Selofan, Ioanna and Dimitris, are a dedicated team in cold, synth wave music releasing their art since April 2013, also they run Fabrika Records , a dedicated well known label in the genre. Having gained Europe’s respect and admiration, they perform a lot and their music has reached the point of withstanding comparison against other recognized names in the underground scene. We asked for an interview that they kindly accepted, so…enjoy!
How did it all start with Selofan and what is the idea behind the band?
It started as a bedroom project. Actually, nothing has changed since then; we still produce and record everything at home. Τhere has never been a discussion about starting a band, we were just having fun playing synths when the first track-ideas took shape. They were totally minimal, we uploaded them on the internet without thinking twice. All these first tracks were produced in one take and were quite raw. Soon we got feedback and that’s how it started. The idea is of course to be the talk of the town and earn lots of money:)
What is your pre-Selofan music career and your work in the genre?
Music has always been a way of living for us, which finally led us to each other. We met in a small bar where I was DJing and occasionally booking live-acts and Dimitris worked in one of these gigs as a sound engineer. Two record labels and a music shop is where we currently put our energy into, so if you feel synth-infected check out www.synthesizer.gr.
Since Selofan’s first release, ‘Verboten’ in 2013, a few things changed in the band’s character. Emerging from minimal electro wave, to this year’s release ‘Sto Skotadi’ (In the Darkness), where things where put in a plain cold/dark wave vein, which are the artistic or technical facts in Selofan’s development?
Dimitris is a natural born multi-instrumentalist, so he felt the need to use more instruments like the saxophone, bass and guitar. We find repetition boring in music just as in life. The character of the band was never stable anyway, if it were a person you would love them as a friend but you would never trust them.
Where does Selofan’s inspiration in music and lyrics come from?
From the bottom of an empty glass in a smoky basement bar in a city facing imminent collapse.
You use three languages (English-Greek-German) for both titles and lyrics. Why is that?
Isn’t it wonderful not to be limited in just one language in order to express yourself?
I attended ‘In the Darkness’ live performance earlier in April at Death Disco club. It is obvious that you plan the band’s live performance very carefully using projections, dancers, actors, along with Selofan’s performance on stage, and the club was thrilled when you put elements out of ‘Sto Skotadi’ official video performing a part of the scenario with you on stage. Combining arts is a difficult aspect on stage, how did you end up to that setting?
Often people watch live gigs passively as if they watch TV. We try to visualize our show, because if it’s exiting for you then it’s also for us. Our friends support us, being creative themselves, and make each show literally unique, which we want to keep that way and that’s also a reason why we only perform in Athens once a year.
You perform very often in Europe; Wave-Gotik-Treffen is always an important festival that everyone is looking forward to playing or just even attending. But what do you really prefer most: festivals, interacting with other musicians and bigger audiences, or a town club where all is dedicated to the band?
Shows in small clubs are surely more intense, because we feel the direct, often personal connection with the audience, but, in the same way you enjoy discovering a new band, we are intrigued by new audiences in big festivals.
Cold wave, and experimental no wave music has been attracting a lot of people. Along with the band, you run Fabrika Records, a dedicated label in the aforementioned genres, making releases of important bands (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Blablarism, M!R!M!, Selofan etc). Why, in your opinion, has cold/dark wave or even experimental no wave music (Kælan Mikla), drawn a certain newcoming audience?
As a good friend says ”sadness is rebellion”. I think this is the reason why these music genres, which don’t really mean to entertain the audience and ignore the future in their contents, will always gain new fans and actually have a future.
Thank you for your time, you can add anything!
Thank you.
Photo credits: Daniela Vorndran
Mike Dimitriou