Growing up in Istanbul, Circassian & Abkhazian electronica producer Sine Buyuka aka Villette initially made a name for herself as a DJ with the indie dance duo Dancing Birds, which placed her at the heart of her hometown music scene after support slots for the likes of Metronomy, Wild Beasts, Wild Nothing and Paul Banks. But after a subsequent move to London and a creative re-imagining of herself, she started releasing her own blend of techno and electronica under the name Villette.
Villette is now running her own avant-garde, modern classical and experimental electronic label Injazero Records. She has also done freelance journalism work for outlets like Dazed, the Ransom Note, the BBC, Red Bull, Billboard and Time Out.
We caught with Villette to talk about her current musical projects.
Electronic Groove: Hello, Villette, thanks for your time today. Looking back, how was 2019 for you?
Villette: Thank you for having me. 2019 was a tough year on a personal level but thankfully, it picked up towards the end.
EG: Thanks for the mix you recently crafted for the Spotlight series. What’s the concept behind this session?
Villette: Thank you for featuring it. We’d like to think that gender disparity is no longer an issue in the music industry but one look at electronic music festival line-ups coupled with some distressing stats tell you otherwise. I wanted this mix to include techno by women DJs and producers only.
EG: 2020 has just started, what are your plans for this year?
Villette: After two years of being in a creative block for personal and health reasons, I’m now incredibly happy to be making music again. I’ve been self-taught so I started a professional diploma course at Point Blank Music School last year in music production and sound engineering. I’ll finish this year, to focus on release as much music as I can and pick up where I left off with gigs.
EG: Any confirmed gig or release you are already looking forward?
Villette: I’m almost finished with my next EP and a track of mine will be released by Universal in March as part of a compilation called ‘100% Her’ which includes music by womxn artists only. I’m also producing a remix for one of my favorite producers, happy to be keeping busy.
EG: Can you explain more about Injazero Records? It is your label? What’s the imprint vision?
Villette: Injazero is my baby. It is a very DIY operation as I run it alone, despite having some wonderful collaborators I work with on a project basis. Its first release was in 2015 and now it has a roster of eight artists. Its focus has primarily been on experimental electronic, avant-garde and ambient music but I’m hoping to have some left-field techno and electronica on it too. There is a distinct visual aesthetic underpinned by great design that’s minimal, monochrome and striking. We have a publishing arm and we put on gigs across London. I feel like we are a small family.
EG: Also you are a resident at Resonance Extra, what’s the radio program about?
Villette: Resonance Extra mainly broadcasts avant-garde music and sound art so what I play there, is mostly ambient, contemporary classical and experimental electronic tracks. It’s a great outlet for me to play what I want freely without any concern for my reach.
“We’d like to think that gender disparity is no longer an issue in the music industry but one look at electronic music festival line-ups coupled with some distressing stats tell you otherwise”
EG: You come from Istanbul but currently living in London. Why did you decide to move to the British capital?
Villette: Istanbul is a wonderfully stimulating city but London is arguably the cultural capital of the world. I felt like I needed to be at the center of the music industry, this is a city that just has so much to offer and inspire you on a daily basis. I moved here to do my MA at King’s College in Creative Industries, got an internship at a record label and haven’t looked back since. I still spend considerable time in Istanbul though; I have to balance London out with something!
EG: What’s your favorite part of being a DJ?
Villette: Discovering new music, the digging part. People get into DJ’ing for all kinds of reasons, mine has always been a passion for the music itself. A lot of the things that come with DJ’ing are not for me so I really enjoy playing warm-ups at earlier hours.
EG: Do you have any activities you like to do outside of music? How do you find time for yourself?
Villette: Being single and socializing less is definitely good for time. Apart from music, my main focus at the moment is on training to become a sommelier. I’m halfway through and would love to own a small vineyard one day and do festivals and artist residencies there, combining music, sunshine and wine.
Follow Villette: Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud
