The music scene is one of the most fiercely competitive industries. With thousands of hopefuls joining the space, it can be quite challenging to get some traction. For this reason, many end up undiscovered as they have no one to guide them in their journey toward stardom. This was what inspired Nickarth (Nikola Iliev), Monika Ilieva and Zoran Iliev (Billy Esteban) to launch their record label Cafe De Anatolia. Almost four years later, the label has supported hundreds of artists across the globe.
Cafe De Anatolia is one of the leading independent record labels in Europe and around the world, specializing in new electronic (Organic House, Electronica, Downtempo) music. Together they are helping artists showcase their skills and talents by giving them the platform and supporting them to establish their place in the industry. Cafe De Anatolia has more than 350 artists and 400+ released albums, EP's, and singles.
Among the factors that set them apart in the industry is their unique style of music. Their one-of-a-kind sound has paved the way for more opportunities for them as a record label and their signees. While their music is electronic, Cafe De Anatolia adds a touch of ethnic forgotten sounds from ancient instruments and beautiful melodies, combining them with 21st-century electronic sounds. They note that their goal and mission as a brand is more than just to create music, but to help artists compose timeless songs that will never go out of style.
Music is like a time capsule, and it helps recreate memories that had been forgotten, explains the team at Cafe De Anatolia. It also helps us learn about different cultures and trends. Through their record label, Cafe De Anatolia presents a way of living.
The label has more than 20 YouTube channels where they upload their music, with eight of them receiving the YouTube Creator Award from Youtube. Anis Karek's exclusive track "II Mattino," which Cafe De Anatolia released, was also part of the Spring/Summer Women Collection 2022 held in September.
According to Nickarth , one of the founders, the journey wasn’t always smooth. As is true with almost every independent venture, the team at Cafe De Anatolia has encountered different obstacles, but what’s kept the pushing is remaining true to their purpose. When they started the label, they knew it wouldn't be easy, especially since they are doing something very few in the industry do. They have diversified Cafe De Anatolia from just a record label to a platform that showcases the different cultures. The team notes that although it was difficult at first, it became easier when people came to know and understand the brand.
Cafe De Anatolia has grown its YouTube channels to over 4 million subscribers and more than four billion total views. Their five exclusive tracks were used as part of a mix selection on GoTurkey YouTube Channel and have collaborated with Anghami (The Arabian Spotify). Cafe De Anatolia's DJs/artists were also part of the EtoEtho Festival held in Russia.
As they continue to grow, Cafe De Anatolia is redefining the music industry and creating a unique style of music. In the coming years, their goal is to expand their brand in more niches and make their YouTube channels sub-record labels of Cafe De Anatolia.
At the moment the team together with Rialians On Earth, Nora Projekt and few others are working on Buddha Chillout in combination with Ambience, Buddha, Chillout Lounge, Organic House YouTube Channels. The plan is also to establish a lo-fi record label named Lofi Camel & Cafe De Anatolia LOFI which will bring new exciting names in the lo-fi beats genre with an idea to exclusively mix them with oriental & occidental sounds.
Camelmove (media news company) is something that we work at the moment but it will take some time to implement and to grow.
This article was written in cooperation with Cafe De Anatolia