What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.
I started as a flautist, and the material of the first album of Lüüp (Distress Signal Code) was based on flute loops. So maybe the flute itself gave me an idea of how a musical structure could be created from a monophonic instrument. Later I was interested in composition and I took music theory lessons (harmony, counterpoint, composition) with composer Nikos Panagiotakis. The current incarnation finds Lüüp trying to explore an area of combining dark classical music with the black metal tradition among other things…
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
In every album, I want to make a drastic change of direction while maintaining some elements in common, because I want to explore new fields every time. So, in the last album, Canticles of The Holy Scythe, I am keeping the approach of “classical” music of the 20th-21st century with a darker sound. It is a concept album around the occult philosophy and the symbolism of death. As a symbol of the renewal, Death of an old “era” to progress to a new one. Following this interpretation, I had to “kill” the old sound of Lüüp in order to create this new era. The sacrifice that had to be done corresponds with the frustration of listeners of the past Lüüp sound.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
As a flautist I think I have been more influenced by … guitarist Robert Fripp. I am interested in a lot of music styles, so I think every interesting music influences me in one way or another. Everything, every person, every situation, every experience influences and shapes our existence.
In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?
Well lately we work only within the acoustic chamber orchestra area, so there are no guitars, bass, drums etc. And there is a big black metal influence running through structure, form, harmony & rhythm…so I guess that’s something at least I have never heard before.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Music: Igor Stravinsky – Requiem Canticles
Van Der Graaf Generator – H to He, Who Am the Only One
Nikos Skalkottas – Return of Ulysses
Movies: Andrei Tarkovsky – Stalker
Ingmar Bergman – Seventh Seal
Steven Spielberg – Jaws
Books: Mikhail Bulgakov – the Master & Margarita
William Shakespeare – Macbeth
Nikos Kazantzakis – Report to Greco
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
In studio I feel more creative, but playing live there is a risk that I also like and the element of transcendence which is magical but hard to achieve. In any case, I’m learning new things, so these two conditions are very useful.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
When I was in the 2nd grade of high school, we had an awesome English teacher, Mr. Christopoulos. Seeing me painting the Sodom logo on the desk as well as my sister writing Siouxsie and The Banshees, he probably thought we should expand our music horizons a bit.
And so he gave my sister a tape that had only one name: Van Der Graaf Generator…without any further information; and he begged us not to keep it long because it was one of his favorites. Listening to the tape our shock was very big, of course. And I started buying all their albums to find out which one was in that tape. It was “H to He, Who Am Only One” – one of the most extreme albums you could hear in 1970 in “rock” and still today I think. When David Jackson from Van der Graaf Generator came in 2007 to record in the studio together, we told him the story and he thought of picking up the tape (which we had not yet returned!) and writing a thankful dedication to Mr. Christopoulos. When we returned the tape at last with the dedication of David Jackson written on top, after 9 years, Mr. Christopoulos was speechless.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
(Always talking about the last album, Canticles of The Holy Scythe), I’m happy about the final result in the “Greater Holy Assembly” track, the timbre resulting from the combination of strings, timpani, cymbals and that voice. I appreciate very much Sakis Tolis (I’ve been listening to Rotting Christ for 25 years now) and it was a lifetime dream to work with him.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
To be able to work within music and to always learn.
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
Looking forward?
Cannot wait to play with these amazing musicians in our concert at Temple and of course I am very honored to have Attila Csihar with us, a fantastic musician with such a wide pallet of expression. I want to thank Underflow Record Store for this opportunity.
Thank you Last Day Deaf for the interview.
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
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