Sakis Gouzonis gave an interview to The Bandcamp Diaries

Sakis Gouzonis (Interview)

Interview by Andrea Caccese
Founder of The Bandcamp Diaries
Italy
Sunday, 3 July 2016

We had a chat with Greek electronic music composer Sakis Gouzonis, who kindly shared his view on many aspects of making music, from songwriting to the state of the industry! Read on to find out more.

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Before we begin, I would like to thank you, Andrea, for this interview and for your compliment on my music. To answer your first question, the melody always comes first, followed by the beat. I just start playing and humming, until a new melody emerges. I work a lot on the new melody, because I want it to be as beautiful and emotional as possible. When I feel that the new melody is ready, then, I add all the necessary percussion instruments, basses, strings, synthesizer sounds, etc. Putting sounds together and seeing how a collection of sounds can produce quite a profound effect is a really fascinating process.

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

So far, I have performed more than a thousand concerts. Numerous people of all ages and backgrounds have come to my live performances, and I feel very blessed. I definitely like the studio and the creative process. I definitely like seeing my visions come to reality. I definitely like getting up in the morning with the hope that today I will produce something that really matters to people. But my favorite part has always been communicating with my audience. I love the live shows, the tremendous energy on stage, the give-and-take with my listeners. The applause before, during and after each performance fills me with huge energy and indescribable excitement.

If you could only pick one song to make a "first impression" on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

That's a very interesting but difficult question. I think I would pick The Power Of Your Love. The Power Of Your Love is in fact a movie in itself without the visuals. There is a huge story to be told. It's instrumental music doing what it does best, taking you on a journey, using art to initiate an adventure. The Power Of Your Love is soaked in optimism and hope. It has been mixed and produced in such a way that it really draws emotion out of you. The sound effects add to that epic atmosphere, but not in an overbearing manner. The Power Of Your Love is a music track that you want to listen to intently rather than have on in the background.

What does it take to be "innovative" in music?

To be innovative in music, you have to experiment and do something in a new way. If you are a composer, you have to compose in an unusual, engaging and individual style. If you are a lyricist, you have to write in an unusual, engaging and individual style. And so on and so forth. A music innovator seeks not only to beat the competition, but also to better his music both for himself and for his listeners. A music innovator is never satisfied. There is always something better around the corner, and he is determined to break from the pack and find it. Listening to live music, playing live concerts, staying current with what is rising to the top of the music world and creating songwriting partnerships can all help you become innovative in music.

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

My 9th studio album, Liberating Truth, which contains ten brand new tracks of electronic and cinematic music, was released one and a half months ago, so I am in the process of promoting it both online and offline. As always, I worked very hard to produce a quality album with excellent compositions and powerful orchestrations. Given the opportunity, I would like to thank all of my online and offline fans for their continuous love and support, and tell them that I will continue to produce the most beautiful electronic and cinematic music possible. I really enjoy the smiles on my fans' faces each time I release a new album; being able to inspire people and change their lives for the better is a beautiful gift for which I am very grateful.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Listeners can learn more about me and my music by visiting my official website, which is https://www.sakisgouzonis.com. My official website includes detailed biography, complete discography, a gallery of album covers, a frequently updated electronic press kit, press releases, questions and answers, album reviews, articles, interviews, news, contact details and links. Since 2008, I have released 9 studio albums; First Contact (2008), New Earth (2009), The Tree Of Life (2010), Ultimate Love (2011), Vast Victory (2012), Spiritual Unity (2013), Golden Heart (2014), A World At Peace (2015) and Liberating Truth (2016). Listeners can stream or download my full discography for free, and share it with their family, friends and colleagues. Listeners can also sign up for my free e-newsletter, if they want to stay updated about upcoming album releases and live shows in their area.