What do you get when you mix the nighttime haze of Marseille with hypnotic saz, Mediterranean beats and a dose of raw street poetry? Meet Olkan & La Vipère Rouge, a duo blending the pulse of French rap, North African influences, and Mediterranean moods into something entirely fresh. In this interview, they talk about growing up in Romans, discovering the saz, and why the streets – in all their darkness and joy – will always shape their sound.
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Introduction
Let’s start with your name, where does it come from?
Olkan is my name, and “La Vipère Rouge” is actually an old inside joke from about ten years ago. We were wandering around on an island with friends, and suddenly one of us shouted, “Watch out, a red viper!” It didn’t really make sense, but it stuck and now it’s part of our identity.
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it?
It’s a mix of French rap, especially the kind you hear in the south of France, Mediterranean influences, and electronic music. Think Marseille energy with rhythms that draw from across the Mediterranean: Arabic, Turkish, French. It’s a reflection of our roots, our city, and our lifestyle.
What are your songs about?
Mostly stories about our city and the people around us, especially street life at night. Friends who hang out, not really doing much. Just drinking, smoking, walking around, passing time. There’s a kind of sadness in that. not judging, just observing. We try to capture that mood. It’s not evil or criminal, it’s about that quiet despair. Friends who never left the streets, who work jobs they don’t care about because there are no other options. That sense of being stuck.
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Roots
How has your background shaped your music?
Mattis has Algerian roots, and I (Olkan) have Russian roots. But our musical roots go way beyond that. The city we grew up in shaped us more than any nationality. It was like a melting pot of cultures, a gateway to Africa and the Mediterranean. We grew up surrounded by different cultures: playing football with North African kids, hanging out with Turkish friends. That mix is just part of our daily lives. We also listened to a lot of different music growing up: metal, punk, rap. So our sound became a hybrid of all that. It’s who we are.
What are your musical influences?
We’re all over the place. From AMMAR 808 – a Tunisian producer making deep, dark electro – to punk, metal, and even Rosalia. French hip hop, especially 90s groups like 113, is a big influence too. They combined Arabic music and French rap way before it was cool.
How did the saz come into your life?
I (Olkan) actually discovered the saz after seeing Altın Gün live in Brittany. I fell in love with the sound immediately. It wasn’t part of my cultural heritage, but it felt right. Now it has become a core part of our sound.
Having the different influences, what does the concept of fusion mean to you?
We like it. For us, fusion means bringing together two worlds that groove in different ways. Arabic rhythms and electronic beats, for example. It’s not a gimmick, it’s natural. We want people to dance, and fusion helps make that happen.
Do you see a role for yourself in building bridges between those cultures?
Yes, absolutely. That’s the core of our project. We’re not doing traditional Arabic or Turkish music, but we’re creating a connection. And it resonates, especially in France, where so many people come from North African backgrounds. It just makes sense. In that sense there is no other city like Marseille, it’s half North African, half French. It’s rough, warm, chaotic, alive. The music, the food, the people it’s a natural crossroads of cultures. You can’t grow up there and not be influenced by it.
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Live
What kind of experience do you want to give your audience?
Joy, energy, connection. We want people to dance, to go into a trance. Our live shows are more intense than our recordings: more electronic, more raw, more physical. We joke about people headbanging, but there’s some truth in it. We want to give people a release.
What’s a live show you’ll never forget?
Playing in Izmir, Turkey. It was our first time performing outside of France. As soon as we started, the crowd came alive, dancing from the first beat. After the show, people lined up to take pictures with us. We felt like superstars for a moment it was surreal and unforgettable.
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Inspires
What’s next for Olkan & La Vipère Rouge?
A new single and live session are dropping soon. We’re also working on our next album, which will be a big step for us. We’ve got new collaborators, and we’re excited about touring, especially returning to Egypt and exploring opportunities in Jordan and Syria. 2026 feels like a breakout year.