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 have always been obsessed with learning how certain sounds are created. It all started with hearing Crystal Machine’s Tim Blake playing his EMS Synthy and Tangerine Dream’s use of analogue sequencers. The pursuit of how electronic music is created inspires me more and more everyday.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
The concept behind my latest project, Robosapien, is how technology is changing humans and if it is for the better or worse. My promo quote regarding the album is ‘The distinction between humans and machines will someday be almost unrecognizable. The merging of man and machine has begun. This is the driving theme behind ‘Man and Robot Society’ and my latest creation ‘Robosapien’.
As for the production – I have done many digital releases before, and a CD, but this project was the first to be released in vinyl and I really want to thank the Sound Effect Record label in Greece for co-producing the album. The support they gave me was unbelievable. They worked with me throughout the entire project; helped with the overall concept, the art layout, the final mixing and mastering of the audio, pressing of the vinyl and now are distributing it throughout Europe. They are truly the good guys in the music industry and I am very proud to be one of their artists they support.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
Space, technology, science-fiction and spirituality are my main influences. I prefer art and music that is filled with emotion and tells a story that takes you to new worlds.
Favorite bands – Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Hawkwind, Neu!
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?
I want my music to paint a visual sonic picture. I think of my songs as a soundtrack to a story and a journey. If you listen to just the first 30 seconds of one of my tunes it may not blow you away, but hopefully, like a good book, it is setting the scene and developing the plot. You might be pleasantly surprised once the story kicks in and you experience the whole journey.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Albums:
Phaedra – Tangerine Dream, Oxygen – Jan Michael Jarre, Atom Heart Mother – Pink Floyd
Books:
VALIS – Philip K. Dick, Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut, Siddhartha – Hermann Hesse
Movies:
Fantastic Planet – René Laloux, Fifth Element – Luc Besson, Blade Runner – Ridley Scott
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
For a long time all I did was studio work. For four years, I made a living as a session musician for a karaoke recording studio. Before recording Robosapien, I decided I wanted the project to have more of a live feel than a ‘in the box’ studio sound. I rearranged my studio work flow to be completely DAW free except for the recording part. I recorded many of the tracks on Robosapien in one shot. I also joined a band two years ago just to get out of the studio and get some stage experience. Although it isn’t my project, I absolutely love it. It has inspired me to want to play my solo electronic projects live and I’ve spent the past year converting my studio setup into a live rig. I still have a few bugs to work out, but the goal is to be playing my solo projects live very soon.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
I was a studio musician for a studio which was run by a Korean gentlemen. He asked me if I wanted to go on a business trip to Korea to promote the studio and get some new contracts. I was very proud he asked me, until we showed up at the airport and then I realized he was illegally smuggling a very expensive Japanese made news camera into Korea to sell, as well as carrying a ton of cash, and the reason I was going was to carry the suitcases.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
My personal favorite track on my new album is Probe Alpha 1, because it is a total sci-fi space trip that features many of my favorite synth tones. Its uniqueness is that it is more of a soundtrack to a film than a popular song. It has an intro, a plot setting, and then a journey and space rock resolution which is very emotional. I also recorded the song live and in one take, but the way the keyboard was split and layered I was actually playing 4 synths with just one keyboard as well as controlling several sequencers to get them to change keys with the chord pattern.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
I believe technology has a way of amplifying our inner nature and revealing our most creative and destructive sides and this is reflected in my music. Technology and state of the art electronic synthesizers are core elements of my productions, but I would never want my equipment to control me. Am I playing the instrument or is it playing me? This battle is persistent and ever present. As technology helps me create music impossible to make without it, it will reveal who I am as a musician and as a person. My goal is to keep trying to make music that is organic and human as well as filled with futuristic sounds of technology…..a hybrid of man and machine.
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
What excites you about the music modern world?
The popularity of eurorack modules is absolutely amazing. Back in the 90’s nobody cared about analogue gear. I built my first little modular system in 1998 and had to order all the modules from Europe and all my musician friends thought I was nuts. Now you can go see a DJ that doesn’t spin records but is rather creating music live via euroracks. Very cool!
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
Recommended listening:
Connect with Man And Robot Society:
facebook.com/ManAndRobotSociety
Manandrobotsociety.bandcamp.com