Meet Siné Buyuka, master of the DIY music scene.

Some artists need to immerse themselves in a world – physically, intellectually and creatively – in order to deliver their finest work. Nobody understands this better than atmospheric beat producer Siné Buyuka, who has just uprooted from the golden Mediterranean coast to the UK, “I tried to capture the sound of a rainy autumn” she says, “which is basically the soundtrack of London”.

Siné works under the moniker Villette to release a never-ending stream of sophisticated techno and house – every time we check out her social-media there is a new remix for us to digest. This girl is as relentless as her kickdrums, having just completed an MA at King’s College, as well as a first EP and single-handedly started a record label (Injazero Records), which has just seen it’s second release. Villette is a person who makes things happen wherever she goes.

Crossed Wires is a 6 track debut of rich and dark electronica. “I was in a dark place whilst writing it” she tells us. “I wanted the music to reflect my mood at the time”. Ahead of her EP launch, we were lucky enough to catch a free moment with Siné, who chatted to us about the Turkish techno scene, creative identity and being a woman in the music business.

What inspired you to move to London?

Although Istanbul is a very lively city with lots going on, no place can live up to London as far as the culture and arts scene goes. I used to work as a music journalist and came in contact with a lot of artists from London and wanted to be closer to the music scene here. As global as the world is, there are still cultural clusters! I also got into King’s College to do my MA in creative industries. It wasn’t easy but it was the best decision of my life!

What’s the music scene in Turkey like in comparison to the UK?

The underground music scene is much smaller compared to the UK. The number of publications and blogs that feature alternative names is limited, so is the number of music venues…But maybe it is unfair to compare any country with the UK. Still, Istanbul is not short on great talent and quite a few local artists have started making names for themselves playing in international festivals or releasing music on established labels.

What’s unique about the Turkish techno and house scene?

If you are into Turkish psychedelic folk music, there are a lot of artists who incorporate elements from that genre with their own music. Producers like Todd Terje and Ricardo Villalobos among many others all edited Turkish songs recently, but our dance producers have been doing that for ages. I think it is a more varied scene in Turkey even if it is smaller in size.

What made you decide to release your records on your own label rather than through a larger label?

When my EP was finished I didn’t send it out to any other labels because I wanted to retain that creative control. I would not like it if someone told me change some lyrics or anything. Also, this will be the second release on my label after the brilliant No Pasa Nada EP from LTO so I wanted to build our catalogue as well.

What made you decide to set up your own label in the first place?

Some labels want to sign an artist because of their own unique voice and then they interfere with everything. It seems a bit twisted to me. I wanted to launch a very artist-friendly platform, where the artist is an active participant in every part of the creative process, from creating the artwork to choosing the video director, photographer, or the storylines. Hence, the label…

What inspires you the most musically?

I love post-classical music. I love orchestral compositions, cinematic tunes, organic sounds…I want to go more towards that way with my future releases. I think in an age plagued with over-consumerism, those are the tunes that will stand the test of time. It makes you feel alive, more connected to the world. Producing melodiless four to the floor house or techno tracks that sound exactly the same as one another is really not my thing.

How do you feel about women in the techno/house scene?

I recently wrote a small piece about a female techno producer who played for years under a guy’s moniker just to be taken seriously. It is such a shame! It is getting better but I will laugh at anyone who claims that dance music is not a boy’s club. I could tell you a thousand stories from personal experience…

You have a very DIY work ethic, where has this come from?

Coming from Turkey, it was harder to find like-minded individuals who you could lean on so I had to trust my own instincts a lot. I had a vision and I believe in the importance of reflecting your vision in your output. The more DIY you are, the more sincere everything is. It is not easy; you have to invest a lot of time, energy and financial resources but in the end, what comes out is authentic. If I feel that there is a massive team behind an artist that steals their voice, I get turned-off straight away.

How important is the DIY ethic to you? How do you think it impacts your music?

I don’t believe in perfect, perfect is boring. I love flaws and everything that makes you who you are. I want to get to know you; I want to hear what you have to say and what inspires you. I am not saying you should make everything yourself, I am just saying you should be the decision maker in what you choose to surround yourself with as an artist. I think the DIY ethic makes my music flawed and maybe inconsistent even, but everything comes from a real place, everything reflects me –from the artwork to the video.

Delve deeper into Villette’s world here and here. 

WORDS: Lizzy Nicholson