Hailing from Istanbul, the Berlin based electronic music composer and sound artist Hüma Utku explores the possibilities of how sound textures and rhythm can be used to evoke a sense of ancient within advanced electronic music. With an overall disregard for genres 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. 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 background as a graduate of Psychology and her current practice as a conceptual music composer are intertwined.

Since 2016, Utku presented her work and performed across Europe and the Middle east; including performances in Atonal Berlin, CTM Festival, HKW, and Radialsystem in Berlin; Salon IKSV in Istanbul, Donaufestival and Musikprotokoll in Austria, Forte Prenestino in Rome, Sonic Acts and Today's Art in Netherlands, Lunchmeat Festival in Czech, Insomnia Festival in Norway and many others.

Her work has received notable press from platforms such as The Wire, Noisey, 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


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 - Listening Session at Royal Collage 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

SELECTED RELEASES


[CLICK ON TITLES FOR MORE INFORMATION & STREAMING]


THE PSYCHOLOGIST
 2022
[LP/DL/CD]


GNOSIS
2019
[LP/DL]


ŞEB-İ YELDA
 2018
[12’’ EP/DL]


COMMISSIONED WORKS & SOUND ART PROJECTS



TECUITLATL
in collaboration with Fara Peluso
(more info soon)
2023
Sounds of X (Berlin)
in collaboration with Ali Demirel
2022
UZAK
2021
[performance]


Wherein All Things Are Like The Void
[released by AREA Z, 2020]
(Uncanny Valleys Vol. II, DL)

Struggle For Pleasure
[released by InFiné, 2019]
(INLAND Reworks by Vanessa Wagner, DL)


She Walks/That Sword
 [released by Forward UK, 2019]
(These Are Our Friends V/A, DL)


No Crystal Ocean
[released by Deep Electronics, 2017]
(Deep Diversity Vol.5, CD/DL)

What Hath Night To Do With Sleep?
[released by In The Void, 2015]
(In The Void V/A, CD/DL)