[en]

 

Tell us a bit about yourself; where did you grow up, what are you currently doing?

 

I grew up in Elliniko, in Athens, where I live now. I lived in Corfu for a few years because of my studies, then in London and Berlin and after a decade abroad I returned to Athens. I currently work  at a shipping company and now, due to the quarantine, I am working from home, listening to a lot of music, training daily, enjoying the company of my dog, who is super happy with me being there all day. I see the situation as an opportunity to slow down and rest; to restructure myself.

 

When did you become involved in the electronic music scene and what attracted you to it? Talk to us about your music, who is K.atou and what inspires her?

 

When I was a student in Corfu I started playing music at some bars there, while learning and I was also hosting a radio show for two years. I had the "bug" from a young age, I loved music. I was even asking my parents to buy me a hi-tech stereo with a cassette player and turntable, instead of toys. I was spending my pocket money at the local record store, recording vinyls to cassettes. K.atou loves and lives with music, she keeps her ears open to everything - until I go deaf - and finds her inspiration in many things; in music she shares with friends, in traveling, in the people she dances with at clubs, in intriguing artists for whom she wants to know all about!
 

You have lived abroad for a long time. After you returned to Greece, what differences did you see in the scene and therefore in your career?

 

The electronic music scene is constantly evolving. I am very happy to live here, there are many interesting things to do, musically. Also, the people comprising this scene are very close to me, at a friendly level.

 

You've gone on a lot of tours abroad. Tell us about the experience of touring, the energy and respectively the fatigue, the interaction with the audience.

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Every time a tour ends, I have only one thing in mind: to sleep in my bed and see my dog. The touring experience fills me as a human being. The different crowds, the variety of locations, the traveling; I enjoy this whole process. It's a time when you can be left alone with your thoughts and suddenly you find yourself in a city, where everyone is looking forward to seeing you DJ (especially in the US that I visit regularly over the years, I have made friends in every city, whom I consider very close to me).

One day you may DJ at a club, the next at a bar, regardless if it is morning, or noon. You test your skills in different conditions and you don't play the same set every day. The audience is wonderful. The first time I played in the US - Chicago and Detroit were my first gigs - I was 25-26 years old. I kept thinking "what do I have to show that can be unique enough in the birthplaces of house and techno?". And yet, my music felt different to the crowd. They embraced it, loved it and I have been visiting the US for 13 years non-stop, ever since.

 

You have been in the electronic music scene for many years now and with an international presence. How do you think the internet has changed the scene in recent years? How do you use the new media?

 

I think I use new media to the minimum. One will mostly see photos of Phoenix -my dog- and of food during my tours. I use social media to announce the parties I will DJ at, my mixes that are hosted on various platforms and music that I discover and want to share - because as a friend told me once "music has to go around". The internet has indeed changed the scene, yes, and in a negative way. DJs have become models for designers and appear doing product placements. Our goal, as DJs, is only one: to make the audience dance and have fun.

 

Many DJs and producers want to perform abroad more than ever. How could an upcoming artist achieve that?

 

That is a good question... Back in the day you had to have some releases, be a producer and a DJ. That's not the case anymore. I think there is a need for consistency in the material one releases, a thorough and careful choice of "channels", so as to communicate and promote your work in the best way possible and a lot of patience.

 

If you could change one thing in the Greek electronic music scene, what would that be?

 

I would like more guerilla parties in weird and unique locations, which would give the performers and crowds more freedom. Parties closer to nature, which is a valuable asset in our country and close to our city (Athens). Finally, I would like to see more parties taking place in open spaces, during the day.

 

Apart from being a DJ, you are also a producer. How do you promote your career both as a DJ and as a producer? Do you treat them as two different things?

 

Unfortunately, I've stopped writing music for several years. I don't have enough time anymore and to be honest, I feel more complete when playing music to an audience than when I produce music. Therefore, regarding promotion of my career as an artist, it is now a one-way street - that of DJing. :)

 

Which is the best advice that someone has given you? What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow your footsteps?

 

To be patient, to work hard, to keep my ears open, to rely only on myself for what I want to achieve and to always have my own set of needles for the turntables. It is the same piece of advice that I would give, too.

 

Has your gender made it difficult for you as an artist so far?

 

There hasn’t been a case that my gender made it difficult for me, or, I have not allowed my gender to be an obstacle for me.

 

Recently, there have been more and more cases of gender inequality in many social sectors. In Greece, laws are being voted that violate basic human rights and campaigns appear such as the one against abortion, while abroad women marches in favor of women's rights (USA, Switzerland, London) and gender-based violence (Chile, Mexico, etc.). How do you feel about our society? 

 

Sometimes it feels like I live in the Middle Ages, seeing situations as such and sometimes I see a society that is so liberated and democratic (in a minority scale, though) that, nevertheless, gives me courage. We are a generation that has studied a lot, has traveled all over the world - traveling is the best form of "education" - and it is up to us to dispel myths and beliefs of the previous generations, support the rights of every human being regardless of their gender, color, sexual orientation.

 

In music in particular, a movement has sprung, either through organizations, groups, or individual initiatives, aiming to eliminate inequality in the music industry. What is your opinion regarding the position of women in music today, compared to when you started?

 

When I began DJing, women were a rarity and the fees were much lower than they are now. The vast mentality was that electronic music and music technology were not suitable, nor made for women. It was peculiar for a woman to buy records, or to buy equipment to compose music. Throughout the years, women have ascended in the scene and it has become more and more common seeing women in various line ups.

 

What do you think would be the best way to take further steps towards equality?

 

To introduce the next and younger generations to music and music technology, to work together, to combine our strengths, to support each other and to seek for recognition that is not based on gender.

 

Tell us about your mix - what do you want to express and what was your thinking behind the choice of those tracks?

 

I always want to take the listener on a musical “journey” through my music, I want to tell a story. I never prepare my sets beforehand, by choosing specific tracks to play, or the order.

 

If you had to travel to space and take just one album with you, which would it be?

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My Bloody Valentine - “Loveless”.