Conversations with Gözde DÜZER

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gözde DÜZER.

Hi Gözde, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a musician, producer, and one woman band doing goth music. I started my solo project Aux Animaux in 2017 inspired by LA based bands and musicians like John Carpenter, The Chromatics, Desire. I am a huge horror nerd so LA and horror movie soundtracks have a special place in my heart and have been a huge inspiration for my music.

Over time, as I discovered the goth scene, my music evolved from a dreamy synthwave sound to a darker and goth inspired sound. Another reason to love LA because it has the biggest goth scene in the world with very unique and genuine bands emerging as opposed to the copy paste bands one can see on the other side of Atlantic. LA goth scene has been very inspirational for me. Important festivals like Substance at The Belasco every year (where I am booked to be playing this year on 10/24), Cruel World festival, and many more have been keeping the heartbeat of the scene beating hard.

I have independently built Aux Animaux from the ground up, initially without any industry connections, into a well-recognized name within the goth scene. I am solely responsible for writing, recording, and mixing all music. In addition, I manage all aspects of the project’s operations, including PR, booking, music video production, and social media management.

I am also the bass player, thereminist, and backing vocalist for the world famous electronic band IAMX, the project of Chris Corner, who was the founding members of critically acclaimed trip-hop band Sneaker Pimps, who have sold multi million records around the globe. A former resident of LA, Chris now resides in Aguanga.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is definitely challenging to be an independent artist in the music scene these days. You have to really love what you do, work 200% and also be a bit crazy to be doing this.

Another challenge is being a woman, especially a producer and artist in a very male dominated music business. In 2026 people still seem to not be able to accept that a woman can succeed all by herself, without any help from a man. After having established myself in the goth scene, I still get reviews about my songs where if I made a collab with another artist is singing a few lines in one of my songs, or someone else did the mastering, they give the credit for the song to those people, whereas I did all the hard work. They of course stand corrected when that happens.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an artist in the goth scene. I like to call my genre hauntwave, because it’s a mixture of different genres, so it doesn’t fit in one category. I blend darkwave, coldwave with EBM (electronic body music). I also use the theremin in my music, which is absolutely unique to me.

The theremin is the first electronic instrument in the world, and it is the only instrument that is played without touching- yes you heard right, without touching. The player is basically playing the radiowaves by waving their hands in the air and creating tones with the right movements. It is an incredibly difficult instrument to play, which is why there’s a handful of people around the world who actually play it.

Some bands, for instance at the progg and psychedelic music scene might be using it to make noise. What differs me from these kind of contemporary music is that I can actually play the theremin, as in playing pure tones and melodies. I am the only artist in the goth scene that does that.

I started to play the theremin in 2016 and over time, I developed my own technique to play it. Theremin was aimed to be played in classical music, but I have infiltrated into the dark, electronic sound that I created, adding an extra eerines to the mood of my music. My music is highly inspired by horror movies, so the sound of the theremin really fits the vibe.

I play the theremin live on stage too and the audiences are always mesmerized by it. A lot of them have never seen anything like that before so they come and ask me what the instrument I played was if I am around after the show.

Visuals are very important to my artistry as well. I see Aux Animaux as an audiovisual project. My stage makeup and clothes are highly inspired by the occult and horror movies. I like starting the shows with a ritual, getting the audience’s attention and creating a magical mood in the venue, continuing with a theremin solo intro on a drone loop and then hitting the faster songs suddenly, shaking them up and getting them to dance.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learnt that you gotta keep going and not give up. When I first started this project and started booking my own shows, I could send 200 emails and 2 would responds. Many indie artists give up at that stage, but I was stubborn because I really wanted this, it’s the reason of my existence, so I kept on working hard and also perfecting my craft. Because of course that ambition has to be combined with a good music and show, so you gotta work hard on all that too. But if you do you win the price. I am very happy to be doing my own music without any compromise and to be able to live off it. It’s all I ever wanted.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auxanimaux/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxanimaux
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@auxanimaux

Image Credits
Standing photo in DTLA & Photo screaming on the floor: Ryan Allan
BW photos playing the theremin (the kick and the initial one on previous page): Mattias Nilsson
BW Singing on the floor with face harness: Åke Tireland
Playing the theremin in color: Jonas Enander