Sakis Gouzonis, more often referred to as Sakis, is a Greek electronic composer. He has released five studio albums over the last five years (First Contact, New Earth, The Tree Of Life, Ultimate Love and Vast Victory), winning multiple international awards for his music. Today, his international fan club consists of more than 440,000 members in 220 countries. What makes this all the more amazing is that it has all been done independently, with no record labels involved in supporting him. He is the only Greek independent artist to have reached that level of fame and success.
01. How did you get started in music?
I have been playing and composing music since I was a kid. In 1990, my parents bought me an electronic keyboard, and I immediately started playing and composing music. I can still remember myself sitting at my parents’ home spending countless hours every day composing, orchestrating, creating sounds, and playing music. After finishing Senior High School, I released two remix compilations of Christian hymns. The first one was released in 1996, and the second one in 1998. In 2000, I was asked to play keyboards in a band that was backing up Greek singer Costas Fragoraptis. We released two albums, and both of them were aired by Greek radio stations. On 8 August 2008, I released my first studio album entitled First Contact, which received a lot of radio airplay and press coverage from media outlets around the world.
02. Where did your direction come from?
The music you listen to when you are growing up is extremely important, and for me it changed who I was and everything I wanted to be. When I first listened to the music of Jean Michel Jarre, Yanni, & Vangelis, my life took a new direction.
03. Who were your major influences and inspirations, and who do you despise?
I believe that the music from the 80’s and 90’s was a major influence. I was also influenced by great electronic and cinematic composers, such as Jean Michel Jarre, Yanni, Vangelis, John Williams, James Horner, Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, and many others. I despise all those that spread hate around the world, instead of accepting people as they are.
04. What inspires you to make your current type of songs and sound?
The idea of inspiration is a bit hard to comprehend. Something that one person may not even notice could be the most inspiring thing to someone else. Personally, I am inspired by so many things; planets, stars, people, nature, paintings, dreams, etc. The list could go on forever.
05. What can someone who has never seen you live before expect from your live shows then and possibly even now?
He/she can expect a Greek electronic composer on stage that performs with passion and a lot of positive energy. In my live act I do my best to recreate the sound of my studio albums, but with the emotionality of a live show.
06. How do you begin your tracks? What types of themes and subjects do you deal with?
Each one of my tracks comes in a moment of inspiration. My music is about the universe, it is about the infinite, it is about the mysterious forces that we all feel to be around us, it is about what we can and what we cannot understand. My complicated rhythms tell people something about the equally complex rhythms of their inner life.
07. How has your music evolved since you first began playing?
That’s a great question. Well, my melodies have become more emotional, and my orchestrations and chord structures have become more complex. In addition, music technology has improved vastly since I started recording, as has my access to that technology. My music tracks just keep getting stronger and stronger.
08. What has been your biggest challenge? Have you been able to overcome this? If so, how?
My biggest challenge has always been not having enough knowledge for solving technical problems as quickly as I would like to. But I will say that I have very high standards. Being a perfectionist both in the studio and live on stage is a constant challenge for me.
09. Do you play covers? If you could pick any song, which would you like to cover most and why?
It is very easy to fall into the trap of wanting to play other people’s music. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than playing my own original music and people responding to it in a really positive way.
10. Where do you envisage yourself being in five years’ time?
In five years’ time, I would envisage myself being in my studio recording a “greatest hits” album.
11. Who would you most like to record with?
I like to record with Vangelis or Yanni. They are both great Greek composers.
12. What should we be expecting from you in the near future?
I am currently working on my sixth studio album, which is going to be released on 13 August 2013. I am also working on planning my tour for this autumn.
So, remember to visit my official website SakisGouzonis.com for all the latest news. Thanks in advance.
Web Links:
SakisGouzonis.com
SakisGouzonis.com/music
myspace.com/sakisgouzonis
purevolume.com/sakisgouzonis
imradio.com/sakisgouzonis
