Hi Stelios, thank you for taking the time to talk with us here at Echo Room. We’d like to discuss your new EP ‘One Man Down’ coming on Joseph Joyce’s Default Position label. For those who haven’t heard it yet how would you describe the project?
Hi there and thank you for hosting me!! The 2 tracks on the EP are what most people would probably describe as “dub techno” or something similar. I’m not great with labels (or a big fan of genre distinctions), to be honest, but I guess it’s music that’s intricate and deep yet intended for the dance floor.
You appear to be quite a prolific producer, releasing music with many esteemed labels in electronic music such as Anjunadeep, John Digweed’s Bedrock, the iconic Balance Music and many more. Could you tell us about how you make our music and some of your go to instruments digital or physical that often help shape your productions?
I’ve tried to keep things as fresh and interesting as possible as my career progresses – I really love being able to experiment with and dip my toes into different styles. Hopefully, there’s some cohesion at the end of the day and it still sounds like me! I suppose that the techniques and equipment I use are the same so, sonically speaking, there’s some continuity. I’m mostly producing from a mobile setup these days so I rely heavily on software and plugins. I’ma big fan of NI, Arturia, Soundtoys, Cableguys etc,
You’re a native of Greece, could you tell us about your beginnings in electronic music and your roots in this mediterranean archipelago lands?
That’s correct, although I have very little connection to the scene there. My beginnings in electronic music came much later – first when I was a student in London and later when I was at grad school in NY. When I was growing up in Athens I was into punk, hip-hop, jazz and classical music.
What were some of the first artists that got you hooked on electronic music?
Photek, DJ Shadow, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, DJ Krush etc
What are some of your favourite producers and DJ’s in electronic music?
At the moment, I’m playing a lot of techno in my DJ sets – I find it really exciting and fresh. Some of my current favourites are Truncate, Wata Igarashi, Rodhad, Off/Grid, Heiko Laux, Psyk etc
We notice that you are often performing across the Asian continent, could you tell us about some of your experiences here, how is the scene and how does it differ from your initial forays as a DJ in Europe?
I’m actually based in Hanoi at the moment (although I don’t seem to be able to spend more than 4 consecutive days there for the time being!). I love living here… the lifestyle is very agreeable – nice people, incredible food, high energy, enthusiasm, optimism, creativity etc. The scene here is incredible varied and nuanced – some spots have a rich and important history in electronic music while others are just emerging and presenting exciting possibilities.
What does the future hold for you?
Lots of traveling – but I do manage to squeeze in a lot of production work in the downtime 🙂
Could you share with us a personal favourite of your own productions from your extensive back catalogue?
I’m horrible at name checking / rating my own productions but a track that I’m really proud of (and still play) is “Thick and Thin”, which came out on Joris Voorn’s “Rejected” label last year.
Lastly, could you leave us with one track that you often close your sets with?
That’s a tough one as it depends on what time the set closes and where the set is being played… I guess one that never fails is Cassius – Calliope
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