Sometimes when the music is that fire it becomes undeniable. Moderator boasts two #1 albums on Bandcamp, the latest being the spectacular Midnight Madness. His music takes you on unique journeys, the vibes ranging from bossa nova to trip hop, taking the music wherever he wants to go. One of the most unique producers to grace our ears in years, here is what he had to say for himself.
RD: Your music runs a wide gamut of styles, from lounge to soul to hip hop and beyond. What were some of your biggest influences growing up?
M: From a young age, I enjoyed listening to instrumental hip hop music. I got influenced by the production style of the greats: Madlib, DJ Shadow, J Dilla and Nujabes to name a few. In general, I like listening to music that carries some type of feeling and soul regardless of genre. The one that you can feel it in you stomach if that makes sense. That’s why I got drawn to so many styles of music growing up. Nowadays, I get inspired by other fellow friends beatmakers and producers, listening to their projects really puts me in the mood to make something new as well.
RD: Greece is home to a number of progressive musicians such as yourself. Do you feel the scene has grown over the past few years?
M: Yes, despite its small population, Greece has a lot of great artists in this scene and has definitely grown over the years. It’s refreshing to see young talented producers doing their thing.
RD: One of the most appealing things to us about your catalogue is that no two albums sound alike. How are you able to create such different soundscapes every time out?
M: It’s probably because I’m a fan of many musical genres, and I get inspired by different sounds within different periods in my life. I might listen to a lot of library stuff for some time. Switch to Ethnic Funk, and from there go to Surf and Psychedelic the next year. Of course I have some favorites, but I try to keep it fresh in my mind. It usually depends on my mood. With Midnight Madness for example, I wanted to make something Halloween-ish. Dark, playful but also sexy and full of emotions. So for the last couple of years I was searching for samples that gave me that feeling. Rockabilly songs, old horror movie ads, poems. Bits and pieces to create what I had in mind for this project.
RD: Your last few albums have been met with wide acclaim, spanning a multitude of countries. How big can this go? Is that something you think about?
M: It’s crazy to think that your music can be heard in dozens of countries around the world. Of course the internet made music more accessible than ever which is awesome, but I don’t think about it that much to be honest. I just make stuff that I like listening to and some people seem to enjoy it. I’m grateful for what I have but will always try getting better at what I do and learning more.
RD: What are some of your favorite places to tour?
M: I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places while touring and had a great time on most of the cities that I’ve played, but if I had to chose one it’s Paris. Having a lot of good friends in the city definitely adds to the experience, plus the connection with the audience is always amazing.
RD: Are there any vocal talents out there that you would like to have on a future project?
M: I always liked the flow and overall skills from yU and Noveliss. If I ever make a project featuring MC’s I’d love to have those 2 on a few tracks.
RD: Your covers jump off the page, just like the music. What are qualities you look for in artwork?
M: Thank you. I usually spend way too much time looking for the right cover for each album. As you can tell, I love surreal art. I like collage as a technique because it’s basically like sampling in music, but it all depends on the project I’m working at the time. It must catch the vibe of the album and make you take a second look at it to really get what’s happening on the image.
RD: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
M: Hopefully doing what I do today. With the same passion and hunger, but with more knowledge and experience. Touring more, which I missed greatly these past two years, and definitely work on having a couple more albums under my belt.
Cop Midnight Madness here
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