Oceanvs Orientalis
Oceanvs Orientalis is the performing name of Şafak Ozkutle, an Istanbul-born, Ibiza-based producer and DJ who moved from a graphic design career into electronic music production using a housemate's copy of Ableton around age 30. His early productions were symphonic pieces influenced by world and classical music, and he later developed his signature sound by adding kick drums to those compositions, blending Eastern and Turkish folk elements with electronica. His entry into DJing came through Istanbul's Suma Beach Club, where he initially worked as a decorator before taking a morning DJ slot that became a testing ground for his own material and a way to meet visiting international DJs. A connection with the Brazilian collective Voodoohop carried his music to São Paulo, where Berlin-based label The Magic Movement founder David Benjamin heard it and released his first record, launching his international profile. Ozkutle's sound, shaped by influences including Nicolas Jaar and Turkish folk tradition, has carried him from a self-taught bedroom producer to festival and club bookings tied to the downtempo and melodic house scenes centered on labels like Crosstown Rebels, where his album Portrait of the Obscure was released.