{"id":164284,"date":"2025-03-30T04:03:16","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T04:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/ambient-music\/hu%cc%88ma-utku-chain-d-l-k\/"},"modified":"2025-03-30T04:03:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T04:03:16","slug":"hu%cc%88ma-utku-chain-d-l-k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=164284","title":{"rendered":"Hu\u0308ma Utku | Chain D.L.K."},"content":{"rendered":"


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Hu\u0308<\/strong>ma Utku<\/strong>\u2019s music thrives in the spaces between \u2013 between the organic and the industrial, the intimate and the expansive, the ancient and the modern. Her latest album, \u201cDracones\u201d<\/strong> (coming out of Editions Mego<\/strong> on 4th April), is a raw, unflinching exploration of transformation, drawing on themes of matrescence, mythology, and the tension between chaos and order. <\/p>\n

In this conversation, Hu\u0308ma reflects on the poetic allure of \u201cHere be dragons\u201d, 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, \u201cDracones\u201d unfolds like an emotional map \u2013 an evolving terrain of sound, memory, and instinct. <\/p>\n

We spoke to Hu\u0308ma about her creative process, her sonic choices, and the deeply personal yet universal themes that shape \u201cDracones\u201d.<\/p>\n

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courtesy of Kasia Kim Zacharko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: Hello Hma! How are you?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: Very well, thank you.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: The album title \u201cDracones\u201d refers to the medieval phrase \u201cHere be dragons.\u201d What drew you to this concept, and how does it relate to your personal journey?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: 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 \u2013 so in a way it is stepping towards what one can call \u2018enlightenment\u2019 \u2013 (although I personally have problems with this term and the context it\u2019s been historically used) \u2013 and in the other hand what\u2019s unknown is referenced to a magical creature. There\u2019s 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\u2026<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: The record explores themes of matrescence, transformation, and homecoming. How did your own experience shape the sonic landscape of the album?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: I was willfully going after imperfection in production. Raw and emotional in sound. And also playfulness and some psychedelia.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: \u201cA World Between Worlds\u201d captures the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of pregnancy. How did you translate such a complex experience into sound?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: I just tried to paint a sonic picture of the story on a very instinctive level. Meditative, dizzy, disoriented, highs and lows.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: You incorporate recordings of your ultrasound in \u201cHere Be Dragons\u201d. What was it like to use something so intimate as part of your composition?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: It is intimate, but I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: \u201cA Familial Curse\u201d suggests a reckoning with generational trauma. What role does music play in breaking or processing these cycles?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: Music has been my most native language since I\u2019ve 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\u2019s a meaningful way for me to talk without speaking and let other ears interpret things based on their own stories.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: The closing track \u201cAyaz\u2019a\u201d is dedicated to your son. How does it contrast with the darker themes of the album?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: I call that piece \u2018the light at the end of the tunnel\u2019 \u2013 exhausted but peaceful and euphoric. I wanted to honor that.<\/p>\n

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Dracones cover artwork<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: The album has moments of both intensity and tenderness. How did you approach balancing these emotional extremes in your composition?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: Life balanced it for me, I just worked on conveying them.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: Would you consider \u201cDracones\u201d an autobiographical work, or do you see it as something more universal?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: 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 \u2018\u2019mothering\u2019\u2019 and \u2018\u2019pregnancy\u2019\u2019. Caregiving, sacrifice, bearing and releasing, love, connection, patience, metamorphosis etc. \u2013 these are universal experiences, applicable to all of us.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: Your music often has a strong visual quality. Do you imagine specific imagery while composing?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: I don\u2019t, yet I\u2019ve been told endless times that it\u2019s very visual. Well, I guess someone should give me a film to score soon.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: 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 \u201cDracones\u201d?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: I didn\u2019t 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\u2019ve been incorporating in my life, so that\u2019s the reflection.<\/p>\n

Chain\u00a0D.L.K.<\/strong>: The \u201cLyraei\u201d appears on \u201cA World Between Worlds\u201d. How did this instrument influence the track, and what was it like collaborating with Mihalis Shammas?<\/p>\n

Hu\u0308ma Utku<\/strong>: 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\u2019re hearing is Lyraei that I later processed. He\u2019s a genius, he builds incredible instruments. Check his work if you can.<\/p>\n