Guitar but not guitar; synthesizers but not keyboards – Darkroom’s music starts with improvisation and a distinctive approach to sound design, followed by disciplined editing and stop-motion studio craft. By turns beautiful and beautifully ugly, theirs is a very human music that always sounds ‘played’ not ‘programmed’, despite the technology that's essential for producing it.

Based in London, Elif Yalvaç (née Hazal Elif Yalvaç) is a producer, composer and guitarist from North Western Turkey. Her journey in sound started as a young girl getting enthusiastic about electric guitar and retro game audio. She has had an over a decade long presence in music with international appearances, especially in the UK, Iceland, and Norway, through solo and collaborative works and performances, music critic reviews, and radio features.

Having worked with others (including the Brooklyn-based label NNA Tapes in 2020) and independently, Elif pushes the boundaries and believes in the value of organic connections in the music scene, defying the obstacles posed by algorithms or capital-oriented PR agencies and their stakeholders. Her latest solo album “Vection” was released in April 2024 by Amsterdam-based label Moving Furniture Records under "Eliane Tapes" series dedicated to pioneering electronic music composer Eliane Radigue. 

Elif’s upcoming solo work features elements of speedcore, noise, IDM, drone, and ambient music, drawing on her versatile approaches and background in music, from using a Game Boy or from guitar playing and singing in rock and metal contexts to sound design with her own software tools for ambient music. Both in studio and live settings, Elif uses a number of instruments including a handmade synth that she calls “Freakbox”, her standard and baritone guitars and pedals, as well as software such as VCV Rack and Ableton Live. She values minimal setup in performance and making the most of limitations, while always attempting to explore and learn tools and instruments to experiment with.

Elif collaborates with others extensively, including Norwegian ambient music artist Kristoffer Lislegaard, her avantgarde metal project Diaries of Destruction; her collaborations with her partner Jordan Muscatello (electric & double bass), her contemporary ambient project with pianist Philamelian, and Green Drift with Expert Sleepers, and primarily with Michael Bearpark. She has performed with a wide range of artists internationally including Eraldo Bernocchi, Colin Edwin, Jon Durant, and Jono Podmore.

Alongside her performance and production efforts, Elif curates and hosts “Talk to the Chip”, a podcast on pioneering electronic music on Resonance FM with Jono Podmore. She is the curator of the bi-monthly live electronics event series “Heart of Noise Cambridge” at Cambridge Junction, and "Electronics At Eight" series in Milton Court Concert Hall in London for Guildhall School. Elif holds an MA degree in Music (Sonic Arts) from Istanbul Technical University, with a thesis on the creative and aesthetic value of limitations in the context of Chip Music. She teaches electronic music composition and production in Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she is the pathway leader for Electronic Music in EPM.

CLOSING EP from Lost Map Records:
http://lostmap.com/products/victoria-hume-closing-ep
'gloriously unclassifiable' Lauren Laverne

DELIRIUM: http://victoriahume.bandcamp.com/
http://victoriajhume.wordpress.com/

'Song structures that constantly evolve, even disturb' SupaJam
'Really beautiful stuff' Lauren Laverne
'A masterclass in pocket-sized, minimal drama-folk.' www.snipelondon.com  

(PHOTO: Tim Wainwright)

Victoria is a singer-songwriter, from Dorset via London to Johannesburg.

'A rare gem' Subba Cultcha
'Sombre and elegant' Sydney Morning Herald

She is particularly interested in the ways in which the arts relate to health, and to social change. 

Full biography & other details on www.victoriahume.com

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