Insanlar (literally Humankind in Turkish, but with a deeper and esoteric meaning behind) got together first in the last months of 2010 – with the famed Istanbul DJ Baris K. and instrumentalist Cem Y?ld?z of Orient Expressions fame in the helm – as an inhouse jam band for the Anatolian pop/rock revival series, Minipop, which was then starting to take place in Istanbul’s Minimüzikhol, the network’s home club.

From this organic friends network, which included many names like Turkish hip-hop superstar Kabus Kerim to dancer Bahar from Baba Zula and percussionist Sinan Tansal from iconic rock bands Karapaks and Mavi Sakal; Insanlar evolved into a more stable core band with Istanbul’s superstar drummer Alican Tezer (Ayyuka, Büyük Ev Ablukada, ex-Athena) being the third permanent member in the band.

Their shamanistic techno folk hybrid, rooted firmly in Anatolian Alewi religious poetry, and their energetic, almost punkish attitude created a mystic following around the bands improvised early shows.