Danae Palaka is a drummer and artist based in İstanbul. Born in Athens to a musical family partially hailing from Istanbul, she relocated there to explore the city’s heritage and her own roots. She picked up the piano at the age of 5, but later found her voice behind the drum-kit after switching between piano, cello and singing. Her energetic and dense drumming style is influenced by Anatolian, Balkan and Afrobeat rhythms, UK jazz and electronic music, while her interest in researching alternative qualities of the drum-kit results in new soundscapes and conceptual projects. Her energetic and dense drumming style is influenced by Afrobeat and Anatolian rhythms, contemporary jazz and electronic music, and blends grooves, polyrhythms and textural sounds. Her interest in researching alternative qualities of the drum-kit generates concepts that aspire to redefine the essence of time and (co-) existence. In 2023 she participated in ‘Sound Bridge’, a residency program produced by Found Sound Nation. Danae is currently pursuing her PhD in İTÜ-MIAM. "Velox", her first solo album was released by A.F.O.M. INT. in October 2024.