Described as a ‘very singular artist’, she fuses field recordings, acoustic instruments, atmospheric ambience; into harmonious noise and harsh ritualistic rhythms as means to utilize sound and music as tools for storytelling, with an overall disregard for genres. Combining her practice of music with her studies in psychology; Utku's works draw inspiration from human condition, societal topics and dualities.
In August 2018 Şeb-i Yelda (EP/12'') was released by Karlrecords, which presented Utku (as R.A.N.) with an evolved sound and strong theme to a wide audience. Following the international success of her EP, she released her debut full-length album under her own name Gnosis in July 2019 via the same label. This release gained Utku recognition for her unique approach of creating sonic story plots by merging concepts with experiments in electronic music.
Her sophomore album , The Psychologist is released on Editions Mego in May 2022. This album has been cited as ‘Utku's most ambitious, authentic and complex work yet’ in which her academic background and her current practice as a conceptual music composer are intertwined.
Since 2016, Utku presented her work and performed across the world; including Dark Mofo, Atonal , Salon IKSV Istanbul, Hamburger Bahnhof, CTM , Donaufestival, Lunchmeat, Sonic Acts, Weltmuseum Vienna, MONOM, Stockholm Royal College of Music among many other acclaimed music events and cultural institutions.
Her work has received notable press from platforms such as The Wire, Noisey, Bleep, RollingStone, Redbull Music, Groove Mag, Gonzo Circus, BantMag, Scene Noise among others, as well as getting broadcasted by seminal radio station and platforms such as BBC Radio 3, ORF, TRT, NTS radio, RAI 3, Resonance FM, YLE and Sveriges Radio.
In 2021, Utku was selected as a SHAPE (Sound, Heterogeneous Art and Performance in Europe) artist.
AiR + Scholarships
+ Fellowships
Musicboard Berlin
Received scholarship for the year of 2023
Artist in Residence at Monom
Berlin/DE
17-21 January, 2023
Neustart Kultur 2022
Musikfonds e.V.
Guest Composer at Elektronmusikstudion 2022
Stockholm/SWEDEN
22.11- 12.12. 2022
Neustart Kultur 2021
GEMA Scholarship Program
SHAPE Platform 2021
Platform for Innovative Music and Audiovisual Art from Europe
Musikfonds Scholarship Program
Scholarship between January - June 2021
Guest Composer at Elektronmusikstudion 2020
Stockholm/SWEDEN
Scholarship by Goethe Institute Sweden
Musicboard Berlin 2019
Artist in Residence in Tehran/IRAN
in collaboration with Goethe Institut Teheran
Daire Residency Program 2019
Mardin/TURKIYE
K2 Contemporary Art Center
Project by European Union & Republic of Turkey
Amplify 2019
Berlin/GERMANY
Amplify Berlin Artist in Residence
Submarine Studio Artist in Residence
2017, Cairo/ EGYPT
Notable Performances
28.01.2023 - Monom x CTM Festival 2023, Berlin/DE
07.12.2022 - Work presentation at Royal College of Music, Stockholm/SE
22.10.2022 - La Casa Encendida, Madrid/ES
08.10.2022 - Sonic Acts Biennale, Amsterdam/NL
01.10.2022 - Lunchmeat, Prague/CZ
29.05.2022 - CTM Festival, Berlin/DE
22.10.2021 - Insomnia Festival, Tromso/NO
14.10.2021 - Berlin Atonal presents Metabolic Rift, Berlin/DE
07.10.2021 - Musikprotokoll, Graz/AU
25.09.2021 - Today's Art, The Hague/NL
23.08.2020 - Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin/DE
03.05.2019 - Donaufestival 2019, Krems/AU
13.04.2019 - Radialsystem, Berlin/DE
01.11. 2018 - DICE Festival, Berlin/DE
09.03.2018 - Salon IKSV, Istanbul/TR
16.12.2017 - Yukunkun, Beirut/LB
07.12.2017 - El Warsha, Cairo/EG
24.06.2017 - Forte Prenestino, Rome/IT
28.03.2017 - Ausland, Berlin/DE
25.06.2017- Kantine Am Berghain, Berlin/DE