Today we’d like to introduce you to Erkan Yavas.
Hi Erkan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was nine years old, I recorded my first cassette from the radio, making a mix tape on our family’s double-deck Sony stereo. Cutting different songs from various stations, I would edit out the DJ and intercut and record my own voice-over (VO) to create my first-ever amateur show on tape. It was 1991, so it was a mix of Turkish pop songs and stuff like C&C Music Factory, Roxette, and Londonbeat.
I had found my passion for audio production and DJing.
By the time I was 16, I tagged along to a fan event and was able to visit a famous radio station in Istanbul. I met an incredibly popular and famous DJ at the time and she asked me to record my first jingle for one of the biggest stations in the country. It was my first gig, so to speak. For context, this was pre-internet, pre-Spotify, pre-social media, so radio personalities and radio shows were one of the main sources of entertainment and pop culture at the time.
In the early 2000s, I started working as a producer at the Selcuk University radio station. This led to a job at the Hilton Hotel nightclub where I worked as a DJ assistant, setting up equipment, working as a gopher getting drinks for the DJ, etc. I paid my dues and eventually won my first residency as this same nightclub at the Hilton.
At the Selcuk University Summer Festival, with an approx. 60-70k audience in attendance, I played nightly gigs over the course of the festival program. In the audience was a producer from Best FM in Istanbul, who later offered me a gig as a producer, programmer and DJ with my own show.
Best FM led to DJ opportunities at Virgin Radio, Capitol Radio, Power FM, eventually leading me to play the main stage at Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix Coca-Cola stage, GQ Men of the Year Award Ceremony, and warm-up opening sets for Blondie, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and all major Turkish pop stars at the time (including Tarkan, Kenan Dogulu, Gulsen, and Serdar Ortac).
In 2018 I applied for a special VISA for US Citizenship that granted green cards based on “extraordinary ability and special/unique talent.” The EB-1 VISA allowed me to come to New York to build my brand and business in the Manhattan music scene.
I enrolled in NYU and the Clive Davis Institute’s Music Essential program which taught me how to develop my music brand from the ground up while also teaching the basics of producing my own record, marketing, and business.
By February 2020, I moved to L.A. to focus on my own work, producing, remixing, and releasing (in the midst of a pandemic): Advice by Buel (Erkan Yavas Remix), The Hanging Tree by Erkan Yavas and Can Canel (from The Hunger Games Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Don’t Give Up by Erkan Yavas (Groove Armada cover).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the end of the day, it was smooth for me, mainly because I knew it involved consistent, hard work in order to achieve success.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m mostly known as a DJ and voice-over artist and have produced music for the last 5 years.
I consider my passion and patience to be my greatest strengths, along with the respect of others’ time – being prompt and on time is vital! (Never being late to meetings, soundchecks, or gigs).
I’ve been able to set myself apart by integrating my own sound and style in my work, using my personal experience and ethnic background which I’m most proud of.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The effect of technology in our industry is huge. Everything changes at a rapid pace. I think in 5-10 years, AI will actually replace everything…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.erkanyavas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erkanyvas/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ErkanYavass
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/coolstart
Image Credits
Yurek Akbar Berat Tunc Cenker Bayrak
