. Haven’t you heard?

www.erolalkan.co.uk