Hüma Utku’s music thrives in the spaces between – between the organic and the industrial, the intimate and the expansive, the ancient and the modern. Her latest album, “Dracones” (coming out of Editions Mego on 4th April), is a raw, unflinching exploration of transformation, drawing on themes of matrescence, mythology, and the tension between chaos and order.
In this conversation, Hüma reflects on the poetic allure of “Here be dragons”, the visceral process of translating personal experience into sound, and the interplay between discomfort and beauty. From field recordings of ultrasounds to the living textures of the Buchla 100, “Dracones” unfolds like an emotional map – an evolving terrain of sound, memory, and instinct.
We spoke to Hüma about her creative process, her sonic choices, and the deeply personal yet universal themes that shape “Dracones”.
Chain D.L.K.: Hello Hma! How are you?
Hüma Utku: Very well, thank you.
Chain D.L.K.: The album title “Dracones” refers to the medieval phrase “Here be dragons.” What drew you to this concept, and how does it relate to your personal journey?
Hüma Utku: I was drawn to the poetry within the phrase. I would assume that the trials of drawing maps is an attempt to make sense of things and put chaos into order – so in a way it is stepping towards what one can call ‘enlightenment’ – (although I personally have problems with this term and the context it’s been historically used) – and in the other hand what’s unknown is referenced to a magical creature. There’s a duality there in a way. I got very fond of this. It fits perfectly to tell the story of chaos and order, spiritual and intellectual, ugly and beautiful…
Chain D.L.K.: The record explores themes of matrescence, transformation, and homecoming. How did your own experience shape the sonic landscape of the album?
Hüma Utku: I was willfully going after imperfection in production. Raw and emotional in sound. And also playfulness and some psychedelia.
Chain D.L.K.: “A World Between Worlds” captures the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of pregnancy. How did you translate such a complex experience into sound?
Hüma Utku: I just tried to paint a sonic picture of the story on a very instinctive level. Meditative, dizzy, disoriented, highs and lows.
Chain D.L.K.: You incorporate recordings of your ultrasound in “Here Be Dragons”. What was it like to use something so intimate as part of your composition?
Hüma Utku: It is intimate, but I’m already very used to extreme intimacy in my music anyway. Using my voice feels also very intimate to me, or the arrangement of pieces, the melodies as well. So the ultrasound recordings to me are nothing out of the ordinary.
Chain D.L.K.: “A Familial Curse” suggests a reckoning with generational trauma. What role does music play in breaking or processing these cycles?
Hüma Utku: Music has been my most native language since I’ve known myself, and the most powerful therapy. The fact that I have managed to make music my career is already another level of emancipation. I guess it’s a meaningful way for me to talk without speaking and let other ears interpret things based on their own stories.
Chain D.L.K.: The closing track “Ayaz’a” is dedicated to your son. How does it contrast with the darker themes of the album?
Hüma Utku: I call that piece ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’ – exhausted but peaceful and euphoric. I wanted to honor that.
Chain D.L.K.: The album has moments of both intensity and tenderness. How did you approach balancing these emotional extremes in your composition?
Hüma Utku: Life balanced it for me, I just worked on conveying them.
Chain D.L.K.: Would you consider “Dracones” an autobiographical work, or do you see it as something more universal?
Hüma Utku: It is based on personal experience but in everything I do, I always intend it to be universal. The experience of motherhood is experienced by millions, but also there are different layers to ‘’mothering’’ and ‘’pregnancy’’. Caregiving, sacrifice, bearing and releasing, love, connection, patience, metamorphosis etc. – these are universal experiences, applicable to all of us.
Chain D.L.K.: Your music often has a strong visual quality. Do you imagine specific imagery while composing?
Hüma Utku: I don’t, yet I’ve been told endless times that it’s very visual. Well, I guess someone should give me a film to score soon.
Chain D.L.K.: You use a mix of industrial sounds, electronics, and organic instruments like cello and electric guitar. What led you to this particular sonic palette for “Dracones”?
Hüma Utku: I didn’t pre-plan that part. Whatever wanted to step in, stepped in, and I welcomed with open arms. This sort of flexibility and playfulness is something I’ve been incorporating in my life, so that’s the reflection.
Chain D.L.K.: The “Lyraei” appears on “A World Between Worlds”. How did this instrument influence the track, and what was it like collaborating with Mihalis Shammas?
Hüma Utku: I watched Mihalis in 2021, playing Lyraei live in a festival we both were performing in. I immediately fell in love with it and was writing music for it in my head during his show. Later on I asked if he can record a bit and send me- which he did. So the opening drone you’re hearing is Lyraei that I later processed. He’s a genius, he builds incredible instruments. Check his work if you can.
Chain D.L.K.: You recorded the Buchla 100 at EMS Stockholm. What was it about this particular synthesizer that fit the world of “Dracones”?
Hüma Utku: I wanted that living, breathing, industrial, warm synthesizer to be a part of this album – as it has so much to do with the feeling of ‘organic’. I’m very fortunate to have had the chance to record at EMS on a few different occasions.
Chain D.L.K.: How did your vocal processing techniques contribute to the album’s themes, especially in tracks like “Here Be Dragons”?
Hüma Utku: There are the ghostly, high-pitched vocals in the album – which you can hear in the opening and closing tracks. In the middle there’s ‘Here Be Dragons’ which sound heavily distorted, because the text comes from a mentally hard place.
Chain D.L.K.: Did you have a specific production philosophy or method when mixing and shaping the textures of the album?
Hüma Utku: 90% of the time, I write from start to finish OR from finish to start, in the exact track order. In production and mixing, I just want sounds to be raw and organic – that’s all.
Chain D.L.K.: The album demands an engaged listener – there’s a tension between discomfort and beauty. Was this an intentional contrast?
Hüma Utku: The circumstances in which this album was written and recorded were beautiful and uncomfortable. So I guess it’s possible to hear all that.
Chain D.L.K.: Your previous work has explored psychological states and mythology. Do you see “Dracones” as an extension of those explorations or a departure?
Hüma Utku: It is an extension of those explorations, in fact it is the center.
Chain D.L.K.: How do you feel your sound has evolved since your last release on Editions Mego?
Hüma Utku: I’ve been told that this album is very much in touch with ‘The Psychologist’, my earlier release on Mego. Yet it also sounds like another step on that journey.
Chain D.L.K.: Given the deeply personal themes of “Dracones”, has this album changed the way you see yourself as an artist?
Hüma Utku: Absolutely. ‘Dracones’ is my testament to my love for making music, because making an album during that specific time is a great challenge, as well as music’s response to me, that it held my hand during a period where the ground was shaking beneath my feet – yet again.
Chain D.L.K.: You’ve worked with sound across different formats, including installations. Do you see “Dracones” as something that could expand into a multimedia project?
Hüma Utku: Absolutely. Let’s see what the future holds.
Chain D.L.K.: If someone were to experience “Dracones” for the first time, how would you like them to approach it?
Hüma Utku: Give it your time and attention. Welcome whatever comes through to you without judgment.
Visit Hüma Utku on the web:
https://humautku.com/
https://humautku.bandcamp.com/
