Beyza Yazgan - Human Cocoon

2024

Turkish pianist Beyza Yazgan's debut album, Human Cocoon, is a collection of solo piano works unfurling from a series of meditative improvisations. Embracing simplicity in form and sound, the album is a tapestry shaped out of Beyza’s background as a Western classical pianist, her Turkish musical roots, contemporary jazz, and minimalism. The amalgamation is a personal portrait reflecting on existential themes of what it is to be alive at this moment in time.

"Human Cocoon is an album about reemerging from the quiet solitude that I think we all sometimes need in order to navigate a difficult world. I started writing these pieces in 2023 while watching the aftermath of the earthquake in my native Türkiye on my TV from the safety of my apartment in New York City. A few days after the tragedy, I reluctantly went on a pre-scheduled silent retreat, my first. In that space, removed from distraction, I was forced to deal with a cacophony of unresolved emotions and existential questions. Upon returning to my apartment at the end of the seven days, what began as late-night improvisations soon transformed into a series of ten distinct pieces. I'm so happy to be able to share them with you, and I hope they resonate."

Beyza