Peki Momés is a Turkish artist living in Germany, started to record music by accident in 2023. Peki’s sound stands at the intersection of funk, disco, and city-pop, filtered through a personal, contemporary lens. The music of Peki Momés feels like an open space, one where groove, softness, and curiosity are allowed to coexist. In this conversation with Durum Records, Peki reflects on the early identity of the artist, the freedom of starting something from scratch, and how the first songs were shaped.
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Introduction
Why the name ‘Peki Momés’?
The funny fact is that it doesn’t “mean” anything. The name is basically a playful invention that stuck. I wanted something that sounded good to my ears, something a bit confusing in a fun way, like a French-looking name for Turkish music created in Germany. I even added the French accent just to give it that little extra je ne sais quoi, even though there’s no French connection behind it.
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard you before?
It’s honestly hard to pin down to a specific genre, because it’s a mix of funk and disco, with a touch of dancefloor jazz. Sometimes smooth and silky, sometimes bright and upbeat. I like calling it “Turkish city pop,” partly because of the connection to Japanese city pop. But it’s not locked into one lane. Some tracks lean into a psychedelic spirit that can echo Anatolian psych. The nice thing is: even if you can’t label it quickly, it’s not hard to listen, because the groove does the talking.
What kind of stories do your songs tell?
I treat lyrics like a diary. They reflect what I’m living emotionally in the moment I’m writing. So the “story” isn’t always a big, dramatic theme like love or grief. Sometimes it’s much smaller, more everyday, more human. It can be an ode to the sea. It can be the pigeons I watch each morning from my kitchen window. It can be longing for brighter days, or a quiet call for unity. I don’t like restricting myself by setting topics in advance. I’d rather follow what’s occupying my mind and let the song become a snapshot of that time.
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Roots
How have your roots and heritage shaped the project?
The sound of this project is shaped by the “musical capital” of everyone who joined the creation, and I believe that’s what makes it feel rich. For me, Anatolian music is a blessing I carry naturally, but it’s not the only thing I stick to. I’m drawn to a wide range: library music, experimental synth-pop, soul… And I work with a team of super talented musicians from mixed backgrounds. My producer, Dustin Braun, brings a strong love for global sounds, Brazilian, Afro influences, and that open curiosity you can feel in the details, whereas Malik Diao and Matthias Hetzer, constant friends in collaboration, are coming from jazz and experimental background. I love that everybody brings something different to the table.
Which artist influenced you most during the album-making period?
Akiko Yano without a doubt. She’s a Japanese city pop artist from the 80s. I listened to her so many times while recording. There’s something about how free she is that really moved me. When you hear her, you can feel that she’s a serious jazz musician. She knows exactly what she’s doing, yet she sings with this total openness, like she’s not trapped by any rulebook. That balance inspired me: doing it right, doing it professionally, but staying free at the same time.
Do you use traditional instruments or rhythms?
We use a lot of familiar instruments, guitar, bass, piano, drums, flute, percussion, and sometimes brass like trumpet or sax. But the way we use them isn’t “traditional” in a strict sense. There are moments where a listener might think, “My piano teacher would say this is wrong”. That also applies to my vocals. I didn’t come from a formal musical training background. I’m self-taught, singing intuitively, learning as I go, and trying to stay playful. So even when the palette of instruments is recognizable, the choices we make can feel a little off-road in the best way.
That’s what makes it interesting. With all those sounds coming together, what does “fusion” mean to you?
Fusion feels like a blessing. An accumulation of all the musical, intellectual, and artistic possibilities that exist around us now. It’s like we have access to this huge library of sound, history, and technique, and we’re allowed to take pieces that feel right for the project and combine them in ways that open new doors.
How do you think music builds bridges between cultures?
We don’t need many words to understand feelings in a song. Languages are different, cultures are different, but emotions are shared. That’s why it feels so special to me that my music travels, especially as someone singing in Turkish. This year, I visited Japan and saw my record in major cities – it was even sold out in Kyoto. That kind of experience makes “bridging cultures” feel real, not theoretical. And I got a comment on Bandcamp that stayed with me: someone said they didn’t know Turkish could sound so beautiful. That’s exactly it – music can carry a lot into different cultures and new ears, gently, through feeling first.
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Live
What do you want audiences to feel during your live shows?
Smiling. When I’m on stage, I can’t stop smiling, and I love when the audience smiles too. It would make me just very happy if they feel the softness and ease of life, even for a bit, and smile.
Is there a live moment that stuck with you?
Me and my band only started playing live this summer, so everything still feels new. One memory that I’ll never forget happened when playing at Vary Records in Leipzig. It was a very cold day, but they made it so cosy inside: lights, incense, a packed room with lovely crowd. While I was singing, I noticed the glass door had fogged up from the temperature difference. And someone – I don’t know who – wrote “Peki” and drew a small heart in the fog. Seeing my name and that heart on the glass felt like a symbol of pure appreciation. I had this realization: wow, people really feel this. It made me so grateful in a way that’s hard to describe.
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Inspires
What’s next for Peki Momés?
New songs, for sure. My producer Dustin and I are already working on fresh tracks, and we’re letting feeling and instinct lead rather than trying to be overly strategic. Lately we’ve been listening to different synth styles. So who knows, maybe that will shape what comes next. At the same time, we’re planning an album release tour across Europe early next year. I’m excited to meet audiences in new places and see how different communities receive the music. There are also festivals coming up, and we’ll keep writing throughout.