He is a multi-instrumentalist with raw talent. Give him a story and he will create the music theme, the Greek Artist has the Midas touch.
- Describe your sound in 3 words.
Classical Film Music.
- Who is your favourite Guitarist? And which are your major music influences?
Ronald Dyens. My major music influences are Bach, Mozart and Astor Piazzolla!
- After releasing guitar driven albums, Déjà vu is a pianocentric work. Can you tell us a few things about your creative process?
Beside Classical Guitar I have also studied Classical Piano up to a level that I can understand the potential of the instrument. I always considered classical guitar and piano as two unique instruments that can perform complex things and at the same time sustain the melody to a high level. About Déjà vu, my goal was to create an album that has all the classical influences and techniques of classical piano but at the same time be modern and easy to listen to. Déjà vu is a personal music biography, describing all my different life stages up to what I am now.
- You are also a Mathematician. Could you consider music more as a science and less as an art? Half-Joking was Iannis Xenakis a mathematician or a composer?
Iannis Xenakis was an exceptional composer, so many songs with so much feeling but on the other hand he was able to combine mathematics with music to his research. Music is an inner need to express something. Has structure according to genre and it’s easy to be modelized to mathematics. There are a lot of papers that combine music with mathematics through functions, something that has already been applied through music software notation, though if we start seeing music as pure science then we will lose the feeling and the improvisation that makes every track unique.
- How do you relate to the Greek music scene?
Sadly the Greek music scene has so little space available for my genre and currently isn’t on my marketing target. I was lucky enough to meet people and have friends from the music highschool that share the same dream with me. I created a classical ensemble and were performing classical music soundtracks from well known movies and also personal compositions.
- You are also a teacher. From your experience, is songwriting a talent or a skill?
Definitely a skill…Without reading, studying and effort you cant accomplish great things. Talent will give you the burst the push you require to have a go but without the appropriate experience gained from studies you cant keep the level high for long. Imagination dies after one point but knowledge stays forever…
- If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
We live on the digital season (thank god…) and we can create opportunities on our own. Twenty – Thirty years before it wouldn’t be easy for blogs to find you or do a single release on your own. So currently I am very happy at the moment that I can control almost everything about my music. Only thing that bothers me is that classical music seems to be losing ground from the modern genres. If you try to pitch classical music you will find much less opportunities and that’s something worrying. Also I don’t like the fact that many composers go for singles and not for albums anyone. I understand that by releasing more often you get more exposure but listeners miss the whole picture there. Albums have a story to say, that’s why they are albums!!!
- Your music feels like it could work perfectly as a movie theme. If you were asked to rescore a film, which one would you choose?
I wouldn’t choose anything! Each score is unique and almost impossible to write a new one without having influences, also I love creating new things.Tell me a story and I shall give you a music theme!!!
- Which book should we read while listening to your music?
Well…I love reading fantasy! I have written so many orchestral compositions (Still unpublished) while reading J.R.R Tolkien’s Silmarillion. Generally I imagine a story and create a music theme. Fantasy, love story, Action movie trailer, whatever you can imagine, so I think that my music can work for many books!
- One last thing we should know about you?
I try to be humble in my life and do as many things I can in the time given to me. I do believe that everyone should try and leave something behind…This is something that gives me push to keep creating music, books, games, science, anything creative you can imagine! Musically speaking I have decided to start releasing more often. Got so much music ready to be released starting from this September with my new coming album “Cubana”. That’s another story and I hope we can discuss it when it’s released!
Thank you Yorgos!
Secret Eclectic 