ot many DJs and music producers can claim to have played in the same show as Tiesto (who doesn’t remember that guy?!), Afrojack & Steve Aoki and Martin Garrix. Turhan James, DJ and music producer, however, can.

To a great deal of people, he is the son of the iconic Frieha Altaf. He certainly is but his success as an independent artist is not based on family ties.

In between finishing university in Canada and working as a music producer and DJ since his early teens, Turhan landed a bag of hits (‘LA ft. Kelsey Hayes’, ‘Wicked Ways’ and ‘Amsterdam’) before carving his path through the Pakistani independent music scene.

If you’ve heard some of his music, it won’t come as a surprise that he was tapped for three shows by Solis Festival (in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad) as well as the Karachi-based Salt Arts.

While songs like ‘LA’ helped create his earlier identity in a different sense and land, as times changed so did Turhan. Post-university from Canada, Turhan is looking to leave a strong imprint by working with Pakistani artists as well as playing shows at home and abroad.

He isn’t bound by one genre but knows how to remain genre-fluid. That’s quite possibly his greatest skill as he returns to the spotlight with a song called ‘Tyna’ - in collaboration with Bilal Baloch of Towers.

The real trick to understand the charm behind the song is to first listen to it – if possible, in this age of too much content – on any social media platform without focusing on the music video. What will come across is a song that’s a pure collaborative effort. And it’s quite elating. While the lyrical play is of missing someone special (props to Bilal Baloch), and making an effort to move past the past, the music stays within the emotional realm of the song. It builds up into a concoction you can groove and dance to or listen to in the wee hours of the night.

Turhan has taken the mood behind the song and juxtaposed it with electronic dance music without turning it into an unbearable electronic dancehall nightmare.

This isn’t Turhan’s first tryst with an Urdu-English song and working with a Pakistani artist.

His debut Urdu song ‘Saaye’ with Maanu had the same quality of skill, emotion, and creativity. The song that didn’t pander to people but was the result of a tenacious effort. And it worked. He has also collaborated with Hasan Raheem, the boy who rose meteorically, among others.

Move on to the video of ‘Tyna’ and it is a balancing act that carries the mood of the song forward without showcasing a pining hero.

This is the new generation of Pakistani musicians, and they know how to make incredible music videos without investing millions. Think back to the older days of expensive videos such as ‘Na Re Na’ or ‘Supreme Ishq’. This is not the case with Turhan James.

Turhan is next scheduled to play a show at Coca-Cola Arena next month, on November 4, which lists DJ Hardwell among other performers. For those unfamiliar with his name, Hardwell is a Dutch DJ, record producer and more. In fact, “he was voted the world’s number one DJ by DJ Mag in 2013 and again in 2014” according to one report.

Opening for Hardwell, Turhan is gracious for the opportunities and fans. The Hardwell show in Dubai will be followed by performances in Karachi and Islamabad next year on January 5 and 6, 2023 alongside Krewella. Will they collaborate? We can’t say for sure, but TJ and Krewella together would create truly electrifying music.

Turhan James is also part of a music duo called Khatra Music along with Danial Siddiqui. Their single ‘Bhool Saka’ ft. Taha G is currently doing quite well.

In the meantime, check out his YouTube page where the audio and music video amalgamation are available. You will not be disappointed. You can also find Turhan James’ music on major social media sites including Spotify.