Listen: COSMOS on Refuge Worldwide with IDGK and Scene Noise

COSMOS News snacks

For the May episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we're checking the pulse of Istanbul’s creative scene in the midst of crisis, and reconnect with the bustling underground in the MENA region.

Our sonic guides this time are IDGK, an Istanbul-based collective and production company, and our long-time partners from Scene Noise, a platform highlighting new sounds from the Middle East and North Africa.

Tune in from 6 - 8PM CEST

IDGK (Istanbul, Turkey)

IDGK* is an Istanbul based music initiative focusing on documenting the city’s diverse alternative music scene. Since its inception in 2023, IDGK has produced numerous live performance videos in collaboration with various local artists, bands, music communities, venues, animators and labels. The project's primary drive is representing different individual voices that make up the underground culture in the urban mosaic and opening up unrestricted space for creative expression that is accessible for anyone who is willing to listen.

*The name IDGK is referring to Orhan Veli Kanık’s poem, İstanbul’u Dinliyorum Gözlerim Kapalı / I’m Listening To Istanbul My Eyes Closed.

Their mix for Refuge Worldwide is a collaborative effort between 18 collectives and artists from Istanbul, titled GENÇLİK BİAT ETMEZ ("The Youth Does Not Bow Down"). "Gençlik Biat Etmez" has become a symbol of young people's resistance in Turkey. It's often seen in protests, written on banners, and shared on social media.

Scene Noise (MENA Region)

Scene Noise is a music and culture platform based in Egypt, focussing on North African and Middle Eastern subcultures and underground music scenes. Out of their Cairo office, the Scene Noise team provides news, interviews, long-reads and nothing but the freshest tunes from Algeria to Yemen.

With their mix, Scene Noise salute the ‘Underground MENA Icons’ working tight now. It's a tribute to musicians who’ve been quietly shaping their local scenes for years, and a cross-genre selection that celebrates bold, boundary-pushing sound innovations outside of the mainstream.